Jeff M. Michalski, M.D., professor of radiation oncology, has been named vice chair and director of clinical programs of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Michalski’s appointment was announced by Dennis E. Hallahan, M.D., the Elizabeth H. and James S. McDonnell III Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Radiation Oncology and a member of the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology. The department is also affiliated with the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
“Dr. Michalski is a consummate physician-scientist — he excels as a clinician, teacher and investigator,” Hallahan says. “As interim head of the department, he proved his exceptional leadership capability and dedication. We are fortunate to have someone of his quality for this new position.”
Michalski will oversee the clinical division of the department, which includes clinical operations at all treatment facilities; clinical and translational research; and physician resident, fellow and medical student training and education. He will also oversee the Brachytherapy Center, the Proton Therapy Center, the Gamma Knife Center and community and off-campus programs.
“This is an excellent opportunity that Dr. Hallahan has created for me and our department,” Michalski says. “It allows me to focus my energy on the elements of our program that I enjoy and in which I have significant experience and skill. In particular, I look forward to working with our physicians, medical physicists and administration to grow our clinical activities while maintaining the highest quality of care. I also look forward to growing our interdisciplinary research portfolio with our colleagues in the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology.”
The Department of Radiation Oncology is a component of the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology. Michalski was the department’s interim head from 2008 to 2009. He specializes in genitourinary and pediatric oncology. He also conducts clinical research on the use of radiation therapy for the treatment of prostate and other cancers. In recent years, he also led efforts to adopt two new technologies that increase radiation treatment accuracy to better eradicate tumors and avoid injury to nearby tissues.
Michalski joined the School of Medicine faculty as instructor of radiology in 1991. He was named director of the clinical division in radiation oncology in 2002 and professor of radiation oncology in 2006. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1982 and a medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1986. After beginning his residency in radiation oncology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, he completed residency and fellowship training in radiation oncology at the School of Medicine in 1991. Additionally, he earned a master’s in business administration from the Washington University Olin Business School in 2001.
He currently serves as vice chair of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and leads its advanced technology integration committee, and he is a member of the nonmelanoma skin cancer panel of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Washington University School of Medicine’s 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked third in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
Siteman Cancer Center is the only federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center within a 240-mile radius of St. Louis. Siteman Cancer Center is composed of the combined cancer research and treatment programs of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. Siteman has satellite locations in West County and St. Peters, in addition to its full-service facility at Washington University Medical Center on South Kingshighway.