Bassel F. El-Rayes, MD

Tenured Professor and Albert F. LoBuglio Endowed Chair for Translational Cancer Research

            Division Director, Hematology Oncology

             Deputy Director, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Dr. El-Rayes completed his medical school at the American University of Beirut (AUB). He subsequently joined the internal medicine residency program at Wayne State University. He completed fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute of Wayne State University. After completing his fellowship, Dr. El-Rayes joined the faculty at Wayne State University. During his tenure at Karmanos, Dr. El-Rayes chaired the Data and Safety Monitoring Committee, participated in the Clinical Trial Oversight Committee, and was the Medical Director of the Outpatient Clinic.  He then joined Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in 2009. He served as Vice Chair for Clinical Research of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Director of the Winship Gastrointestinal Oncology Program, and Associate Director of Clinical Cancer Research. In 2022, Dr. El-Rayes joined UAB as Division Director of Hematology Oncology and Deputy Director of O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. El-Rayes is an NIH-funded physician scientist whose research is focused on translation and early drug development in GI cancer with special emphasis on pancreatic and neuroendocrine cancer. His lab research is particularly focused on targeting the interactions between pancreatic cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment with the overarching aim of reinvigorating the immune system. Dr. El-Rayes has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Journal of Clinical Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, and JAMA Oncology. In the clinical research, Dr. El-Rayes has served as principal investigator on several investigator-initiated trials and multi-institutional trials. He has served on several national committees including the NCI Neuroendocrine Tumor Task Force and National Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for the Development of Guidelines for the Management of Central Venous Catheters in Patients with Cancer.