Editing UCLA Health (section)

== Which Physicians Lead the Mesothelioma Program? ==

'''Dr. Robert Brian Cameron, MD, FACS — Founder'''

Dr. Cameron founded UCLA's Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program in 1997 and served as its director for over two decades.<ref>[https://mesothelioma.net/robert-b-cameron-m-d/ Robert B. Cameron, M.D.], Mesothelioma.net</ref> His credentials include:

* Professor of Surgery at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
* Fellowship training at Cornell-New York Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
* Medical degree from UCLA with early Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society membership
* Board certification in thoracic surgery
* Co-founder of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
* Director of the Pacific Mesothelioma Center research initiative

Dr. Cameron's treatment philosophy emphasized sparing the lung, removing as much tumor as possible, and treating mesothelioma as a chronic illness requiring ongoing management rather than attempting cure through radical surgery.

'''Dr. Bryan M. Burt, MD — Current Chief of Thoracic Surgery'''

In October 2023, Dr. Bryan Burt was appointed Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at UCLA, bringing extensive experience in mesothelioma research and treatment.<ref>[https://www.mesotheliomalawyercenter.org/mesothelioma-lawyer/california/ California Mesothelioma Lawyer], Mesothelioma Lawyer Center</ref> His background includes:

* Professor of Surgery at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
* Board certification from American Board of Surgery and American Board of Thoracic Surgery
* Thoracic surgery residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital (trained under the legendary Dr. David Sugarbaker)
* Post-doctoral fellowship in Cellular Immunology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
* Previous position: Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine (2012-2023)
* NIH-funded research laboratory at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

Dr. Burt's research focuses on response and resistance mechanisms to immunotherapy in thoracic malignancies. In 2021, he received a $2.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to fund ongoing biomarker testing to determine which pleural mesothelioma patients would benefit from immunotherapy.

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| style="padding:15px; color:#004085;" | '''ℹ️ Research Breakthrough:''' In 2022, Dr. Burt's research combining cytokine factories and immune checkpoint inhibitors demonstrated complete eradication of late-stage mesothelioma tumors in mice within days—one of the most promising laboratory results ever achieved for this disease.
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