Surgical Fellowship, 2000-2001
University of Colorado Denver, Department of Surgery, Division of GI, Tumor, and Endocrine Surgery
After leaving MSKCC, I took a position at the University of Colorado Cancer Center with the University of Colorado Denver. Since then, I have been promoted to Associate Professor of Surgery and have witnessed the tremendous growth of the cancer center with the transition of the entire medical center to a new bioscience community at the Anschutz Medical Campus. Under Dr. Brennan’s guidance at MSKCC, the Kristen Carr Fellowship prepared me quite well to integrate clinical, educational and research skills into an evolving cancer program. I joined a small but dedicated group of cancer physicians and researchers and together we have worked hard to promote a multidisciplinary team approach to treating all cancer patients. Since my arrival, we have developed a team based one-stop multidisciplinary gastrointestinal cancer clinic for those with complicated esophageal, liver, pancreas, and rectal cancers. More recently we formed our own multidisciplinary sarcoma tumor board of which I am the current chair. These clinical efforts are aimed at building the presence of Surgical Oncology within the department, hospital and cancer center.
On the education and research front, I actively participate in student and resident education. I regularly mentor residents and run a laboratory effort studying immunosuppressive mechanisms of cancers, and recently submitted a proposal for a T32 training grant in surgical oncology. In addition, I helped develop a surgical oncology outreach program to assist more remote physicians managing difficult cancer cases. I am involved in many national surgical societies and teach post-graduate education courses for the American College of Surgeons and the Southwestern Surgical Society. As the PI of several local clinical trials, quality initiatives, and an active member of ACOSOG and other cooperative group trials, I have heartily endorsed the Brennan philosophy of advancing patient care by asking and answering good prospective clinical questions.
Personally, my career path has been both supported and embellished by my wife Lauren and our two children. We are fortunate to live and work in a place where compensation isn’t measured in dollars but rather by how one chooses to spend your time outside of the hospital. Living in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains provides ample opportunities for hiking, biking, skiing, running, fishing, camping and much more. So many options, so little time.
