Dr. Michele M. Gage

Richard Burkhart, M.D., is an Associate Professor of Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital with a focus on complex minimally-invasive surgery and research for cancers of the pancreas, liver and bile ducts. Dr. Burkhart received his medical degree from Boston University and completed his surgical residency and research fellowships at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Association of Cancer Research, the American College of Surgeons, the Society of Surgery for the Alimentary Tract, the Pancreas Club, and the Society of Surgical Oncology. Outside the operating room, Dr. Burkhart heads a multidisciplinary laboratory team dedicated to bringing next-generation precision medicine approaches into the routine clinical care of patients that we serve. He has a particular research interest in using personalized models of pancreas cancer, made from tumor during and immediately after surgical resection, to select the best chemotherapy for each patient to support long-term survival and improve rates of disease cure. The laboratory team, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up to Cancer, is also thankful to the many patients who have supported the work through philanthropic gift. Dr. Burkhart is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Pancreatectomy. His top areas of expertise are Pancreatic Cancer, Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Familial Pancreatic Cancer, Pancreatectomy, and Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Jin He, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is the Division Chief of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Gastrointestinal Surgical Oncology. Dr. He specializes in diseases and tumors of the pancreas, liver, bile duct, and gallbladder. He performs open as well as minimally invasive (robotic and laparoscopic) surgery, including the Whipple procedure. Dr. He received his medical degree from Beijing Medical University and a Ph.D. in oncology from Fudan University Shanghai Medical College. He completed the Halsted general surgery residency training at Johns Hopkins, followed by an ACGME accredited fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at Johns Hopkins. Dr. He is the John Cameron Professor of Alimentary Tract Diseases. Dr. He’s research focuses on personalized treatment through stratifying pancreatic tumors on their genetic features. He holds several patents in anti-cancer vascular targeting agents and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and lectured internationally. He serves on several national committees, including the NCCN panel on neuroendocrine tumors and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. Dr. He is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Pancreatectomy. His top areas of expertise are Pancreatic Cancer, Neuroendocrine Tumor, Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Pancreaticoduodenectomy, and Pancreatectomy.

Kelly Lafaro, MD, MPH, is a general surgeon with a specialty in gastrointestinal surgical oncology and hepatobiliary surgery. She is part of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Dr. Lafaro earned her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine and completed her residency at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Her fellowship in complex general surgical oncology was completed at City of Hope National Medical Center. Dr. Lafaro’s expertise includes pancreatic adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors, minimally invasive pancreatic and liver surgeries, and colorectal liver metastases. In addition to her clinical experience, Dr. Lafaro is published in the field of liver and pancreatic cancer. She is interested in the improvement of surgical and post-surgical outcomes. Dr. Lafaro is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Pancreatectomy. Her top areas of expertise are Pancreatic Cancer, Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Neuroendocrine Tumor, Pancreatectomy, and Pancreaticoduodenectomy.