Key Points
- Lynn T. Dengel, MD, MSc, will guide the Foundation’s strategy for advancing focused ultrasound in the field of cancer immunotherapy.
- Dr. Dengel is also a surgical oncologist at the University of Virginia, specializing in melanoma and breast disease.
Lynn T. Dengel, MD, MSc, will guide the Foundation’s strategy for advancing focused ultrasound in the field of cancer immunotherapy.
She will work closely with Jessica Foley, PhD, the Foundation’s managing director of the cancer immunotherapy program, to guide the overall strategy for advancing focused ultrasound’s role in this emerging field. Dr. Dengel will assist in developing workshops and webinars, support the Foundation’s cancer immunotherapy research program, and represent the organization at various scientific and medical meetings. She will also assist with the Foundation’s veterinary program and the One Health Initiative.
A surgical oncologist at the University of Virginia (UVA Health), Dr. Dengel specializes in treating in melanoma and breast disease. Her expertise and research interests include translational studies and clinical trials investigating the immune environment at tumor sites and mechanisms that may bolster innate immune response. She is the principal investigator of a clinical trial exploring focused ultrasound ablation combined with immunotherapy as a treatment for advanced solid tumors.
“The addition of Lynn’s clinical research expertise will markedly enhance the Foundation’s efforts to develop new treatments for cancer in humans and companion animals,” said Foundation Chairman Neal F. Kassell, MD. “Her national and international reputation will increase awareness of focused ultrasound as a game-changing treatment for deadly disorders.”
Dr. Dengel serves as a committee member for both the Society of Surgical Oncology and the American Society of Breast Surgeons. She has authored more than 26 articles in leading peer-reviewed publications.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College before receiving her MD at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. She then went on to complete a general surgery residency at UVA and a fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
“I look forward to this opportunity to help advance the science and clinical application of focused ultrasound as an immunotherapy approach in cancer therapy,” said Dr. Dengel. “While there has been great progress in systemic immunotherapy options for our patients, there is still a significant proportion of patients who do not respond to current treatment options. Focused ultrasound has a potential to alter the immune environment of these tumors to improve the immune response and increase the number of patients who benefit. In addition, I am thrilled to be joining the Foundation’s veterinary program and the One Health Initiative, as I believe the synergies in the human and veterinary research protocols will benefit both patient populations and accelerate the pace of discovery.”