Dr. Michael Vogelbaum joins Moffitt as Chief of Neurosurgery and Program Leader of the Department of Neuro-Oncology
TAMPA, Fla. — Moffitt Cancer Center has a new program leader of Neuro-Oncology and chief of Neurosurgery. Beginning Jan. 3, Michael Vogelbaum, M.D., Ph.D., will step into the roles and work alongside Peter Forsyth, M.D., Department of Neuro-Oncology Chair. Vogelbaum will also be a Professor of Oncologic Sciences at USF.
“Having Dr. Vogelbaum onboard will put us in the front of the pack as we continue to handle brain cancers, which will also give Dr. Forsyth the ability to expand the department’s strengths in clinical, research and academic work,” explained Bryan McIver, M.D., Ph.D., Moffitt’s deputy physician-in-chief. “It’s a balanced skillset, so we now have a Neuro-Oncology powerhouse.”
Vogelbaum was most recently the associate director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center and the director of its Center for Translational Therapeutics. He is an internationally known leader in neurosurgical oncology and distinguished investigator in laboratory research, and translational and clinical trials in gliomas, a dangerous type of brain cancer.
Vogelbaum has served on or led numerous national and international committees and holds an impressive array of honors and awards, as well as leadership positions at the regional, national and international level. He is principal investigator and co-investigator of a broad range of early phase investigator-initiated therapeutic trials, and both national and international multisite collaborative studies. He has published 161 peer-reviewed and invited articles, and he has written nine book chapters and edited one book: “Principles and Practice of Neuro-Oncology–A Multidisciplinary Approach.”
Vogelbaum has instructed and mentored postdoctoral fellows, medical students, and graduate and undergraduate students. He has been an invited presenter at numerous national and international conferences, and he is affiliated with 12 professional societies, among them the American Academy of Neurological Surgery, American College of Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the Society for Neuro-Oncology.
Among his successes, Vogelbaum is the inventor of patented medical devices for delivering therapeutics directly to the brain and brain tumors. The first of these devices has received FDA clearance. This work has led to Vogelbaum being the founder and chief medical officer of medical device company Infuseon Therapeutics, Inc.
After completing his M.D. and Ph.D. at the University of Virginia, Vogelbaum undertook a residency in neurological surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where he also served for a year as chief resident in Neurological Surgery. He has spent almost two decades at Cleveland Clinic Foundation, where he is a world-renowned expert in the diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the brain and spinal cord.
He is a clinical research scientist with particular expertise and academic interest in stereotactic (image-guided) surgery, radiosurgery and the molecular biology of brain tumors. Vogelbaum was the recipient of the prestigious American Association of Neurological Surgeons Young Clinician Investigator Award. He has received support and funding from the American Cancer Society, the National Institutes of Health and the Wolf Family Foundation. His research laboratory has been investigating new treatment approaches for primary and metastatic brain tumors.
Vogelbaum will work closely with Forsyth within the Department of Neuro-Oncology.
“Dr. Vogelbaum is a great leader and will be an excellent partner,” said Forsyth. “With his neurosurgical leadership, drug development expertise and cutting-edge neurosurgical clinical trials experience, we will be able to provide the best care possible to our neuro patients here at Moffitt.”
“I am extremely pleased to join Moffitt Cancer Center and the innovative team of its Neuro-Oncology Department,” said Vogelbaum. “I am inspired by Moffitt’s mission, which provides hope via scientific advances for patients with cancer, particularly for patients with currently incurable cancers like gliomas. Along with my colleagues, I look forward to improving outcomes by helping to develop better therapies for patients facing neurological cancers.”
Moffitt’s Neuro-Oncology Program is a world leader in research and treatment of cancers of the brain, and cancers of other types that spread to the brain and spinal cord. The department of Neuro-Oncology pursues cutting-edge treatment and leads clinical trials of new approaches and novel agents for patients with these diseases.
About Moffitt Cancer Center
Moffitt is dedicated to one lifesaving mission: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. The Tampa-based facility is one of only 49 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt’s scientific excellence, multidisciplinary research, and robust training and education. Moffitt is a Top 10 cancer hospital and has been nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report since 1999. Moffitt devotes more than 2 million square feet to research and patient care. Moffitt’s expert nursing staff is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet® status, its highest distinction. With more than 6,000 team members, Moffitt has an economic impact in the state of $2.1 billion. For more information, call 1-888-MOFFITT (1-888-663-3488), visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the momentum on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
