International Society of Gastrointestinal Oncology

International Society of Gastrointestinal Oncology - Established 2003

2010-11 Presidential Candidates

All current ISGIO members are eligible to vote. Ballots will be sent via e-mail at the end of July to eligible voters who will be asked to cast their votes by August 23rd. Results of the election will be announced in September at the 2010 Gastrointestinal Oncology Conference.

Nominees for the position of President-elect 2010-2011 include Drs. Charles Blanke and Christopher Willett. These candidates possess a wealth of knowledge and experience in gastrointestinal oncology, and each is eminently qualified to assume the responsibilities and the challenges of leading this organization. The candidate who obtains the most votes will fulfill the duties of President-elect 2010-2011 and will be inducted as President at the annual meeting in the fall of 2011 to serve a 1-year term.



Charles D. Blanke, M.D. Vice-President, Systemic Therapy, British Columbia Cancer Agency Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Chair, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia	Dr. Blanke joined the faculty of the University of British Columbia in 2008, when he was appointed as a Professor of Medicine and the Chair of the Division of Medical Oncology. His chief areas of clinical research are in drug and biologic targeted agent development in the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies, particularly colorectal neoplasms and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Dr. Blanke also serves as the Gastrointestinal Committee Chair for the Southwest Oncology Group, and is currently the chair of the US NCI-designated GIST Task Force, which coordinates GIST translational research across all North American cooperative groups. As the Vice President of Systemic Therapy for the BCCA, he controls availability of chemotherapeutic, biologic, and most hormonal agents for British Columbia cancer patients. Dr. Blanke received an M.D. with distinction from Northwestern University. He completed residency training at the Gundersen Medical Foundation, also serving as Chief Resident. He was a Hematology/Medical Oncology fellow at Indiana University, where he also served as Chief Fellow. He has been on faculty at Vanderbilt University and the Oregon Health and Sciences University. Dr. Blanke is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He has served as a member of the writing panel for the Subspecialty Board on Medical Oncology for the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has been active in the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and has chaired the Combined GI Symposium. He serves as Education Chair in 2011. He is the author or co-author of more than 150 manuscripts and 20 manuscripts. He is Chief Editor for a new GI Oncology text to be published in 2011. Dr. Blanke is considered one of the most prominent oncologists nationally and internationally for gastrointestinal cancer, and has been named multiple times in regional (e.g. Portland Magazine) peer-selected listings of top physicians.



Christopher G. Willett , M.D. Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Duke University	Dr. Christopher G. Willett is Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Duke University. His clinical interest and research focus has been on the multimodality management and treatment of patients with gastrointestinal cancers as well as clinical and translational trials in this discipline. He has served as the Chair of the RTOG GI Cancer Subcommittee as well as Program Director for the 2010 Gastrointestinal Symposium. He is the author of over 300 publications as well as editor of textbooks in GI malignancies.