Beasley Named Co-Director, Melanoma Disease Group

Surgical oncologist and melanoma specialist Georgia Beasley, MD, MHSc, has been named co-director of Duke Cancer Institute’s Melanoma Disease Group.

Beasley joins medical oncologist April Salama, MD, who was named director in 2018.

“The appointment of Dr. Beasley in this leadership role reflects the strong history of surgical leadership within the Melanoma program, and the continued importance of multidisciplinary research and patient care,” said Salama. "I have known Dr. Beasley for nearly 10 years, and am looking forward to working with her more closely in this role. Her commitment to the entire melanoma team is evident in the work she does every day."

The principal investigator on two active melanoma trials, Beasley is actively engaged in basic and translational research, including exploring vascular isolation of the liver for therapy delivery, intra-tumoral therapy with novel oncolytic viruses, and neoadjuvant therapy.

Her current research is supported by a DCI pilot grant (the Duke Office of Physician Scientist Development Technician Award) and a Society of Surgical Oncology Young Investigator Award.

Beasley received a BA degree from Duke in 2001. As an undergraduate, she was an all-American student-athlete for the women’s basketball team, and, in 2013, was inducted into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame. Following graduation, she was drafted to play in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played for the Minnesota Lynx basketball team for three years, and returned to Duke to pursue a medical degree.

Beasley earned an MD from Duke in 2008 and an MHSc from Duke in 2012. After completing a general surgery residency at Duke in 2015, she did a two-year complex surgical oncology fellowship at The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. In August 2017, Dr. Beasley joined Duke as an assistant professor of surgery and surgical oncologist.

“Dr. Beasley has been on faculty for just over two years and has already developed a busy clinical practice and a very strong clinical and translational research program,” said Peter Allen, MD,  chief, Division of Surgical Oncology. “I expect her to be a national leader in the field of melanoma in the very near future.  Her appointment to this role, as well as the current synergy within our melanoma group, should help to make the Duke melanoma program one of the best in the country.”
 

The Melanoma Disease Group is comprised of a multi-disciplinary team of surgical, radiation and medical oncologists, as well as dermatologists, experienced in specialized treatment for melanoma as well as advanced cutaneous squamous cell, basal cell, and merkel cell carcinomas. Providers in the group strive to improve patient outcomes through collaborative projects that span the spectrum of basic, translational, and clinical research. 

Every patient’s treatment plan is personalized. Patients have access to the latest therapies and treatments, including via a number of landmark clinical trials. Find more information on the Melanoma Disease Group on the Duke Cancer Institute web site.