In my more than four-decade career as a thoracic surgeon at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, I have had the privilege of caring for thousands of individuals with lung, mesothelioma, and esophageal cancers.
I divide my time between caring for these patients and preparing the next generation of medical professionals to handle these cancers with compassion and expertise — both in the clinic and in the operating room. I also hold an appointment at Weill Cornell Medical College as Professor of Clinical Cardiothoracic Surgery.
I am a member of the Thoracic Disease Management Team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, which is actively involved in exploring topics such as how a tumor’s molecular characteristics impact a patient’s response to treatment. I have been responsible for creating innovative techniques in the surgical treatment of thoracic malignancies, including chest wall reconstruction with methyl methacrylate prosthesis.
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In addition to lecturing nationally and internationally, I am a member of nearly two dozen professional societies, including the American Association for Thoracic Surgery , the American Surgical Association , the American Society of Clinical Oncology , the International College of Surgeons , and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer .
I have contributed more than 150 journal articles on the role of multimodality therapy in thoracic malignancies. Clear communication with patients is critical to ensuring an optimal outcome, a belief reflected in my co-authorship of 100 Questions & Answers about Esophageal Cancer (Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.; 2nd edition; 2009).
During my career, I was honored to receive an honorary fellowship of the Indian Association of Cardiovascular Surgeons as well as the Weill Cornell Medical College Excellence in Teaching Award in 2007.
I was born in Punjab, India, and am fluent in English, Punjabi, and Hindi.