Joel Tepper

BIOGRAPHY

ACADEMIC POSITION:
Dr Tepper is the Hector McLean Distinguished Professor of Cancer Research

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
As a clinically trained radiation oncologist, my research has centered around clinical trials and translational research in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. My personal research has focused on combined modality therapy of GI tumors and the combination of radiation therapy with surgery and chemotherapy to enhance both local control and overall survival rates. I have been heavily involved in translational science efforts as Director of the UNC GI SPORE grant (Specialized Program of Research Excellence) that is focused on translational research and integrating cutting edge science with clinical translation in GI malignancies. I am also a co-Director of the UNC Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence an NCI-funded collaborative research project studying diverse nanotechnology approaches. I am directly involved in portions of that grant dealing with carbon nanotube radiation therapy delivery and am collaborating on other research efforts of novel nanotechnology methods for enhanced drug delivery systems for radiation sensitization.

I am also involved with TCGA, The Cancer Genome Atlas project, as co-Chair of the GI Working Group that is charged with determining relevant issues of tissue collection, specimen selection, clinical questions for analysis to allow for efficient and clinically relevant questions to be answered by the TCGA. In addition, I have been heavily involved in the Analysis Working Group of the colorectal TCGA project. Colon cancer is one of the early disease sites studied by the TCGA.

I had been the GI Committee Vice-Chair in the CALGB (a large multidisciplinary cooperative group) for 14 years, and in that capacity helped organize and run many clinical trials as well as the associated correlative science work. For the cooperative groups I am co-Chair of the GI Steering Committee of the NCI, involved in organizing and prioritizing the clinical trial of the cancer cooperative groups. I have been active in multiple national organizations including ASTRO, ASCO and AACR. I have been co-Chair of the Vail Course, run by ASCO and AACR and funded by the NCI, which is an intensive week-long educational course for senior fellows and junior faculty on how to design and implement clinical trials. I am past President and past Chairman of the Board of ASTRO and have been a Board member of ASCO and am a member of the Clinical Trials and Translational Research Advisory Committee (CTAC), advisory committee to the Director of the NCI on clinical and translational research.

HOME PAGE
http://carolinaccne.unc.edu/our-team/home/joel-e-tepper-md