New division chief named for hematology/medical oncology

Daruka Mahadevan, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed chief of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology in the Department of Medicine, effective Dec. 1. He will also lead the hematology and medical oncology service line within the Mays Cancer Center.The announcement was made Aug. 19 by Ruben Mesa, M.D., FACP, cancer center director.

Dr. Mahadevan succeeds Anand Karnad, M.D., as chief of the division.

Dr. Mahadevan is currently director of the Early Phase Therapeutics Program and is the co-director of Experimental Therapeutic Development at the University of Arizona Cancer Center. He received his Bachelor of Science in physiology and biochemistry with chemistry from the University of Reading, England, in 1982. He went on to the University of London to earn his doctorate in protein crystallography in 1986. He received his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (M.D. equivalent) from King’s College Hospital Medical School at the University of London in 1990.

Dr. Mahadevan’s major area of clinical interest is early phase therapeutics in the treatment and management of patients with pancreatic cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, myelodysplastic syndromes and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

“He has a demonstrated track record of delivering first-in-human investigational agents for all oncology therapeutics and is a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on several National Institutes of Health and foundation grants,” Dr. Mesa said. “In addition, he has successfully directed a structure-based translational drug discovery laboratory program with the award of six U.S. patents for new drugs targeting novel driver oncogenes.”

Dr. Mesa thanked Dr. Karnad for providing “crucial leadership during several challenging periods of time for the division and (helping) spur tremendous growth in volume and excellence in providing high-quality care to our patients.”

 



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