Dr. Andrew Turrisi to chair radiation oncology at Wayne State University
School of Medicine
Andrew T. Turrisi, M.D., has been named chair of the Department of
Radiation Oncology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine
and chief of radiation oncology at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
and the Detroit Medical Center.
Dr. Turrisi most recently served as professor and chair of the Department
of Radiation Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina and
associate director of network development and outreach for Hollings
Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina.
“I come here hoping to enhance the already vibrant clinicians and scientists
at Karmanos and in the Gershenson Radiation Oncology Center to facilitate
multidisciplinary and translational research. The patient will always
be at the center of our efforts. I look forward with great hope of working
at a successful cancer center,” Dr. Turrisi said.
A specialist in radiation treatment for lung cancer, Dr. Turrisi has
also served as associate chairman and director of clinical programs
in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Michigan
Medical Center and assistant professor of radiation oncology at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. During his Michigan days,
he collaborated with WSU faculty members including Dr. Harvey Pass,
with whom he authored the book “Lung Cancer: Principles and Practice.”
“Drew is one of the top five academic radiation oncologists in the
world. He is an aficionado not only in lung cancer, but in many other
malignancies, and his knowledge extends to all disciplines including
medical oncology and surgery for cancer. You cannot measure how much
of a resource he now becomes to the oncology community, not only in
Michigan but in the Midwest,” Dr. Pass said.
“Dr. Turrisi brings exceptional experience and demonstrated scholarship
and expertise to this important position,” said Dr. John Crissman, dean
of the School of Medicine. “I am confident he will lead the department
to a positional national preeminence in cancer research and clinical
care.”
“Dr. Turrisi is a major addition to the institute's team of radiation
oncologists who possess world-class expertise in state-of-the-art therapies
which are key to our multidisciplinary programs and our patients’ continuum
of care,” said Dr. John Ruckdeschel, president and chief executive officer
of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. “Dr. Turrisi brings to
the institute and our patients more than 25 years of experience. His
leadership will strengthen the radiation oncology program here in southeast
Michigan as an important treatment option for patients diagnosed with
cancer.”
Dr. Turrisi holds a B.S. from Saint Peters College, an M.D. from Georgetown
University in Washington D.C. and is certified by the American Board
of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Radiology. He serves
on the editorial boards of several scientific and medical journals including
Lung Cancer, The Oncologist, The International Journal of Radiation
Oncology Biology and Physics, and Congent Medicine. He is
also a reviewer/referrer for nearly 20 publications including Cancer,
Annals of Internal Medicine and The Cancer Journal from Scientific American.
He has published more than 200 abstracts, books, chapters and publications
in scientific journals and is a member of numerous professional societies.
He has been named one of the “Best Doctors in America” by Castle Connolly,
Ltd. and “Top Cancer Specialist for Women” by Good Housekeeping
magazine.
The Wayne State University School
of Medicine is the largest single-campus medical school in the country.
Together with the Wayne State University Physician Group, the school
is a leader in patient care and medical research in a number of areas
including cancer, genetics, women’s and children’s health and the neurosciences.
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2004 Press Releases
