Leadership Team | Tampa General Hospital

Leadership Team

Abraham Schwarzberg, MD
EVP, Chief of Oncology & President of the Tampa General Provider Network (TGPN)
VP, Clinical & Translational Research, TGH-USF Health Joint Office of Clinical Research

Abraham Schwarzberg, MD, formerly a clinical instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and staff physician at Massachusetts General Hospital’s department of medical oncology, has an ongoing commitment to academic medicine and clinical research. Dr. Schwarzberg received his medical oncology and hematology training at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and his internal medicine training at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, both in Boston.

Dr. Schwarzberg serves as the Executive Vice President, Chief of Oncology & President of the Tampa General Provider Network (TGPN) and Vice President of Clinical and Translational Research. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Eduardo Sotomayor, MD
VP, Executive Director of the TGH Cancer Institute

Dr. Sotomayor is the executive director of the newly established Cancer Institute at Tampa General Hospital. He is a pioneer in the field of cancer immunology and immunotherapy and an internationally renowned expert in lymphoma research and treatment. Prior to joining Tampa General, he was the director of the George Washington University Cancer Center with responsibility and authority over all aspects of cancer care and research at GW and affiliated health systems. He was also a professor of medicine in the division of hematology/oncology at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

 

Richard Tuli, MD
Deputy Director, TGH Cancer Institute 
Medical Director, Radiation Oncology, Tampa General Hospital

Richard Tuli, MD, PhD, is the director of radiation oncology at Tampa General Hospital as well as a professor and director of radiation oncology at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Prior to joining TGH, he served as associate attending and director of developmental therapeutics at the NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and associate professor and clinical director of radiation oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. As a leader in advancing the field of radiation oncology, Dr. Tuli focuses on providing a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary and personalized experience for patients through a combination of cutting-edge technology, novel treatments and developing a connection between the patient and provider.

Thomas J. Rutherford, MD
Medical Director, TGH Cancer Institute, Tampa General Hospital

Dr. Thomas J. Rutherford is the medical director of the Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute and director of the Division of Gynecology and Oncology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. He approaches patient care as an advocate for total cancer care, recognizing that patient care encompasses a continuum from prevention and high-risk genetic screening to individualized treatment, survivorship and end-of-life care. A nationally recognized surgeon, Dr. Rutherford came to Tampa from Western Connecticut Health Network, where he was the network physician director of cancer services. Before that, he was a professor, division director of gynecologic oncology and director of the gynecologic oncology fellowship at the Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Rutherford has authored more than 100 scientific journal articles on the prevention, early detection and treatment of gynecological cancers.

Jorge E. Marcet, MD
Medical Director, Colorectal Surgery Services, Tampa General Hospital

Jorge Marcet, MD, operates as the Medical Director of Colorectal Surgery Services for Tampa General Hospital. Dr. Marcet is a member of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons. He obtained his medical degree from Cornell University and specializes in general surgery and colon & rectal surgery. Dr. Marcet is often recognized for trusting relationships with his patients and the community by providing quality care and educating others.

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Timothy Yeatman, MD, PhD
Associate Director, Translational Research, Tampa General Hospital

Timothy Yeatman, MD, PhD is the Associate Director of Translational Research at the TGH Cancer Institute. He is currently working on active research programs on colorectal cancer funded by four NCI grants and has authored more than 200 research articles in top-tier scientific journals.

Yeatman is certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a member of the American Surgical Association, the Society of University Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Association for Cancer Research, the Society of Surgical Oncology and the Association for Academic Surgery.

Yeatman earned his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta and holds a bachelor’s in Zoology and Psychology from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. He completed his post-graduate education at the University of Florida, Gainesville and Jacksonville, Florida, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.

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Jack Pledger, PhD
Associate Director, Basic Sciences, Tampa General Hospital

Warren Jackson "Jack" Pledger is the Associate Director of Basic Sciences at the TGH Cancer Institute. Pledger’s research focuses on the mechanisms governing cell cycle progression. He was the first to show that the cell cycle is regulated by a series of sequential events and to hypothesize that dysfunction of these events could trigger transformation or cancer. His pioneer studies demonstrated the role of growth factor-regulated cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity in the control of cellular proliferation, and used mouse models to explore the role of CDK activity in tumor formation. His recent projects address the impact of signal transduction pathway inhibition on tumor cell survival, and the hallmarks of cancer during the evolution of tumor progression seeking to find new therapeutic approaches.

Having received peer-reviewed research funding for more than 30 years, Pledger has held numerous National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NCI grants. He has been associate editor for numerous publications, including Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, American Journal of Physiology, Cancer Research, and Journal of Cellular Biochemistry. His professional memberships and appointments include the NIH Study Section – Cellular Biology and Physiology II, American Cancer Society – Institutional Research Grants Advisory Committee as well as many NIH and NCI review panels. The more than 150 articles Pledger has authored or co-authored have been published in top-tier scientific journals such as Nature, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Molecular Cell Biology among others.

Pledger earned his PhD at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, and master’s of science and bachelor’s of science from the University of Houston.