Wendy Frankel, MD

About

Gender

Female

Biography

I am a pathologist specializing in patients with pancreatic s and gastrointestinal cancers and diseases. I serve as Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of the Department of Pathology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical center and was the Department Chair from 2014-2024.

I received my medical degree from the University of Michigan and trained in The Department of Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. I completed my residency in Anatomic and Clinical pathology at University of California San Diego and my surgical pathology fellowship at the University of California San Francisco.

As a member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James, my research focuses on colorectal carcinoma, specifically in the area of colon cancer genetics. I was part of the Columbus-area Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) study that changed the standard of care for colorectal cancer patients in the United States. I was also involved with the Ohio Colorectal Cancer Prevention Initiative (OCCPI), which screened newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients across the state and their at-risk relatives for Lynch syndrome. My other areas of focus are Biobanking and Digital and Computational Pathology. I am the GI Pathology Cadre leader of Pathology for Alliance for Clinical Trials and Oncology. Over the course of my career, I have published more than 250 papers and multiple reviews and chapters and given numerous lectures both nationally and internationally.

What I love most about working at the OSUCCC – James is the community of experienced medical professionals, researchers and caring staff. At The James, we have access to the latest research and technology, and together, we use these resources to provide targeted treatment plans to our patients. Each person’s cancer is different, and we treat each patient according to their needs. Together, we’re working towards a cancer-free world, and I’m proud to be a part of this mission.

Highlights

• Named to Castle Connolly's Top Doctors and Exceptional Women in Medicine
• Past Chair and COM Distinguished Professor, Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University
• Past President Mazzaferri-Ellison Society of Master Clinicians at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
• Past President United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology
• Past President Rodger Haggitt Gastrointestinal Pathology Society
• Dean's Award for Lifetime Achievement in Education, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
• Consortium site PI for Alliance NCTN Biorepository and Biospecimen Resource (U24CA196171), The Ohio State University

Conditions and expertise

• Gastrointestinal Cancers
• Gastrointestinal Diseases
• Liver Cancers
• Liver Diseases
• Pancreatic Cancers
• Pancreatic Diseases

Credentials

Academics and research

News and media

My news coverage

• Multi-gene testing could detect more hereditary cancer syndromes
• Single Upfront Genomic Test Improves Lynch Syndrome Detection Rates
• 11 New Ohio State Research Projects Funded by Pelotonia Idea Grants
• Many Early Onset Colon Cancers are Caused by Genetic Mutations Passed Through Families