Ripley Named New Director of Mesothelioma Center at Baylor

Thoracic surgeon Dr. R. Taylor Ripley comes to the Mesothelioma Treatment Center at Baylor College of Medicine with the highest possible endorsement. Dr. David Sugarbaker, the world’s most prominent mesothelioma specialist and former director of the prestigious Baylor Lung Institute, recruited Ripley. It was like being anointed by the king. Ripley spent the previous four years at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Maryland, where he built a sterling reputation for surgical, clinical and investigational research excellence. “Dr. Sugarbaker wanted someone to help grow his program. He recruited me to do that. It is one of the greatest honors I’ve ever had,” Ripley told Asbestos.com. “Mesothelioma will be my No. 1 focus.” Ripley, 41, becomes the director of a program that has grown into one of America’s leading mesothelioma specialty centers under Sugarbaker. The famed surgeon had been a pioneer in mesothelioma treatment advancements for almost three decades. Sugarbaker died Aug. 29. He was 65. Learning from Other Specialists Expectations for Ripley are especially high — like joining the Super Bowl champions as a No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. “It comes with extreme responsibility to maintain the highest quality for all the patients and the entire field [of mesothelioma],” he said. “Expectations should be high.” Ripley earned his degree from the Vanderbilt University Medical School. He trained in thoracic surgery at New York’s Memorial Sloan ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news