Key Points
- Nick Dervisis, DVM, PhD, DACVIM–Oncology, has joined the Foundation as Senior Advisor for Veterinary Initiatives.
- He will advise on Foundation-funded veterinary clinical trials, interface with professional societies, and represent the Foundation at conferences.
- Dr. Dervisis is also an associate professor of oncology at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
Nick Dervisis, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, has joined the Foundation as Senior Advisor for Veterinary Initiatives.
In this role, Dr. Dervisis will provide input on the Foundation’s funded veterinary clinical trials and help guide the overall strategy for advancing focused ultrasound for veterinary use. He will also interface with professional societies and broaden the Foundation’s reach as a representative at important scientific and medical meetings.
Dr. Dervisis is an associate professor of oncology at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, and as a clinician scientist, he is just as passionate about medical research as he is about his patients. He has published over 40 papers, including the first publication on the immune effects of focused ultrasound treatment in veterinary patients, and has been cited more than 600 times.
With research interests ranging from translating novel therapeutics from bench to the clinic to noninvasive ablative technologies and their effects in the tumor microenvironment, Dr. Dervisis has received more than $7 million in funding from numerous federal, corporate, and foundation sources during his time at Virginia Tech. Outside of his research interests, Dr. Dervisis is also a keen advocate for education and training. He wants to ensure that the next generation of veterinarians is aware of focused ultrasound and what it can offer veterinary medicine.
“We are fortunate to have Nick join us in this newly established role with the Foundation,” said Foundation Chairman Neal F. Kassell, MD. “His forward-thinking goals and connections within the veterinary oncology community will advance our mission to expand the use of focused ultrasound in veterinary medicine.”
Dr. Dervisis received his DVM from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Aristotle’s University in Thessaloniki, Greece, before completing a PhD in Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology at Michigan State University (MSU). He completed his residency training at MSU, where he stayed as an assistant professor of oncology in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences. He moved to Virginia Tech in 2012 and has been in his current role since 2018.
“I am thrilled to be appointed Senior Advisor for Veterinary Initiatives at the Focused Ultrasound Foundation,” said Dr. Dervisis. “In this position, I hope to help the Foundation’s efforts to advance focused ultrasound as a noninvasive therapeutic option for animals. I am excited about the opportunity to work with a dedicated team of professionals who share my passion for helping animal cancer patients and who are committed to exploring new ways to improve animal health. I believe that the potential of focused ultrasound in veterinary medicine is enormous, and I am eager to contribute to this exciting field.”