Division Chief's Message

Welcome to the Division of Hematology and Oncology. The Division, one of the largest in the Department of Medicine, is committed to providing exceptional clinical care, conducting transformative translational and clinical research, and teaching and mentoring our trainees and junior faculty. We treat all types of adult cancers (solid and hematological) and care for patients with non-cancerous blood disorders.

Patient care

We are well-positioned to provide exceptional care in the outpatient and inpatient settings at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. We are an integral component of the Lurie Cancer Center. Through cutting-edge clinical trials, we provide state-of-the-art patient care and personalized cancer therapy. Our patients have access to clinical trials, from Phase I drug development to Phase II and III testing. The Oncology Program of the Northwestern Medicine Developmental Therapeutics Institute provides access to novel early-phase clinical trials, including trials developed by faculty in the Division. The Division is involved in the design of the planned cancer hospital to further promote team-driven, high-quality, innovative, and compassionate care to our most complex cancer patients. The Division also plays an active role in the care of patients and conducts research throughout the Northwestern Medicine system.

Research

The research in the Division ranges from basic cancer research to developing new approaches to treat all types of cancers and translating the discoveries to the clinic. Our faculty has advanced new therapies that have given hope to many cancer patients and patients with non-cancerous blood disorders. Our faculty are recognized leaders nationally and internationally in Hematology and Oncology, holding leadership roles in the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology. Our faculty lead many of the research programs (basic, translational, and clinical) in the Lurie Cancer Center. One of the primary missions of the Division is to foster collaborations between clinical and basic investigators to develop novel approaches for cancer treatment. These efforts have led to a SPORE award from the NCI in prostate cancer and submission of SPORE applications in other tumor types, taking full advantage of the high caliber science conducted by our Basic Departments on the Chicago and Evanston campuses of Northwestern University. Also, the recently established Silver Family Blood Cancer Institute strengthens and expands research and clinical trials in Malignant Hematology.

Training

The faculty in the Division is committed to teaching and mentoring our clinical fellows to become future leaders in the rapidly changing world of Hematology and Medical Oncology. Our Hematology-Oncology fellowship program accepts seven new fellows per year and provides rigorous clinical and research training to prepare them for careers in Academic Medicine. The clinical fellows in the Division are supported by our NIH T32 grant that offers educational and research experiences that bridge basic and clinical sciences to establish a solid foundation for translational research. The Division also provides a funded Instructor year with a significant amount of protected time for fellows who wish to develop additional expertise in a particular area of clinical and translational cancer research.