Renowned breast cancer surgeon Tari A. King, MD, FACS, FSSO, FASCO, has been appointed as chief surgical officer for the cancer service line at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and Emory Healthcare, joining Emory on July 14.
Renowned breast cancer surgeon Tari A. King, MD, FACS, FSSO, FASCO, has been appointed as chief surgical officer for the cancer service line at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and Emory Healthcare. Joining Emory on July 14, she will also serve as chief of the newly formed Division of Breast Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine and as co-director of Winship’s Glenn Family Breast Center.
In these new roles, King will be a strategic and visionary leader responsible for overseeing surgical care for patients with cancer and clinical activities, research and training for cancer surgery across Emory. She will lead initiatives to enhance cancer surgery programs, practices, strategic goals and patient experience. She will serve as a clinical and administrative leader for cancer surgeons, ensuring consistent standards and continuous improvement in cancer care. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, she will play a crucial role in advancing the cancer center’s mission and enhancing Winship’s reputation as an international leader in cancer care and research.
“With the creation of the Division of Breast Surgery and new surgical leadership roles at the School of Medicine, Winship and the Glenn Family Breast Center, Emory is clear in its commitment to making a transformative impact in the field of breast cancer surgery,” says John F. Sweeney, MD, the Joseph Brown Whitehead Professor and chair in the Department of Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine and surgeon-in-chief for Emory Healthcare. “Dr. King is eminently qualified to guide this new chapter of innovation, and I am excited to see the growth and advances that will be accomplished under her leadership.”
King currently serves as the Anne E. Dyson Professor of Surgery in the Field of Women’s Cancers at Harvard Medical School and chief of the Division of Breast Surgery and vice chair of multidisciplinary oncology in the Department of Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She is also chief of breast surgery at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and director of the Breast Cancer Personalized Risk Assessment, Education and Prevention (B-PREP) Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She previously served as deputy chief and director of research for the Breast Service in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, with a faculty appointment at Weill Cornell Medicine.
“Dr. King’s expertise and innovative track record will be invaluable to our efforts to pioneer practice-changing discoveries and deliver the most advanced care to our patients in Georgia and beyond,” says Suresh Ramalingam, MD, FACP, FASCO, Winship’s executive director, associate vice president for cancer at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center and professor and Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Chair for Cancer Research at Emory University School of Medicine. “She brings a wealth of experience, and we are deeply honored to have her join us.”
An accomplished physician-scientist with over two decades of experience as a breast cancer surgeon, King has extensive expertise in patient care and research. Her clinical and research efforts have spanned from breast cancer prevention to the molecular genetics of tumor progression while always maintaining a focus on optimizing multidisciplinary treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes. She is the author or co-author of more than 300 scientific manuscripts published in high-impact journals. Her leadership of pioneering clinical trials and service on national and international consortia, expert panels and committees have helped set the standard for breast cancer treatment. She currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee for the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium and as treasurer and Finance Committee chair for the Society of Surgical Oncology.
“Dr. King has been instrumental in optimizing multidisciplinary treatment approaches and elevating the standard of care for patients with breast cancer,” says Kevin Kalinsky, MD, MS, FASCO, co-director of the Glenn Family Breast Center at Winship Cancer Institute, professor and director of the Division of Medical Oncology in Emory’s Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology and the Louisa and Rand Glenn Family Chair in Breast Cancer Research. “I am thrilled that she is bringing her tremendous talent and vision to Emory and look forward to working with her.”
King received her medical degree from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and completed a general surgery residency at Ochsner Clinic Foundation Hospital (now Ochsner Medical Center) in New Orleans. She completed both a surgical research fellowship and a breast surgery clinical fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
“It is a privilege to join this phenomenal community at Emory,” says King. “This role is a unique opportunity to build on Emory’s legacy of excellence and bring surgical cancer care to new heights. I look forward to working with Winship’s multidisciplinary teams to drive high-quality patient care, advance innovative surgical practices and further the research mission.”