April 13, Dr. B. Mark Evers, Director, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky Healthcare

LEXINGTON, KY – The Rotary Club of Lexington held its weekly meeting Thursday, April 13, at the Mane on Main, Chase Bank building on Main St. The program’s guest speaker  was Dr. B. Mark Evers, Director, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky Healthcare.

This meeting was also be on Zoom. For the Zoom link please email, trafton@rotarylexky.org.

If you would like to have lunch, please contact Jenny@rotarylexky.org  to reserve your meal.

The Markey Cancer Center is led by B. Mark Evers, MD, who has responsibility and final authority for all clinical, scientific and administrative operations. Dr. Evers is supported by his senior leadership team, and administrative and clinical leadership teams, outlined below.

Dr. Evers is a nationally recognized clinician-scientist, gastroenterology (GI) and oncologic surgeon, educator, and administrator. Prior to his recruitment to UK, Dr. Evers was a faculty member at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, for more than 18 years. Throughout his career, Dr. Evers has received more than 30 awards and held numerous leadership positions in national and international organizations including the Society for Surgical Oncology, the American College of Surgeons, the American Gastroenterological Association and the Society of University Surgeons.

Dr. Evers’s research is focused on understanding the basic mechanisms of GI cancer proliferation and metastasis. His laboratory described the role of various intestinal hormones (most notably neurotensin) on the growth of GI cancers. His laboratory has developed a number of one-of-a-kind tumor models that have greatly facilitated studies regarding GI endocrine tumor growth and peptide secretion. Over the past decade, a major focus of his laboratory has been the role of the PI3K pathway in the growth and metastasis of GI cancers, particularly colorectal cancers. His laboratory has made seminal observations regarding the role of the PI3K/Akt and mTOR components in colorectal cancer growth and is currently developing a nanoparticle delivery system to more effectively treat liver metastases.