Dr. Timothy R. Donahue is a nationally recognized surgical oncologist, pancreatic surgeon, surgeon-scientist, and academic leader with expertise in pancreatic and other gastrointestinal cancers and complex pancreatic surgery. As Chair of the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and Surgeon-in-Chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, he leads a multidisciplinary department dedicated to providing exceptional surgical care while advancing scientific discovery and surgical education.

Dr. Donahue specializes in the surgical treatment of pancreatic and other gastrointestinal cancers, with particular expertise in pancreatic cancer and complex pancreatic surgery. His approach emphasizes multidisciplinary care, bringing together surgeons, medical oncologists, gastroenterologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, and other specialists to develop an individualized treatment plan for each patient. His clinical practice is closely integrated with research and clinical trials, providing patients access to promising new therapies and treatment approaches.

As a surgeon-scientist, Dr. Donahue’s research focuses on understanding the interaction between pancreatic cancer and the immune system and developing new strategies to overcome treatment resistance. His laboratory and translational research programs seek to move discoveries from the laboratory into clinical trials and, ultimately, improve outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Before joining Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Donahue spent his academic career at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he held several leadership positions, including Executive Vice Chair of Surgery, Chief of Surgical Oncology, and Medical Director of Cancer Services for UCLA Health. He developed a high-volume clinical practice focused on pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers while leading multidisciplinary clinical and research programs.

Dr. Donahue has authored more than 150 scientific publications and served as principal investigator on more than 20 research grants, with sustained funding from the National Institutes of Health. He has held national leadership roles as President of the Society of University Surgeons and Chair of the Surgical Research Committee of the American College of Surgeons.

A committed educator and mentor, Dr. Donahue has trained and mentored medical students, residents, fellows, and surgeon-scientists. His commitment to education has been recognized with UCLA’s Golden Scalpel Award for Most Outstanding Teaching and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He also served as Program Director of the UCLA General Surgery Residency.

At Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Donahue is advancing a vision of surgery in which exceptional patient care, innovative research, and education reinforce one another. His priorities include strengthening multidisciplinary surgical programs, accelerating translational and clinical research, advancing surgical innovation, and emerging technologies, and creating an environment in which new discoveries can be rapidly translated into better care for patients.

Dr. Donahue earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and his medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at UCLA Medical Center and subsequently joined the UCLA faculty.