Allan Tsung, MD, has been appointed Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Tsung will assume his new role June 27th. He succeeds Reid Adams, MD, Claude A. Jessup Professor of Surgery, who has served in this role since 2019 while also assuming the permanent leadership role of Chief Medical Officer for the UVA Medical Center in August of 2021.
Tsung comes to UVA from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, where he serves as Professor and Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery. He is also Director of the Microscopy Shared Facility and Co-Director of the Gastrointestinal Clinical Trials portfolio at the Ohio State James Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“I am excited to join a talented team of surgeons and staff at UVA and to have the opportunity to collaborate across the university at the UVA Cancer Center, which was recently designated by the National Cancer Institute as a comprehensive cancer center,” Tsung said. “I look forward to working together with my new colleagues to build on their strengths and accomplishments to serve our patients throughout Virginia.”
Tsung earned his medical degree from the SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, then completed his residency in surgery and a fellowship in hepatobiliary and pancreas surgery at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Tsung specializes in evaluating and caring for patients with liver, bile duct and pancreas cancers and is an expert in laparoscopic and robotic surgery. He is also committed to mentoring other physicians and developing future generations of surgeon scientists. Before joining Ohio State, Tsung served as Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, where he mentored junior faculty and led the development of a new research curriculum for surgical residents. At Ohio State, he serves as Program Director for the complex general surgical oncology fellowship program.
“Dr. Allan Tsung’s commitment to the pursuit of excellence with patient care, research and education makes him the ideal choice to lead as the next chair of our Department of Surgery, “ said Melina Kibbe, MD, Dean of the UVA School of Medicine. “I look forward to working with him in support of our surgical team and our missions here at the School of Medicine and UVA Health.”
Tsung’s research efforts are focused on turning laboratory cancer research breakthroughs into treatment options for patients, having co-authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and served as principal investigator on multiple National Institutes of Health grants. He also studies the socioeconomic factors that lead to disparities in health outcomes for patients receiving cancer treatment.
In addition, Tsung is the President of the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons, Secretary of the Society of Clinical Surgery, and Past President of the Society of University Surgeons. He participates in leadership roles in several other academic surgical organizations, including the Society of Surgical Oncology, the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
“Dr. Tsung is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in the field of surgery. He is a superb liver and pancreas surgeon, a longstanding researcher funded through the National Institutes of Health, and is known for his skills as a mentor. UVA has a storied department of surgery, and Allan is the ideal selection to be its next leader,” said K. Craig Kent, MD, Chief Executive Officer of UVA Health and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at UVA.
Wendy Horton, UVA Medical Center’s Chief Executive Officer, said that Tsung’s blend of skills in research and patient care will serve him well in his new role. “His work in translating scientific discoveries to serve patients is remarkable and will help bolster the high-quality surgical care we provide here at UVA,” she said.
