Ari VanderWalde MD, MPH, FACP

Ari VanderWalde, MD, MPH, MBioeth, is the Vice President of Clinical Development for the Precision Oncology Alliance, powered by Caris Life Sciences, and is Professor in the University of Memphis School of Public Health. An internationally recognized cancer researcher, Dr. VanderWalde was most recently the Director of Research at West Cancer Center and Research Institute in Memphis, TN. He held a dual appointment with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center as Associate Vice Chancellor of Clinical Research and Associate Professor in Hematology/Oncology. His primary research is in melanoma and immunotherapy, more specifically on combinations of immunotherapy, mechanisms of resistance, and prediction of toxicities.

Dr. VanderWalde received his medical degree in 2005 from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine after graduating cum laude from Harvard University. He obtained a Masters degree in Biomedical Ethics from the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics and a Masters in Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health. He completed internal medicine training (internship and residency) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a joint fellowship in hematology/oncology at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He is board-certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.

Dr. VanderWalde is an active member of a number of professional groups and external advisory boards. He is West Cancer Center’s Institutional Primary Investigator for SWOG, is a member of the SWOG Board of Governors, and is an awardee of the SWOG Leadership Academy. He has served as a member of the NCCN Cancer- and Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia panel.

Dr. VanderWalde has conducted multiple studies in immunotherapy, melanoma, and lung cancer, including serving as site-PI for front-line immunotherapy and chemotherapy trials. He has authored over 100 scientific publications and presentations. He is a recipient of grants from the American Association of Cancer Research, Stand Up to Cancer, Amgen, and the Hope Foundation, among others.