Atlanta, Ga. (December 5, 2023) – Walter J. Curran Jr., M.D., an internationally-renowned oncology leader and former executive director of Georgia’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, has been named Chief of Piedmont Oncology Institute (Piedmont Oncology), effective Jan. 9.
In his role, Dr. Curran will lead Piedmont’s oncology physicians in the Physician Enterprise and head Piedmont Oncology, which encompasses the oncology service line. He will join Piedmont’s medical staff and will lead clinical trials across Piedmont’s statewide system.
Dr. Curran has authored or co-authored more than 800 abstracts and scholarly papers, as well as numerous presentations, reviews and book chapters. He has been chairman or co-chairman of more than 40 clinical trials and a reviewer for 12 national/international journals. The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research listed Dr. Curran among the top 20 principal investigators in terms of overall National Institutes of Health funding in 2012 and 2013. He is considered an international expert in the management of patients with locally advanced lung cancer or malignant brain tumors.
“The addition of Dr. Curran to the Piedmont family will raise our stature in oncology worldwide and among our patients from Georgia and beyond,” said Charles L. Brown, III, M.D., CEO, Piedmont Physician Enterprise. “Through his vast expertise and experience in cancer care and research, Wally is one of the best in the field. Period.”
Said Dr. Curran, “I am thrilled to join Piedmont and support the citizens of Georgia and beyond with the highest level of cancer care and to continue building on the great team that is here. We will provide that care in full alignment with discovery and innovation.”
Dr. Curran joins Piedmont from GenesisCare, where he served as its global chief medical officer since January 2021. GenesisCare is the largest provider of radiation oncology care in the world, with 440 centers in the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, and Australia.
Previously, Dr. Curran was executive director of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University for 11 years. He also has served as chairman and principal investigator of NRG Oncology and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, which receive funding from the National Cancer Institute and advance patient care through national clinical trials. Dr. Curran has received lifetime achievement Gold Medals from four national societies.
Dr. Curran is professor emeritus and former chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. He is a Fellow in the American College of Radiology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College.