NEW HAVEN, CT, June 8, 2012 – Wendell G. Yarbrough, MD, MMHC, has been named section chief of otolaryngology at Yale-New Haven Hospital and Yale School of Medicine. He will also be director of the head and neck cancer program in Smilow Cancer Hospital and co-director of the molecular virology research program for Yale Cancer Center. He will begin his new appointment on August 1, 2012.
Dr. Yarbrough joins Yale-New Haven from Vanderbilt University, where he is professor of otolaryngology and of cancer biology. Dr. Yarbrough is the Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and co-leader of the thoracic and head and neck program at the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. He is also director of the Barry Baker Laboratory of Head and Neck Oncology at Vanderbilt University.
“Dr. Yarbrough’s clinical expertise and leadership experience will further develop the strong otolaryngology section at Yale School of Medicine. I look forward to welcoming him to Yale and to working with him as we continue to strengthen our clinical and research efforts in this area,” said Robert Udelsman, MD, MBA, the William H. Carmalt Professor of Surgery, chair of the department of surgery at Yale School of Medicine, and surgeon-in-chief at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Dr. Yarbrough’s research concentrates on the identification of tumor suppressors in head and neck cancers and the understanding of tumor growth. Recently, his lab has focused on identification of subtypes of head and neck and salivary cancers and the use of models that the lab has developed to test targeted agents. He also focuses on the association between viruses and the development of cancer, particularly the link between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and head and neck cancers. Dr. Yarbrough is principal investigator of an R01 from the National Institutes of Health focusing a novel tumor suppressor whose functions have been discovered in his lab. In addition, Dr. Yarbrough is the co-investigator of an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health studying the fibrosis-lymphedema continuum in head and neck cancer. He is also the principal investigator on clinical trials using Erlotinib and Dasatinib and novel adenoviral agents to treat head and neck and lung cancers.
“I am confident that Dr. Yarbrough’s experience, leadership, and goals for head and neck cancer research and care will strengthen our head and neck cancer program at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven,” said Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., MD, Director of Yale Cancer Center and Physician-in-Chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven.
Dr. Yarbrough received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He completed his residency in otolaryngology head and neck surgery, and a fellowship in surgical oncology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Yarbrough is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Association for Cancer Research. He is also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group. His research is supported by grants from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and the National Cancer Institute.
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Yale-New Haven Hospital is a nationally recognized, 1,008-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine. Yale-New Haven was founded as the fourth voluntary hospital in the U.S. in 1826 and today, the hospital complex includes Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital and Smilow Cancer Hospital. YNHH has about 9,000 employees and a combined medical staff of about 3,600 university and community physicians practicing in more than 100 specialties. YNHH is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet hospital, national confirmation that the nursing staff provides outstanding patient care. www.ynhh.org
Established in 1810, the Yale School of Medicine is known throughout the world as one of the leading centers for biomedical research, education and advanced health care. Founded in 1810, the School of Medicine has grown to include every modern medical discipline. Its faculty includes some of the world's most respected scholars in medicine, public health and biomedical science. http://info.med.yale.edu/ysm/
Contact: Mark D’Antonio, 203-688-2493
mark.dantonio@ynhh.org
or
Renee Gaudette, 203-671-8156
renee.gaudette@yale.edu