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Emory neurosurgeon Edjah K. Nduom appointed to National Cancer Advisory Board
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Edjah K. Nduom behind a podium

Edjah K. Nduom at the relaunch of Cancer Moonshot in February 2022.

— AP Photo/Alex Brandon

President Biden has appointed Edjah K. Nduom, MD, to the National Cancer Advisory Board. This board plays a crucial role in advising the director of the National Cancer Institute on setting the direction for the national cancer research program.

Nduom is the Daniel Louis Barrow Endowed Chair and ssociate professor in neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine. Additionally, he leads the Brain Tumors Disease Group at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. His research spans basic, translational and clinical realms, with a focus on developing innovative immune therapy treatments for malignant brain tumors.

“We are immensely proud of Dr. Nduom’s appointment to the National Cancer Advisory Board,” says Dan Barrow, the Pamela R. Rollins Chairman and professor of neurosurgery at Emory University. “His leadership and expertise exemplify Emory’s longtime commitment to making impactful contributions to the field of neurosurgery and cancer research. We have no doubt he will continue to play a pivotal role in guiding critical efforts to advance cancer prevention, detection and treatment.”

Nduom is renowned internationally for his contributions to the neurosurgical and brain tumor community, having founded the Society for Neuro-Oncology Sub-Saharan Africa and holding roles such as scientific program chair for the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting and chair of the board of directors of the National Brain Tumor Society. His contributions earned him a role in President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot relaunch initiative in 2022.

Before joining Emory in 2020, Nduom obtained his bachelor of science degree in biomechanical engineering from Stanford University in 2002 and his doctor of medicine from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006. He completed neurosurgical training at Emory, including a research fellowship in neurosurgical oncology at the Surgical Neurology Branch of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Following the NINDS fellowship, he pursued an additional neurosurgical oncology fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he was honored with the Jesse H. Jones Fellowship in Cancer Education. Before returning to Emory, Nduom served on the faculty of the Surgical Neurology Branch of the NINDS Intramural Research Program from 2015 to 2020.

In 2023, Nduom received a 5-year, $1.96 million R01 research award from the National Institutes of Health. The grant supports his research to find effective treatment options for glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor resistant to current therapies.

Nduom’s path to becoming a neurosurgeon and the role he is playing in training the next generation of brain surgeons was featured in a Season 3 episode of Your Fantastic Mind, a PBS show produced by Georgia Public Broadcasting in partnership with Emory Brain Health.

Edjah K. Nduom at the Cancer Moonshot relaunch in February 2022.

AP Photo/Alex Brandon


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