SUMMARY
Susanne G. Warner, M.D., is a physician-scientist who wants to improve patient quality of life through the research she conducts on cancer, surgery and doctor-patient communication skills.
As a liver and pancreas surgeon, Dr. Warner is especially interested in studying minimally invasive surgery for complex conditions. She also investigates the use of oncolytic viroimmunotherapy, also known as oncolytic virus therapy, to treat aggressive hepatopancreatobiliary cancers that often lack other options.
Focus areas
- Cholangiocarcinoma targeting. Dr. Warner's work targets cancer-associated fibroblasts within the immune-privileged tumor microenvironment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
- Viroimmunotherapy. Dr. Warner believes that oncolytic viroimmunotherapy has the potential to dramatically improve solid tumor treatment paradigms. She studies which combination of viruses works best for individual patients.
- Minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Warner is passionate about the safe use of minimally invasive surgery for both patients and surgeons. Her research includes reporting minimally invasive surgery outcomes for hepatopancreatobiliary cancers and understanding ergonomic implications of surgical techniques across various body types.
- Surgeon-patient communication. Dr. Warner believes that patients can never fully realize what they will experience in surgery, no matter how much doctors try to explain. She has a keen interest in conducting research to help surgeons understand and improve the impact of their communication approaches on patients and families.
- Surgical training and practice. Dr. Warner has seen how biased behavior from both healthcare professionals and patients can affect the advancement of women surgeons. Through her research, she seeks to quantify these effects and help overcome these challenges so that everyone is treated fairly in workplace environments.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Warner's research helps patients by finding better ways to treat difficult cancers of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts. She studies virus therapy to attack cancer cells and less invasive procedures for faster recovery time. She also wants to make sure that there's better communication between doctors and patients, taking into account the patient's goals and quality of life.
Professional highlights
- Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association:
- Elected member-at-large, 2022-2024.
- Leadership academy, 2021-2023.
- Chair, research committee, 2020-2022.
- Junior member, editorial board, HPB Journal, 2022-2024.
- Younger Fellows Liaison, Association of Academic Surgery, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, 2023.
- Mayo Clinic:
- Developmental Research Program grant, Hepatobiliary SPORE, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2022.
- Pilot and Feasibility Program grant, Center for Cell Signaling in Gastroenterology, 2022.
- Teacher of the year, Surgical Oncology Fellowship, City of Hope, 2021.
- Chair, Committee for Academic Advancement, Association for Academic Surgery, 2020-2021.