Internationally renowned oncology researcher Miguel Villalona-Calero, M.D., has joined Miami Cancer Institute as its deputy director and chief scientific officer. The Cancer Institute is a world-class clinical and research facility that is part of Baptist Health South Florida. Dr. Villalona-Calero will help direct the administrative development of the Cancer Institute and will lead its scientific pursuits, including cancer clinical trials and translational research.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Villalona-Calero was previously the Dorothy M. Davies Chair in Cancer Research, tenured Professor and the director of the Division of Medical Oncology at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center ― Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. He is internationally recognized for his work in lung cancer, particularly in the area of developmental therapeutics, designing new and more effective drugs.

He graduated magna cum laude from medical school at Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Kings County Hospital Center, State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn. Dr. Villalona-Calero subsequently completed fellowships in medical oncology at the University of Minnesota Hospitals & Clinics, Minneapolis, Minn., and Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, N.Y. In addition, he completed a fellowship in drug development at the Institute for Drug Development, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, and a fellowship in NHMA Health Policy Leadership at New York University, Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

“Dr. Villalona-Calero is a nationally respected clinician and clinical investigator,” said Wayne Brackin, Baptist Health executive vice president and chief operating officer. “As a leader in the treatment of lung cancer and in the development of new drugs, he will have a critical role in the recruitment of other clinical investigators, and will work closely with our translational researchers and with colleagues at our academic alliance partner to bring potentially breakthrough therapies to our patients.”

Dr. Villalona-Calero’s awards and honors include recognition by the American Association of the Advancement of Science, of which he is a Fellow; recognition for Outstanding Example of Translational Research by the National Cancer Institute; the V Foundation’s translational research award; and the Fray Anton de Montesinos award, bestowed upon the most accomplished Dominican professionals in the United States.

He has participated in 20 federal grants, 11 of them as principal investigator, and has been the principal investigator or co-investigator on a wide variety of cancer research trials funded by prestigious organizations such as the National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health, as well as the recipient of funding from foundations and industry partners. Dr. Villalona-Calero also serves on the National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Trials Advisory Committee.

Miami Cancer Institute offers comprehensive cancer services and is expanding its clinical services, clinical trials and state-of-the-art technology, including offering the first proton therapy treatment in South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean. The Cancer Institute, designed to be a world-class clinical center and research destination, will move into its spectacular new facility in 2016. Miami Cancer Institute is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with seven hospitals (Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital) and nearly 50 outpatient and urgent care facilities spanning three counties. The not-for-profit, faith-based Baptist Health has more than 16,000 employees and 2,200 affiliated physicians and also includes Baptist Outpatient Services and internationally renowned centers of excellence. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities. Baptist Health is listed by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America (#23 in the nation) and has remained on the list for 15 years. It was also recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fourth year in a row by the Ethisphere Institute. Visit BaptistHealth.net.

About Baptist Health International

Baptist Health International, based in Miami, is one of the largest international hospital programs in the United States. Thousands of people travel each year from all over the world to receive care by our respected physicians. Baptist Health International is dedicated to providing comprehensive, high quality services to physicians and their patients worldwide, including hospital admissions, outpatient medical exams medical consultations, and counseling services.

IMAGE: El doctor Miguel Villalona Calero hoy.com.do