This annual program is designed for practicing surgeons involved in the care of patients. It is meant to provide Continuing Medical Education regarding treatment in general and sub-specialty surgical practice and to enhance the knowledge of participants in these areas.
Learn more about the invited speakers.
Dean
Emory University School of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer
Emory Healthcare
Atlanta, Georgia
Professor & Chair
Department of Breast Surgical Oncology,
Division of Surgery
The University of Texas
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas
Chief of Surgical Oncology,
Associate Director
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
Regional Medical Director
Cedars-Sinai Cancer Breast
Oncology Program;
Linda and Jim Lippman Chair
in Surgical Oncology at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, California
Invited Panel
Surgeon Leadership Through Different Lenses
Mission Hospital / Mission Viejo, California
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center / Los Angeles
Memorial Health / Savannah, Georgia
Emory University / Atlanta, Georgia
Sandra L. Wong, MD, MS
Dr. Wong joined Emory as the new Dean of the School of Medicine in March 2024. She also serves as the Chief Academic Officer for Emory Healthcare. Wong previously served as the Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, where she was responsible for overseeing all aspects of research, education, and clinical operations, and a Professor of Surgery in the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. She is an international leader in surgical oncology, specializing in the management of soft tissue sarcomas, melanoma, and non-melanoma skin cancers.
Dr. Wong is a globally recognized health services researcher with an extensive record of research funding and more than 250 peer-reviewed studies to her credit. She has held leadership positions in several prominent professional organizations including the Society of Surgical Oncology, the Society of University Surgeons, and the Society of Surgical Chairs. She is also an editorial board member of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons and the Journal of Surgical Oncology, a deputy editor for Annals of Surgical Oncology, and an associate editor for Annals of Surgery. Dr. Wong has been honored with numerous medical student and resident teaching awards.
A native of Stockton, California, Dr. Wong completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of California Berkeley. After receiving an MD from Northwestern University Medical School in 1997, she completed a surgical residency at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and a surgical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
After joining the faculty of the University of Michigan, Dr. Wong took on multiple administrative leadership roles including serving as associate chief of staff and vice chair of academic affairs. In 2015, she joined Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, where she developed cross-disciplinary mentorship and research programs. She also developed an interest in studying and eliminating rural health disparities. Her efforts helped spur the creation of the federally funded Center for Rural Health Care Delivery Science, which provides infrastructure to train junior investigators who focus on understanding and solving challenges associated with the provision of equitable health care. Dr. Wong has also served in national leadership roles focused on diversity and inclusion. This experience will be vital as the School of Medicine continues its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, nurturing a vibrant educational mission that aligns with the needs of an evolving health care system and diverse patient population.
Armando E. Giuliano, MD, FACS
Armando E. Giuliano, MD, has been a clinician-researcher for over 40 years. The main focus of his clinical research continues to be management of early breast cancer and quality of life of breast cancer patients. He served for five years as chairman of the Breast Organ Site Committee of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group and was study chair for the sentinel node Z0010 and Z0011 studies which led to significant changes to the standard of care for patients with early breast cancer. He was previously a principal investigator for the NSABP and contributed to the first lumpectomy study and to Alliance studies. He was a pioneer in sentinel node biopsy. This procedure has enabled early-stage breast cancer patients to avoid having more extensive surgery and reduces the incidence of complications such as lymphedema and shoulder problems. Giuliano also participates in translational research, merging what is learned in the clinic with knowledge gained in the laboratory. Under his direction, the scientists in the Breast Research Laboratory are actively studying triple negative breast cancer, BRCA-positive breast cancer, chemoresistance, mechanisms of genetic mutation, and early metastases. Giuliano participates in the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network and is an active member and serves on the Board of Directors of The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology.
Kelly Hunt, MD, FACS
Dr. Hunt is Professor and Chair of the Department of Breast Surgical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She holds the Olla Stribling Distinguished Chair for Cancer Research. She currently has joint appointments as a Professor in the Departments of Experimental Radiation Oncology and Surgical Oncology. Dr. Hunt’s work focuses on finding less invasive yet more effective surgical procedures for patients with breast cancer and soft-tissue sarcomas. Her translational research investigations focus on developing novel treatment strategies involving agents that target cell cycle deregulation. Dr. Hunt has to her credit more than 600 peer-reviewed publications, 58 book chapters and four books. As an international leader in breast cancer research, she has directed major clinical trials whose results have changed the standard of treatment for many patients with breast cancer. Dr. Hunt has served as the director of the American College of Surgeons Cancer Research Program, which is involved in cancer care delivery research, education and the development and implementation of cancer care standards. She is a member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology.