The Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratory, directed by Dr. Sunil Singhal, is dedicated to the mission of curing patients with diseases of the chest, with a strong interest in lung cancer. According to a report by the CDC in 2006, lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in the United States, responsible for more deaths than prostate, cervical, and breast cancers combined. Overall, it is the number two killer worldwide just behind heart disease. Our focus is to improve more than just outcomes, but the quality of life in patients with lung, esophageal and mesothelial cancers. We strive to combine the latest in technological surgical innovations with an expanding foundational understanding of oncogenesis and immunology.

Since our inception in 2007 we have developed a new approach to preventing recurrent disease after surgery, generated a patent for a new bronchoscope, and are about to begin enrolling patients for a clinical trial assessing a novel method of imaging cancers utilizing nanotechnology. The Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratory is a local lab with a global perspective. The members of our diverse and growing collaborative research team draw upon funding from the NIH, federal, private and institutional grants.