Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, is joining Emory School of Medicine as chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, effective Nov. 7, 2022. Dr. Jagsi is currently the Newman Family Professor, deputy chair and residency program director in the Department of Radiation Oncology and director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine at the University of Michigan.
“We look forward to Dr. Jagsi’s leadership as this department continues to drive discovery of innovative radiotherapy technologies and treatment options, provide advanced, personalized clinical care and train the next generation of radiation oncology specialists,” said Vikas P. Sukhatme, MD, PhD, dean of the Emory School of Medicine.
Before beginning her faculty career at the University of Michigan, Jagsi completed undergraduate and medical training at Harvard and her second doctorate in social policy at the University of Oxford as a Marshall Scholar.
Internationally recognized for her research in both breast cancer and bioethics, Jagsi is the author of more than 400 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including multiple high-impact studies in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, the Lancet and JAMA. Her research in both breast cancer and bioethics has been funded by R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as well as large independent grants from numerous philanthropic foundations.
“Dr. Jagsi will be a tremendous asset to Winship Cancer Institute and Emory,” said Suresh Ramalingam, MD, executive director of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. “Her exceptional track record as a researcher, leader and mentor will help ensure high-quality radiation oncology care, research and training, and the communities we serve will benefit immensely from her expertise and experience.”
Jagsi has served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Steering Committee of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Women in Medicine in Science; she now serves as chair of both the Ethics Committee and the Women in Radiation Oncology Group for the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the NIH’s Board of Scientific Counselors and Advisory Committee for Research on Women’s Health, and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Committee on Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine.
In recognition of her contributions, Jagsi has been elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation and Association of American Physicians, the Leadership Award of the AAMC’s Group on Women in Medicine and Science, LEAD Oncology’s Woman of the Year Award, the American Medical Women’s Association Woman in Science Award and the American Medical Students Association Women Leaders Award. She is a fellow of ASCO, ASTRO and the Hastings Center, and this year will be one of two recipients of ASTRO’s inaugural Mentorship Award.
“I could not be more excited about joining the extraordinary team at Emory and having the opportunity to build its department of radiation oncology from excellence to eminence,” said Jagsi.
Jeffrey D. Bradley, MD, FACR, FASTRO, James W. Keller Distinguished Professor, has been leading the department as interim chair since January 2021.