Radiation Oncologist Richard Tuli MD PhD Appointed as Deputy Director of the TGH Cancer Institute

 

The renowned radiation oncologist joins a team of leaders to advance the TGH Cancer Institute’s goal of improving health through high quality cancer care, innovative science, and community engagement.

 

Tampa, FL (April 13, 2022) – Nationally recognized radiation oncologist, physician scientist and mentor Richard Tuli, MD, PhD, has been named deputy director of the TGH Cancer Institute. Tuli is also director of Radiation Oncology at Tampa General Hospital and chair of the recently established Department of Radiation Oncology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Tuli will work closely with Dr. Eduardo M. Sotomayor, director of the TGH Cancer Institute, in developing the strategic vision and mission of the Institute and in leading a team of accomplished cancer specialists, compassionate multidisciplinary clinicians, physician-scientists and basic and population science researchers to implement the Institute’s cancer clinical care, research activities, community outreach and engagement as well as educational and training initiatives.

“Richard’s exemplary academic career to date, and his devotion to cancer care and translational research made him the right partner to have as deputy director of the Institute. Since my initial interactions with him, I was rapidly impressed by his depth of knowledge, empathy, and his unassuming way to make complex issues easy to understand. I am very fortunate to be working side-by-side with someone with the credentials and expertise that Dr. Tuli is bringing to our senior leadership team,” said Sotomayor.

“I’m honored to be part of this world-class center and team,’’ Tuli said. “The TGH Cancer Institute is focused on offering personalized and holistic care to our patients, along with access to cutting-edge treatments and innovative research and clinical trials from one of the country’s leading academic medical centers.’’ Tuli joined Tampa General and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in late 2020 from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, an internationally renowned and National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center, where he was director of developmental therapeutics. Prior to Sloan Kettering, he was clinical director of Radiation Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and led the gastrointestinal research program. Tuli earned his medical degree and doctorate from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia while also completing a prestigious National Cancer Institute pre-doctoral fellowship. He then went to Baltimore for his radiation oncology residency training at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he also served as chief resident. During his highly productive academic career, he has received several millions of dollars in research funding to study pancreatic and rectal cancers. He has also published over 100 academic articles with many of them in top-tier journals.

“Dr. Tuli brings a wealth of clinical and research experience to Tampa General,’’ said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, chief of oncology and senior vice president of network development at Tampa General.  “He has been instrumental in developing programs offering patients the best and newest radiation choices as part of a comprehensive program for personalized cancer care at the highest level.”

Among those programs is a planned Proton Therapy Center, where doctors can directly isolate and target tumors in the body. Announced in Oct. 2021, the free-standing proton therapy center is a collaborative effort of Tampa General, the Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS), Proton Therapy Partners, Florida Urology Partners and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. It is expected to offer patients across the West Coast of Florida access to an advanced alternative to conventional radiation treatment for cancer within the convenience of their own backyard. “Dr. Tuli’s expertise will help provide an even more sophisticated level of treatment and will ensure we continue to deliver the safest and most innovative care for our cancer patients and their families,” Schwarzberg said.

Building on the success of the TGH oncology program -- rated among the top 10 percent for cancer care in the U.S. according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2021-2022 rankings -- the TGH Cancer Institute provides comprehensive care via groundbreaking therapies and advanced diagnostic imaging tools. The TGH Cancer Institute is part of the hospital’s vision to be the safest and most innovative academic health system in America. Through the TGH Cancer Institute, Tampa General and USF Health physicians offer a highly coordinated range of multidisciplinary specialties such as hematologic malignancies, neuro-oncology, thoracic oncology, breast, colorectal and gynecologic oncology. Advanced subspecialties include liver and hepatobiliary oncology, otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) and genitourinary (reproductive system and genitourinary tract).

For more information about the Cancer Institute, visitwww.tgh.org/cancer.

 

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,041-bed non-profit academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2021-22 Best Hospitals, and one of the top 4 hospitals in Florida, with five specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. The academic medical center’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious 2021 Forbes magazine rankings – America’s Best Employers by State, third out of 100 Florida companies and first among health care and social organizations and 13^th nationally in America’s Best Employers for Women. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal 2020 provided a net community benefit worth more than $182.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital’s footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health and 19 outpatient Radiology Centers. Tampa Bay residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track.  As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost.  For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

 

ABOUT USF HEALTH
USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health’s multispecialty physicians’ group. The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News & World Report’s national university rankings than USF. For more information, visit health.usf.edu.