Dr. Brian Boone named division chief for surgical oncology

Associate Professor and Surgical Oncologist Brian Boone, MD, has been named the division chief for the West Virginia University School of Medicine Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology.

The position was previously held by Professor Carl Schmidt, MD, FACS, who was named chair of the Department of Surgery in July.

Dr. Boone brings more than eight years of experience as a surgical oncologist at the WVU Cancer Institute, where he has played a critical role in the advancement of surgical outcomes for cancer patients across West Virginia and the surrounding region.

“I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to lead an outstanding team that will continue to provide world-class cancer care for West Virginians and is poised to enhance future cancer treatments through research, innovation, and education,” he said.

Boone joined the Division of Surgical Oncology faculty as an assistant professor in 2018. He completed the Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2018, where he also completed the General Surgery Residency Program in 2016.

He earned his medical degree from the University of South Florida in 2009. Prior to beginning his residency, Boone completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center in 2014. In 2026. Boone was named a Benedum Distinguished Scholar in biosciences and health sciences.

Boone is board-certified in general surgery and surgical oncology and is a member of several national organizations, including the Society of Surgical Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research and the American College of Surgeons. In addition to providing world-class clinical care, Boone also leads a bench-to-bedside translational research laboratory focusing on enhancing the immune response to pancreatic cancer. 

To learn more about surgical oncology at the West Virginia University School of Medicine, visit medicine.hsc.wvu.edu/surgery/faculty-and-staff/surgical-oncology