Robert Ramirez, DO, a thoracic and neuroendocrine oncologist, has joined Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center after practicing at Ochsner Medical Center and Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Science Center in New Orleans. He began seeing patients in April.
“Dr. Ramirez is a highly specialized and nationally known oncologist, who has focused on thoracic cancers and neuroendocrine tumors. We’re happy we have recruited him to Vanderbilt because of his expertise and commitment to advancing cancer care,” said Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology.
Ramirez’s clinical and research interests include neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and lung cancer with a particular focus in NETs of the lung and high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas. He has conducted research with the Ochsner Lung Cancer Multidisciplinary Program and the Ochsner Kenner/LSU Multidisciplinary Neuroendocrine Clinic.
“About a quarter of the neuroendocrine tumors start out in the lungs, and I decided to make that my primary focus,” said Ramirez, who will be an associate professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “LSU has one of the largest neuroendocrine cancer centers in the country, and that’s where I got my start. At that time, the clinic was not seeing too many lung neuroendocrine tumor cases as the physicians there were more GI focused. With my background in thoracic cancers, I decided to meet this unmet patient need.”
His research on NETs has been published in numerous medical journals. He is member of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, serving on its Communications Committee, and the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society, serving on its Nominating Committee as well as its Scientific Review and Research Committee.
Ramirez earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine, completed an internal medicine residency at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ and then completed his hematology and medical oncology fellowship at University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN where he served as chief fellow. In 2017, he won the Ochsner Research Mentor of the Year for Fellows and Residents Award.
Patients can be referred to Ramirez by calling Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, 615-936-8422.