Dr. Robert Ramirez

Get to Know Dr. Robert A. Ramirez 

Nationally known thoracic oncologist Dr. Robert Ramirez joined the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in 2021 as an associate professor of medicine, specializing in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors.

Ramirez served previously as associate director for cancer research at the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, helping develop one of the top clinical trial programs in the Southeast. He was part of numerous trials involving mesothelioma cancer.

He completed his fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. His research on neuroendocrine tumors has been published and well received in several medical journals. He often lectures at various conferences on the topic.

“About a quarter of the neuroendocrine tumors start out in the lungs, and I decided to make that my primary focus,” Ramirez said upon his arrival at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. “With my background in thoracic cancers, I decided to meet this unmet patient need.”

His clinical work has become part of the multidisciplinary approach to treatment that has made Vanderbilt-Ingram a national leader. Ramirez works closely with other specialists, such as surgeons, pulmonologists and pathologists, in designing a personalized treatment regimen for each patient.

Specialties of Dr. Robert A. Ramirez

• Pleural mesothelioma
• Lung cancer
• Research

Dr. Robert A. Ramirez’s Experience and Education

• Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
• Ochsner Medical Center
• University of Tennessee Health Science Center (Fellowship)
• Cooper University Hospital (Residency)
• Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (D.O.)

Awards and Certifications

• Ochsner Research Mentor of the Year for Fellows and Residents Award (2017)
• North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (Scientific review and research)  
• Academic Achievement in Biology (1997)
• Board certified in medical oncology

Publications of Dr. Robert A. Ramirez

• Landry, J.P. et al. (2020, November 12). Management of Appendiceal Neuroendocrine Tumors: Beyond Tumor Size. Journal of Cancer Immunology.
• Landry, J.P. et al. (2020, July 20). Management of Appendiceal Neuroendocrine Tumors: Metastatic Potential of Small Tumors. Gastrointestinal Oncology.
• Bockorny, B. et al. (2020, May 25). BL-8040, a CXCR4 antagonist, in combination with pembrolizumab and chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer: the COMBAT trial. Nature Medicine.