As a head and neck cancer surgeon and researcher, my day-to-day goal is to offer the best quality cancer care to every patient I see. 

However, I recognize that the way we treat cancers is not always ideal. We can do better. That’s why my long-term goal is to change how we treat cancer over time.

Here’s how my career at MD Anderson is allowing me to make headway on both goals.

As a physician-scientist, I have a series of roles at MD Anderson. I’m the division head of Cancer Medicine where I oversee 16 medical oncology departments. I’m also a professor and chair of one of those departments, Lymphoma and Myeloma, where I care for patients with lymphoma and oversee research.

However, like many employees at MD Anderson, my connection to our mission goes beyond my professional roles. MD Anderson is also the...