Distinguished surgeon-scientist, Andrew Venteicher, MD, PhD, has joined University of Minnesota Physicians and the Masonic Cancer Center, where he will be leading key research initiatives in the genomics of brain tumors as the Director of the Center for Cranial Base Surgery.
Dr. Venteicher attended Stanford for both his MD and PhD, trained at the Harvard Medical School for his residency and was selected for a prestigious cerebrovascular and cranial base fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh.
He is a 2019 recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) Career Awards for Medical Scientists (CAMS) as well as the 2019 Neurosurgeon Research Career Development Program (NRCDP) award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The BWF awards thirteen CAMS internationally each year in recognition of promising physician-scientists. The NIH awards two NRCDP awards yearly to the most accomplished neurosurgeon scientists in the US.
“Dr. Venteicher is one of the nation’s most sought after recruits who contributed first author publications to highly regarded scientific journals, including Cell, Science, and Nature. His single-cell genomic studies lay the foundation for our understanding of brain tumors.”
Dr. Clark Chen, M Physicians Neurosurgeon
Through his medical practice position with M Physicians, Dr. Venteicher will be appointed as Director of the Center for Cranial Base Surgery at the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC). His diverse surgical skill set includes minimally invasive approaches, endoscopic endonasal surgery and traditional open cranial approaches. Chen noted, “In addition to his scientific achievements, Dr. Venteicher is a phenomenal surgeon who tackles the most challenging surgeries with ease.” The UMCC's new program is dedicated to providing outstanding comprehensive clinical care and performing cutting edge translational research for patients with brain and cranial base tumors.
Before transitioning to the Twin Cities, Dr. Venteicher was with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. His role is part of a collaborative effort between the Masonic Cancer Center and the University of Minnesota to launch a new initiative in functional genomics of solid tumors. This multidisciplinary team of researchers will develop new technologies and models for understanding cancer heterogeneity. Douglas Yee, MD, Director of the Masonic Cancer Center, stated, “Dr. Venteicher is a rising star in cancer research and to recruit him to the Masonic Cancer Center to start a functional genomics of solid tumors lab is paramount to transformational care in this area.”