June 3, 2016
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has appointed a nationally recognized surgeon and liver cancer expert to lead its surgical and surgical oncology programs, beginning Aug. 1.
Approved June 3, 2016 by The Ohio State University Board of Trustees, Timothy Pawlik, MD, MPH, PhD, 46, will become the new chair of the Medical Center’s Department of Surgery and will also be The Urban Meyer III and Shelley Meyer Chair for Cancer Research, a new $2 million endowed chair made possible through the Meyer Fund for Cancer Research.
The Meyer Fund was established in 2013 to help recruit experts in the field of cancer research to The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC). This fund is supported by individual donor gifts and organizational and group contributions made by OSUCCC – James Community Partners, including the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer.
“We are so grateful for leadership and support of Urban and Shelley Meyer in recognizing a need and creating the Meyer Fund and tirelessly fundraising to make this new endowed chair a reality.” said Michael Caligiuri, MD, director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. “And given that Dr. Pawlik is a national leader in the surgical treatment patients afflicted with liver, pancreas and biliary cancers, we could not have a better person holding this prestigious chair” “
Pawlik comes to Ohio State from Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Surgery, where he was the John L. Cameron Professor in Alimentary Tract Diseases, chief of the division of surgical oncology, program director of the surgical oncology fellowship program and director of the Johns Hopkins Liver Tumor Center. He’s been at Johns Hopkins since 2005 as professor of surgery and oncology.
“Tim’s widely respected surgical acumen and expertise in liver cancer offers tremendous opportunities and advantages to our Department of Surgery. We’re confident that his broad background in clinical program building, research excellence and team building will enhance the department’s mission,” said Sheldon Retchin, MD, executive vice president of health sciences and CEO of the Medical Center.
Pawlik received his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, where he also received his MPH. He completed surgical training at the University of Michigan Hospital and spent two years at Massachusetts General Hospital as a surgical oncology research fellow. He completed advanced training in surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Pawlik completed a fellowship in medical ethics at the Harvard School of Public Health, as well as a Master in Theological Studies degree from Harvard Divinity School. In addition, he was a National Institutes of Health KL2 Clinical Scholar, and received a PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Clinical Investigations.
The author of more than 450 published articles and more than 50 book chapters, Pawlik has also edited five surgical textbooks. He received an honorary fellowship in the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, as well as honorary fellowship status in the Brazilian Society of Surgical Oncology. He’s an associate editor for Annals of Surgical Oncology and the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, and is deputy editor for JAMA Surgery.
Pawlik has served on the executive councils of several premier national surgical associations and is the immediate past-president of the Association for Academic Surgery. He’s a member the Society of Surgical Oncology, Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, Society of Clinical Surgery, The Halsted Society and American Surgical Association.
Pawlik’s primary clinical interests include alimentary tract surgery, with a special interest in hepatic, pancreatic and biliary diseases. He’s a member of the Johns Hopkins’ Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence, in recognition of consummate clinical excellence in his field. In addition, his excellent patient care landed him on the 2015 list of Newsweek Magazine's Top Doctors in Cancer, and he’s been annually named to Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctors for Cancer.
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About the OSUCCC – James
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute strives to create a cancer-free world by integrating scientific research with excellence in education and patient-centered care, a strategy that leads to better methods of prevention, detection and treatment. Ohio State is one of only 49 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of only four centers funded by the NCI to conduct both phase I and phase II clinical trials on novel anticancer drugs. As the cancer program’s 308-bed adult patient-care component, The James is one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation as ranked by U.S. News & World Report and has achieved Magnet designation, the highest honor an organization can receive for quality patient care and professional nursing practice. At 21 floors with more than 1.1 million square feet, The James is a transformational facility that fosters collaboration and integration of cancer research and clinical cancer care.
OSUCCC – James Media Contact:
Amanda J. Harper
614-685-5420
Amanda.Harper2@osumc.edu