Marion C. Anderson M.D. Lecture

Marion C. Anderson, M.D., graduated from Northwestern University Medical School in 1953 where he completed his surgical training under the leadership of Dr. Loyal Davis. In 1958, he was appointed to the faculty at Northwestern. In 1969, he was appointed professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Medical College of Ohio. From 1972 to 1977, he served as president of that institution.

In 1977, Anderson, by now a well-known pancreatic surgeon, joined MUSC as professor and vice chairman of the Department of Surgery and chief of Surgery at the Charleston VA Hospital. He was appointed chairman of the Department of Surgery in 1978.

Dr. Anderson was a visionary for medical and continuing medical education. His legacy lies in the surgeons who learned clinical and surgical skills from his tutelage. Under his leadership, significant faculty recruitment and program expansion occurred. In 1988, he was named associate dean for graduate medical education and executive associate dean of the College of Medicine at MUSC. At MUSC, he was a widely sought-after surgeon by patients with pancreatic-related disease.

Dr. Anderson’s contribution to the field of Gastrointestinal Surgery is notable. He founded the Pancreas Club and served as its chairman from 1966 - 1972. Now in its 50th year, the Pancreas Club has evolved into an international organization where members have the opportunity to share the best in basic and clinical research in an international forum of peers.

Dr. Mitchell C. Posner’s principal clinical and research interests are focused on the management of upper gastrointestinal cancer, the molecular and genetic basis of gastrointestinal malignancy and oligometastases. The author of more than 250 original articles, published abstracts and book chapters, he has received numerous awards for his investigative efforts and teaching. These include the Robert J. Baker Award for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Chicago, and both the Basic Science and Clinical Research Award from the Society of Surgical Oncology. He served as Chair of the Gastrointestinal Committee of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), the only national surgically focused cooperative group dedicated to clinical trials research. Dr. Posner serves on the Editorial Board of the Annals of Surgery, Surgery, The Journal of the American College of Surgeons and the American Journal of Surgery. He is Deputy Editor of the Annals of Surgical Oncology and Section Editor of the Education/Training Section of Surgical Oncology Insight. He is Section Editor of Gastrointestinal Diseases for the American Cancer Society journal Cancer. He is a Past President of the Society of Surgical Oncology and past President of the Society of Surgical Oncology Foundation. In 2024 he was awarded the additional title of Distinguished Service Professor recognizing his distinctive contributions and the highest level of service in multiple domains of professional, regional, national, international activities and to the University of Chicago and its surrounding community.

2025 Mitchell C. Posner, M.D., FACS, FASC, University of Chicago Medicine

2024 Robert C. G. Martin, M.D., Ph.D.: The Augmentation of Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer

2023 Chris Wolfgang M.D., Ph.D.: What Defines Resectability in Pancreatic Cancer?

2022 Melissa Hogg, M.D. MS: Robotic Surgery: the Past, the Present and the Future

2021 Cristina Ferrone, M.D.: The Evolution of Pancreatic Cancer Treatment (Postponed due to COVID PANDEMIC)

2019 Timothy Pawlik, M.D.: Reframing Hope in Cancer Care:Understanding and Aligning Care Giver and Patient Expectations

2018 Charles Vollmer, M.D.: An Odyssey with Pancreatic Fistula

2017 Michael Sarr, M.D.: Necrotizing Pancreatitis: Reflections of Four Decades of Treatment

2016 William Traverso, M.D.: Pancreatic Cancer: A Pragmatic Approach to Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going