Rory Goodwin, MD, PhD, has been named Director of Metastatic Spine Tumor for the Department, and Chief of the Spinal Tumor Section at the VA Hospital.
Dr. Goodwin received his MD and PhD and completed his neurosurgical residency at Johns Hopkins. He completed a Complex Spine and Spinal Oncology fellowship at Hopkins, in addition to fellowships at Harvard and the FDA. He is currently an assistant professor of Neurosurgery, and holds secondary appointments in Radiation Oncology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Medicine, Pharmacology and Cancer Biology. His practice is devoted to caring for patients with spinal tumors, as well as spinal-based pathologies ranging from degenerative disease, trauma, and deformity.
“My goal is to improve both the quality and quantity of life of veterans who receive their care at the Durham VA. I have a clinical interest in spinal oncology and am dedicated on improving outcomes for patients diagnosed with metastatic and primary tumors. I plan to participate in and lead clinical trials focused on spinal oncology patients to advance the field and provide the best care for our veterans.”
Goodwin’s lab is investigating the mechanisms by which cancer cells move to or develop from the spinal column, genetic predictors of survival, tumor-associated pain, and clinical outcomes associated with spinal tumors. The aim is to translate potential gene and protein discoveries into therapeutic and diagnostic benefit to improve quality and quantity of life of patients diagnosed with spinal cancers.