About
Dr. Chung joined the Prisma Health-Upstate Cancer Institute in 2011 and co-directs the ITOR Phase 1 program, after nearly 10 years on the faculty of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University Medical School, conducting clinical research and teaching medical students, and hematology/oncology fellows. He received numerous awards for teaching and research throughout his medical career, including the MSKCC fellowship teacher of the year award in 2009. Dr. Chung has collaborated with Clemson University faculty through the NCORP NCI clinical trials and continued research funding. As the new NCI NCORP of the Carolinas principle investigator, his goal is to foster further collaboration with Clemson University faculty and increase the development of relevant research in the field of hematology/oncology. Dr. Chung serves on several editorial boards including the journal of the South Carolina Medical Association. He continues to pursue special interests in GI and rare malignancies demonstrated by my active participation in national and international research organizations including ALLIANCE and SWOG, currently serving on the NCI Colorectal Cancer Task Force and The NCI Rare Tumor Committee. He has been fortunate to have many publications which have changed clinical practice and provided the basis for new therapies, leading to lectures at many national and international conferences. For more information, see his Curriculum Vitae.
How their research is transforming health care
As the new Principle Investigator of the NCORP of the Carolinas, one of 40 NCI community oncology research programs funded by the NCI, Dr. Chung leads the Prisma Health-Upstate Cancer Institute’s effort to maximize enrollment in NCI Clinical Trials Network (NCTN} trials. This involves cancer prevention and control, screening and post-treatment surveillance, treatment and imaging clinical trials; provide community input and assist the NCTN research bases in developing treatment, prevention, control and screening, health related quality of life and cancer care delivery research (CCDR); conducting research by engaging the community, inclusive of minorities and the underserved; and informing the community of advances made through research, in addition to becoming a national leader in Cancer Care delivery research (CCDR). NCORP of the Carolinas conducts all phases of clinical trial research sponsored by NCTN groups, and ITOR (Institution of Translational Oncology Research) with translational treatment options. The active Prisma Health-Upstate biospecimen repository provides clinically and genomically annotated malignant specimens for research advancement, contributed to the Cancer Genome project, and is actively utilized in clinical research today. As Co-Director of the Prisma Health-Upstate ITOR, he has contributed to the availability of novel therapeutic options for all cancer patients including first in man studies. Through collaboration with industry, ITOR initiated a rare tumor clinical trial, successfully recruiting patients with rare malignancies with limited to no clinical therapeutic options. The Prisma Health-Upstate Cancer Institute has nearly 300 clinical trials including 30 phase 1 clinical trials open at any time, transforming health care one patient at a time.
Health research keywords
clinical research, CCDR, gastrointestinal, cancer, biorepository, chemotherapy, Phase 1, trials, rare, malignancy
