Christopher Wolfgang, MD, PhD, a renowned pancreatic surgeon and surgical oncologist, has been named director of the new Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery in the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone Health. Dr. Wolfgang joins NYU Grossman School of Medicine as professor of surgery from The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he most recently served as the John L. Cameron Professor of Surgery and chief of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery.

The Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery will offer world-class care for patients with cancers and diseases of the bile duct, gallbladder, liver, and pancreas. Within the new division, liver and pancreatic surgeons will work closely with gastroenterologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiologists to determine the best course of treatment for each patient. The division will also function in close collaboration with the Pancreatic Cancer Center, led by Diane M. Simeone, MD, at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Wolfgang join our faculty and lead the new Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery,” says Robert Montgomery, MD, PhD, the H. Leon Pachter, MD, Professor of Surgery and chair of the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone. “His experience in treating the most complex surgical cases and research portfolio makes him the ideal candidate to take our team to the next level.”

Dr. Wolfgang is among one of the most experienced pancreatic cancer surgeons in the world. He has performed more than 1,200 Whipple procedures, a complex surgery to remove part of the pancreas, small intestine, gallbladder, and bile duct. He has expertise in removing “unresectable” pancreatic cancers as well as having extensive experience in all aspects of pancreatic surgery including the robotic approach. A prolific researcher, Dr. Wolfgang has several active National Institutes of Health and foundation grants that support a translational research program concentrated on the understanding of how pancreatic cancer spreads throughout the body. This is the number one reason for treatment failures, stage IV disease, and the high lethality of this disease.

About Dr. Wolfgang

An alum of Temple University School of Medicine, Dr. Wolfgang completed his general surgery residency at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He went on to pursue a research fellowship in surgical oncology at Penn State and a clinical fellowship in gastrointestinal surgery at Johns Hopkins. He also obtained a PhD in biochemistry from Temple University.

Dr. Wolfgang has authored or co-authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and given 50 invited or named lectures. He has contributed to numerous book chapters and served as a mentor to more than 30 postdoctoral research fellows and 5 PhD candidates. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

“I am honored to join the team of well-known physicians and researchers here at NYU Langone currently working to eradicate pancreatic cancer,” Dr. Wolfgang says. “Together we will provide world class, multidisciplinary care for all patients and work toward becoming the number one pancreatic cancer center in the world.”

Media Inquiries

Rob Magyar
Phone: 212-404-3591
robert.magyar@nyulangone.org