Larry R. Robinson, M.D.
UW Medicine Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs
Professor, Rehabilitation Medicine, UW School of Medicine
As vice dean for clinical affairs, Dr. Larry Robinson is responsible for UW Medicine risk management, a number of multi-departmental clinical programs and steering committees, several new clinical initiatives and other duties.
Dr. Robinson has been at the University of Washington since 1989. He was department chair for rehabilitation medicine from 2000 to 2006. He has been the principal investigator for a National Institutes of Health-funded study of the management of pain after amputation and the effectiveness of pre-amputation analgesia to prevent phantom limb pain.
He earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine. He completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern University, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks UW Medicine’s rehabilitation medicine care among the nation’s best (No. 3. in 2009).
Gregory J. Crowther, Ph.D.
Acting Instructor, Allergy and Infectious Disease, UW School of Medicine
As a research scientist and teacher in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Gregory Crowther focuses on drug discovery for malaria and other neglected diseases. He also mentors students in laboratory projects related to his research. In 2004 he created a free online database of science songs; this database has since grown to include over 5000 songs and been incorporated as a central part of the “Sing About Science & Math” project (SingAboutScience.org) of which he is co-principal investigator. This project is building a community of researchers who study the usefulness of music in science and math education. Dr. Crowther’s “Money 4 Drugz,” a summary of his lab's research in the format of a rap video, took 1st prize at the 2011 UW Pocketmedia Film Festival.
Dr. Crowther, an active blogger, sought-after speaker and author, has co-authored several publications including the forthcoming Using Science Songs to Enhance Learning: An Interdisciplinary Approach. He received his B.A. in biology from Williams College, Williamstown, MA, and his Ph.D. degree in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Washington.
Christine L. Martin, R.N.
Executive Director, Airlift Northwest, UW Medicine
Christine Martin is the executive director of Airlift Northwest, the region’s first flying intensive care unit operated and owned by UW Medicine. She provides leadership and direction for all aspects of the air transportation organization. Airlift Northwest serves one of the largest and geographically varied land masses in the world - from isolated islands in Alaska to coastal villages in Western Washington, and desert communities in Eastern Washington with aircraft strategically based throughout the Pacific Northwest (Juneau in Alaska; Arlington, Bellingham, Olympia, Yakima and Seattle in Washington.) Ms. Martin is also responsible for the Transfer Center that serves Harborview Medical Center, UW Medical Center, UW Physicians, and the UW Medicine Med-Con physician outreach and referral program.
Prior to Airlift Northwest, Ms. Martin was the administrative director of Emergency Services at Harborview Medical Center, where she was responsible for the Emergency Department, which includes a Level 1 Trauma Center serving Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. She also supervised the Emergency Department Observation Unit; the Psychiatric Emergency Services Unit; the Community CareLine, a telephone nurse advice call center and managed care program; the Admitting and Hospital Registration Departments; and the Transfer Center.
Ms. Martin has been with Harborview Medical Center since 1976, and previously served as the nursing administrative supervisor and as a staff nurse. She is on the clinical faculty at the UW School of Nursing, where she received a B.S.N. She was a clinical nursing instructor at Highline Community College in Seattle.
Edith Y. Cheng, M.D. M.S.
Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology, UW School of Medicine
Adjunct Professor, Internal Medicine, Medical Genetics, UW School of Medicine
Medical Director, Prenatal Genetics and Fetal Therapy Program, UW Medical Center
Medical Director, Prenatal and Infant Care Clinic, UW Medical Center
Program Director, Prenatal Diagnosis and Treatment Program, Seattle Children’s
Dr. Edith Cheng’s clinical expertise is in prenatal diagnosis, genetics and maternal cystic fibrosis, and in women and fetuses with genetic conditions. She has been a member of the UW OB/GYN faculty since 1990. In addition to being board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and subspecialty-certified in maternal-fetal medicine, she is certified in medical genetics and genetic counseling.
Dr. Cheng’s research interests include correlating prenatal imaging of the fetus with birth defects and with postnatal outcomes; defining the best prenatal counseling techniques for parents facing the prenatal diagnosis of a critically ill fetus; and investigating the genetic and embryological determinants of chromosome abnormalities in gametogenesis in the cause of birth defects.
Dr. Cheng earned a M.S. in genetic counseling from Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, and a M.D. from the University of Washington. She completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology, fellowship in medical genetics and fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Washington. Her many honors include the University of Washington Service Excellence Award, Presidential Faculty Development Fellow Award, Award of Research Excellence in Genetics (Society of Perinatal Obstetricians), and Seattle Magazine Top Doctor – 2010 and 2011.
Dilys M. Walker, M.D.
Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, UW School of Medicine
Associate Professor, Global Health, UW School of Public Health
Dr. Dilys Walker impacts women’s health care at home and abroad. She specializes in family planning, adolescent reproductive health, and interventions to impact maternal mortality. Her work in Latin America focuses on improving the quality of in-labor and early postpartum care through multi-professional training of midwives, physicians and nurses.
In Mexico and Guatemala, she is running two large implementation trials to measure the impact of an innovative simulation-based emergency obstetric and neonatal training program for limited-resource settings. The program focuses on use of evidence based practices and teamwork training. Her programs also include a study evaluating and comparing the quality of basic obstetric care provided by professional midwives, obstetric nurses and general physicians; evaluation of the impact of Mexico's Opportunidades incentive-based poverty program on reproductive health indicators; consultant to Inter-American Development Bank (IDB )to inform and guide development of incentive based programs in the Dominican Republic to impact adolescent pregnancy rates; member of the Mesoamerican Health Initiative 2015 Maternal Neonatal and Reproductive Health core planning group. She is executive director for PRONTO (Programa de Rescate Obstetrico y Neonatal: Tratamiento Optimo y Oportuno) – an obstetric and neonatal emergency training program using high-fidelity, low-tech simulation with trainings in Mexico, Guatemala and soon Kenya (http://www.prontointernational.org/).
Dr. Walker practices at the Harborview Women’s Clinic. She earned her B.S. in zoology from University of California, Berkeley and her M.D. from the University of California, San Diego, CA. She did her residency in obstetrics and gynecology from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, and her fellowship in Family Planning and Abortion was done at the University of California, San Francisco.
Mary L. (Nora) Disis, M.D.
Professor, Medical Oncology, UW School of Medicine
Adjunct Professor, Pathology and Obstetrics and Gynecology
Associate Dean, Translational Science, UW School of Medicine
Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC)
Dr. Nora Disis is an expert in breast and ovarian cancer immunology and translational research. She is one of the pioneering investigators who discovered that HER-2/neu is a tumor antigen. Her work has led to several clinical trials which evaluate boosting immunity to HER-2/neu with cancer vaccines. She is the director of the Institute of Translational Health Sciences and the director for the Center of Translational Medicine in Women’s Health at the UW. Her multifaceted research program within the Tumor Vaccine Group includes the discovery of new antigens for breast and ovarian cancer and the development of vaccine and cellular therapy targeting those antigens.
Dr. Disis received her M.D. from the University of Nebraska Medical School , Omaha, NE, and completed a residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago, IL. Her fellowship in oncology was done at UW/Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center. She is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha and the American Society of Clinical Investigation. Dr. Disis is the deputy editor for Translational Oncology for the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and is a member of several committees and task forces for both the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
James A. Taylor, M.D.
Professor, Pediatrics, UW School of Medicine
Medical Director, UW Medical Center Newborn Nursery
Director, Pediatric Continuity Program, University of Washington Pediatric Care Center
Dr. James A. Taylor has been at the University of Washington since 1991. He practices at UW Medical Center Newborn Nursery and at the UWMC – Roosevelt Pediatric Care Clinic. At both of these sites, he is involved in resident and medical school student training. His research interest includes immunization delivery, alternative therapies for children and practice-based research.
Dr. Taylor serves as director of the Puget Sound Pediatric Research Network and co-managing director for the Better Outcomes through Research in Newborns (BORN) Network, Academic Pediatric Association. He is consulting editor for AAP Grand Rounds and past associate editor for Current Problems in Pediatrics. Dr. Taylor has published extensively and most recently co-authored a study by Seattle Children’s Research Institute that demonstrates the need for more research on the use of alternative immunization schedules and the safety, efficacy and consequences of delaying immunizations.
Dr. Taylor received his M.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC and completed his internship and residency from the University of Colorado Health Sciences, Denver, CO. His fellowship in pediatrics was done at the University of Washington. He has received numerous honors which include the Burtis Burr Breese Award from the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society and the Stanley Stamm Role Model in Medicine Award from the department of pediatrics, UW School of Medicine.
Peter S. Nelson, M.D.
Professor, Medical Oncology, UW School of Medicine
Adjunct Professor, Pathology, Genome Sciences, UW School of Medicine
Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC)
Dr. Peter Nelson is an oncologist specializing in therapies for early and late stage prostate cancer. His current research work involves efforts to understand the process of prostate carcinogenesis with an aim toward developing diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic strategies. His major projects include: molecular analysis of therapies for early and late stage prostate carcinoma; characterization of the prostate androgen-response program; analysis of prostate serine protease function in metastatic prostate carcinoma; determining the role of aging and cellular senescence in prostate carcinogenesis and normal gene variation.
Dr. Nelson earned his B.S. in Chemistry, Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, and his M.D. from the University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS. He did his residency at the University of Kansas, a biotechnology fellowship from the National Cancer Institute and a fellowship in medical oncology at the University of Washington, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Dr. Nelson has received many honors including the Prostate Cancer Foundation Challenge Award, Damon Runyon Scholar Award, NIH Career Development Award, and the University of Kansas Roy Edwards, Jr. Resident Excellence Award. He has published extensively.
W. Lin, M.D.
Associate Professor, Urology, UW School of Medicine
Bridges Endowed Professorship in Prostate Cancer Research
Dr. Daniel Lin is the chief of urologic oncology at the University of Washington's Department of Urology and an urologist specializing in genitourinary oncology, prostate cancer early detection and prevention. His clinical expertise is genitourinary oncology where he treats all urologic oncology diseases such as prostate cancer, kidney cancer, testis cancer, bladder cancer, and rare urologic and pelvic cancers.
The most common surgeries that Dr. Lin performs include radical prostatectomy, complex radical and partial nephrectomy, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, and radical cystectomy with urinary diversion.
His translational research interests primarily involve the molecular mechanisms of prostate carcinogenesis and examining the role of germline genetic polymorphisms in predicting prostate cancer progression/mortality. Dr. Lin is PI on one NIH/NCI R01 and co-I or co-Project Leader on multiple other federal (e.g. NIH - SPORE/R01, DOD) or major foundation contracts. His current clinical research primarily involves the Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS), a study for men who have chosen active surveillance as a management plan for their prostate cancer. This study seeks to discover biomarkers that identify cancers that are more aggressive from those tumors that grow slowly. Dr. Lin earned his B.S. from Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, and his M.D. from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. He completed his urology residency at the University of Washington, a urologic oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, and a research fellowship from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center before joining the faculty in 2001. Dr. Lin holds a joint appointment with the Division of Public Health Sciences at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
George E. Laramore, M.D., Ph.D.
Peter Wootton Professor and Chair, Radiology Oncology, UW School of Medicine
Director, University Cancer Center, UW Medical Center
Dr. George Laramore, believes in utilizing technological innovations in ways tailored to the individual patient in order to optimize the treatment of their cancer. His interest is in neutron radiotherapy and most recently proton beam radiotherapy for the treatment of tumors. Proton beams deliver precise doses of charged particles to tumors, thereby minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Unlike conventional photon- based (X-ray) radiation treatment, proton beams deliver more radiation precisely to the targeted tumor. Higher doses to tumors increase the likelihood that tumors will be killed. Proton beams are used today to treat many solid-tumor cancers such as those of the eye, skull base, head and neck, and prostate. Dr. Laramore believes the potential exists to treat many more types of tumors, including those of the lung, breast and abdomen.
Dr. Laramore is consultant to Seattle Children's, Veterans Puget Sound Health Care, Harborview Medical Center Gamma Knife Facility, and Northwest Hospital. He is an active member of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
Working in the field of physics after receiving his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois, Dr. Laramore's interests turned to biology which lead him to medical school. He received his M.D. from the University of Miami, Miami, FL, and then completed his internship and residency training in radiation oncology at the University of Washington.
Peter C. Neligan, M.B.
Professor, Surgery, UW School of Medicine
Director, Center for Reconstructive Surgery, UW Medical Center
Dr. Peter Neligan is an acknowledged expert in the field of reconstructive microsurgery.
Originally from Ireland, he completed his surgical training there before moving to Toronto, Canada for further training in microvascular surgery. He developed his interest in reconstructive microsurgery, concentrating on post-oncologic reconstruction.
Dr. Neligan specializes in complex reconstructions of all kinds of major defects, as well as microvascular and microsurgical breast reconstruction, head and neck reconstruction. He also is interested in composite tissue allotransplantation. His clinical interests include facial re-animation, lymophatico-venular surgery, and major post-oncologic defects. His research centers around developing new reconstructive procedures and measuring clinical outcomes.
Prior to coming to the University of Washington, Dr. Neligan served as chair of the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Toronto and was appointed Wharton Chair in Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at that institution. He was recruited to the University of Washington in 2007 to establish the Center for Reconstructive Surgery.
Dr. Neligan has authored five books and is working on a sixth. He is editor-in-chief of the Journal for Reconstructive Microsurgery. He is heavily involved in UW's plastic surgery training program and has established a microsurgery fellowship to train surgeons in the area of reconstructive microsurgery.
Dr. Neligan received his medical education from the University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland and fellowships at the Hospital for Sick Children and at the University of Toronto, both in Toronto, Canada. He did his postgraduate education and internship at The School for Research and Postgraduate Education and Training - Stone Building, Dublin, Ireland and his residency at ISRP Administration Surgical Training Office and The School for Research and Postgraduate Education and Training - Stone Building, Dublin, Ireland.
Douglas P. Hanel, M.D.
Professor, Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine
Dr. Doug Hanel is recognized as a leading expert in surgery for hand, wrist and elbow disorders, from birth defects to trauma. He works with both children and adults and performs reconstructive surgery for injuries, defects and/or damage from arthritis. The impetus of his pediatric practice is the reconstruction of congenital hand differences. His adult reconstructive practice focuses on post-traumatic wrist arthritis and elbow joint stiffness. He also performs carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel release surgery.
Dr. Hanel has worked to develop new techniques for the emergency treatment of patients with injuries ranging from amputations to the need for soft-tissue coverage. In addition, he is interested in outcome studies related to hand surgery and hand trauma and biomechanical studies related to methods for treating hand injuries.
Prior to coming to the University of Washington, Dr. Hanel practiced at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo, and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wi. In 1992, Dr. Hanel joined the UW Hand Service at the University of Washington working at Harborview Medical Center. He is also in charge of the Pediatric Hand Surgery Program at Seattle Children’s.
Dr. Hanel is a graduate of the University of Washington in Zoology. He earned his M.D. from St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo, where he also did his residency and internship at the St. Louis University Health Center. He completed fellowships in hand surgery with Harold E. Kleinert and microvascular surgery with Robert D. Acland at the University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky.
Dr. Hanel was recognized this July to the Seattle Magazine “Top Docs” Hall of Fame. He is one of only nine Puget Sound physicians to have landed on the list for ten years. He was won many other awards including the prestigious Edwin G. Bovill Award. He has published extensively.
Teresa (Teri) Brentnall, M.D.
Walters Endowed Chair, Professor, Medicine, Gastroenterology
Adjunct Professor, Pathology, UW School of Medicine
Founder and Director, Pancreatic Cancer Surveillance Program, UW Medical Center
Dr. Teri Brentnall treats patients at UW Medical Center’s Digestive Disease Center, where she diagnoses and treats illnesses of the gastrointestinal tract. Her research emphasis is the origins of pancreatic cancer.
She led a team’s discovery that a specific gene, when mutated, is associated with familial pancreatic cancer. Early detection of the gene can identify people at greatest risk for the disease, who then can opt to have their pancreas removed preventatively. Dr. Brentnall helped start an endoscopic ultrasound surveillance program for those patients.
Dr. Brentnall’s current research also involves molecular events, prevention and early detection of colon cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Dr. Brentnall earned her M.D. from the UW School of Medicine, completed an internship and residency at University of California - Los Angeles and a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Washington.
Norman J. Beauchamp, Jr., M.D. M.H.S.
Professor and Chair, Radiology, UW School of Medicine
Professor, Neurosurgery, UW School of Medicine
Professor, Industrial Engineering, UW School of Engineering
In 2002, Dr. Norman Beauchamp joined the UW Department of Radiology as chair. He has served as the President of the University of Washington Physician Practice Plan. Dr. Beauchamp has been a member of numerous professional societies and has served on several committees. He is currently a member of the American College of Radiology (ACR), and has served on the board of chancellors; the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), he is the vice president of the society and serves on the executive council; a senior member of the American Society of Neuroradiology; and he also serves on the board of the Society for Chairs of Academic Radiology Departments (SCARD).
He previously was the chair of the coalition for bioengineering and radiology research and previously served as chair of the radiology research alliance and was a member of the Association of University Radiologists Board of Directors. He is on the board for the Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association. He served on the editorial board for Radiology and is currently on the editorial board of Journal of American College of Radiology. He served as the Chair of the Education/CME Committee for the ARRS and the ACR Continuous Professional Improvement Panel Chair of Neuroradiology.
Dr. Beauchamp has received several notable honors and awards throughout his career. He received the ARRS scholarship and the American Society of Neuroradiology Basic Science Fellowship Award and three times he was awarded the outstanding faculty teaching award in radiology at Johns Hopkins. Beauchamp’s research interests include extensive research in the area of neuroradiology. He has served as the principle investigator for nine studies with an emphasis on stroke and dementia. He also has a patent for the computer-aided processing and analysis for stroke in neuroimages. He has contributed over 100 publications to the literature. He co-edited a book entitled Radiology Business Practice: How to Succeed.
Dr. Beauchamp earned his M.D. from Michigan State University and shortly after, completed a general surgery internship at Blodgett Medical Hospital and Michigan State University, in Grand Rapids, Mi. He completed his radiology residency and fellowship in neuroradiology and neurointerventional radiology at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Barry Lutz, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor, Bioengineering
Dr. Lutz’s career began in chemical engineering and turned to bioengineering as a postdoctoral fellow in in the NIH funded Microscale Life Sciences Center led by Dr. Deirdre Meldrum and Dr. Mary Lidstrom at the UW where he studied engineering directed to biological problems. The Center’s vision, that genetically-identical cells do not behave the same way, captured his imagination and shifted his interest more toward biological applications of engineering.
Dr. Lutz went on to Intel Corporation where he worked with a biomedical research team to develop early stage technologies to improve human health. He worked on-site at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in collaboration with Dr. Beatrice Knudsen of FHCRC, Dr. Selena Chan of Intel, and an Intel research team to apply light-emitting nanoparticles for multi-target detection in human cancer tissues.
Currently, Dr. Lutz is a Research Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at UW where he is developing low-cost point-of-care diagnostics for global health applications, as well as low-resource settings in the developed world. He collaborates on several large diagnostics programs with Department Chair Dr. Paul Yager (project PI) and Dr. Elain Fu. He also has a close partnership with Dr. Sam Browd of Seattle Children’s Hospital to design and test a failure-resistant implantable device to treat children with hydrocephalus. His research includes basic efforts to understand and exploit physical principles at the core of biomedical devices, as well as development of devices intended for near-term patient impact.
Dr. Lutz earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington and his B.S. from the University of Texas, Austin, TX. He has received numerous awards including: the American Vacuum Society Young Investigator Award from the AVS International Symposium, the NIH/NHGRI Genome Training Grant from the UW Department of Genome Sciences, the Charles Tobias Memorial Student Poster Award at the Joint Meeting of the Electromechanical Society and International Society of Electrochemistry, and the NSF East Asia and Pacific Institute Fellowship from the Chemistry Department, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.