.jpg "Ryan C. Fields, MD, FACS photo")
Chief, Section of Surgical Oncology
Washington University in St. Louis
I am a surgical oncologist and translational scientist who treats solid GI and soft tissue tumors. I am the Chief of Surgical Oncology and Leader of the Solid Tumor Therapeutics Program and the Melanoma and Cutaneous Oncology Program at the Alvin J. Siteman NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
My research focuses on two main areas: (1) mechanisms of cancer metastases and (2) novel in vitro and small animal models of cancer. We compare primary and metastatic solid tumors. In conjunction with collaborators at The McDonnell Genome Institute, we employ comparative genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic techniques to identify differences in mutational profiles between metastatic and primary tumor tissue. In the area of cancer modeling, we are working to improve the pre-treatment evaluation of diagnostics and therapeutics by developing novel small animal and in vitro models of cancer. I am the PI of an NCI-R01 to develop a humanized mouse model of cancer to evaluate cancer biology and immunology and an NCI-R21 to develop a novel “tumor-on-a-chip” high-throughput, in vitro model system. I am also Co-PI of the Washington University U2C Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN) program that is evaluating resistance and response to treatment across space and time in pancreatic and breast cancer. I also serve as the PI of the Biospecimen Core of the Washington University SPORE in Pancreatic Cancer and am Co-PI of the PDX Development Unit for the Washington University PDX U54 Clinical Trial Program.
I also have a strong commitment and interest in surgical and graduate medical education. I serve as Associate Program Director and Director of Resident Research for the General Surgery Residency Training Program. I have mentored >15 undergraduates, medical students, residents, and fellows in my laboratory and research program, many whom have gone on to further training and careers in academic surgical oncology.