Timothy Yeatman, M.D. has been appointed director of the Gibbs Cancer Center. Yeatman comes to Spartanburg from Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla.
As one of the nation’s top three National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Centers, Moffitt is home to the Southeast’s largest blood and marrow transplant programs.
“Developing a model for cancer research in Spartanburg will bring the best care to our doorstep,” said Bruce Holstein, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System President and CEO. “Dr. Yeatman will help us build and refine that model well into the future. Taking these steps now will develop prevention and treatment for us, our children and our grandchildren.”
“Dr. Yeatman’s experience will translate into more research and better treatments for cancer patients in the Upstate,” said Julian Josey, M.D., Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Gibbs Cancer Center.
At Moffitt Cancer Center, Yeatman served as the Executive VP for Translational Research, Professor of Surgery and Oncologic Sciences, and Section Head of Hepatobiliary Surgery, as well as the President and Founding Chief Scientific Officer for M2Gen, a subsidiary of the Moffitt Cancer Center. Most recently, he was named Chief Scientific Officer for the Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), a non-profit organization appointed by Congress and funded by NASA to oversee all scientific use of the International Space Station.
“Dr. Yeatman is a pioneer in personalized medicine, having established the world’s largest human tumor biorepositor and database,” said James Bearden, M.D., Managing Physician of Gibbs Cancer Center and VP of Research at Spartanburg Regional. “Projects like that help us deliver cancer care by matching patients with treatments through genetic analysis of cancers.”
“Personalized medicine is the future of cancer care,” said Yeatman. “Cancer is not just one disease, and personalized medicine involves targeted eradication of cancer cells with tailored treatments.”
Yeatman received his undergraduate degree at Duke University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He received his medical degree from Emory University and completed his surgical internship and residency at the University of Florida, and then a surgical oncology fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center, before arriving at Moffitt Cancer Center.