About Me
Dr. Jeffrey N. Weitzel is Professor and founding Director, Division of Precision Prevention at the Kansas University Comprehensive Cancer Center, and an honorary Professor of Oncology for the Latin American School of Oncology. Board Certified in Medical Oncology and Clinical Genetics, he has been pioneering the implementation of genetics and genomics in clinical care, addressing disparities in access locally and globally, and harnessing technical advances to conduct innovative translational research spanning the bench, the bedside, rare diseases, and diverse populations. A Breast Cancer Research Foundation Scholar, he was awarded the Conquer Cancer Research Professorship in Breast Cancer Disparities at ASCO 2020. Dr. Weitzel’s research experience bridges the era from positional cloning to the realization of whole genome sequencing. He built world class programs in clinical cancer genomics and related education and research over two decades at City of Hope, and also founded the Clinical Cancer Genomics Community Research Network. He created postgraduate genetics courses and pioneered ways to teach and evaluate multidisciplinary approaches to cancer risk counseling and promote successful career development training for clinician scientists. His collective and interconnected contributions to human genetics education merited the 2019 American Society of Human Genetics Award for Human Genetics Education. One overarching theme for his work is precision prevention and implementation science addressing disparities in access to this lifesaving science, and translation of genomic risk stratification into development and promotion of interventional cancer screening and prevention trials. He co-leads the Heartland Li Fraumeni Syndrome Program, an interdisciplinary collaborative team supporting patients and families with screening, prevention and cancer treatment from childhood at Childrens Mercy Hospital Kansas City to adulthood at Kansas University Medical Center,