Varian Medical Systems announced the appointment of Dr. Deepak "Dee" Khuntia, to vice president of medical affairs. DOTmed News spoke to him about joining the company, his background and what excites him about the industry.



DMN: What is your background?

DK: I was born outside of Chicago and stayed in the state of Illinois most of my childhood. I received a BS degree in Chemistry at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana and continued on to the University of Illinois College of Medicine. After Medical School, I went on to complete my residency at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and began working at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisc., one of the pre-eminent radiotherapy programs in the U.S. During my tenure at Wisconsin, I was an Associate Professor of Human Oncology. In November of 2010, I ended up joining a large private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area where I was responsible for program building and upgrading the technology of a community cancer program. Simultaneously, I also served as President of a small radiation physics company. In an effort to pursue a more global impact on health care, I left the practice and have joined Varian this month.

DMN: How long have you been working in the industry?

DK: I have been working in radiation oncology since 1999.

DMN: What are the specific areas in your field that you are focused on?

DK: During my tenure at the University of Wisconsin, I played clinical leadership roles in lung cancer, brain tumors, head and neck cancer, and also prostate brachytherapy. I continue to have a clinical interest and subspecialty expertise in these areas. I also have been very involved in medical education where I previously was a course director for the oncology curriculum for medical students at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and I also served as the Radiation Oncology Residency Program Director there. Education has always been a part of my practice and I have spent quite a bit of time attempting to bridge the knowledge in radiation oncology, both domestically and also in emerging markets outside of the U.S. Further, I have spent a good portion of my career in developing, administering, and participating in clinical trials which I continue to do. In addition to this, I am also very interested in healthcare policy and applications of advanced radiation technology for the treatment of cancer and benign diseases.

DMN: What are your goals as vice president of medical affairs at Varian?

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