William Barrett Named UC Cancer Institute Director

CINCINNATI—William Barrett, MD, has been named director of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute, effective Feb. 3. Barrett currently serves as chair of the department of radiation oncology, medical director for UC Health's Barrett Center and as associate director for education and community outreach with the UC Cancer Institute and will continue in those roles as well as his involvement with the Cincinnati Cancer Center.

He will assume the duties of George Atweh, MD, who announced his resignation in October.

"I am very excited about this opportunity," Barrett says. "We have incredible potential with our cancer program. I look forward to working with our multidisciplinary teams to let the community know our strengths and aspirations.

"It is a great privilege to be involved in such important work and to be surrounded by such talented people."

A 1987 graduate of the UC College of Medicine, Barrett completed a general surgery internship and residency training at University Hospital, now UC Medical Center, from 1988 to 1991. He completed a fellowship in brachytherapy at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, in 1992 and then returned to UC as an assistant professor in the department of radiology.

Over the years, Barrett has held a number of faculty appointments within radiology, as well as the department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.

In 2009, under Barrett's leadership, the radiation oncology division of radiology was formed into a department.  In addition to his current role as radiation oncology chair, he is a professor, teaching a number of clinical rotations and serving as a student advisor. He also delivers numerous talks to the UC and external communities about risks and advancements in cancer care.

Nationally, Barrett is an American Cancer Society Liaison and is on the American Board of Radiation Oncology Board Examination Committee for Head and Neck Cancer. He has received numerous awards for his expertise, including being named to "The Best Doctors in America" list from 2011 to 2013, as well as a Community Leadership Award from the American Cancer Society and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from UC.

He is a member of the American Association for Cancer Education, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the Cincinnati Academy of Medicine, among other professional organizations, and is also a peer reviewer for the American Journal of Clinical Oncology, the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, and Cancer. 

"Dr. Barrett has been part of the UC community for over 30 years, first as a medical student and then as a faculty member and a leader," says Thomas Boat, MD, Christian R. Holmes Professor and dean of the College of Medicine and vice president for health affairs. "He has seen the institution, as well as the cancer landscape locally and nationally, strengthen and change, and will help to further the institute's mission of eradicating cancer through excellence in education, research and patient care.

"His long history with the university, his strong ties to the community and its leadership, and his strength as a leader and clinician make him an excellent choice to lead the UC Cancer Institute in its quest for recognition as the preferred regional destination for innovative and responsive care of patients diagnosed with cancer."