Montefiore in the News

Internationally Respected Cardiothoracic Surgeon Joins Distinguished Lung Disease Team

Bronx, NY (March 18, 2021) – Leading cardiothoracic surgeon and researcher, Brendon Stiles, M.D., has been appointed chief of the division of thoracic surgery & surgical oncology in the department of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Stiles will also join the Einstein faculty with a senior academic appointment. Additionally, Dr. Stiles is serving as the associate director of surgical services for the surgical oncology line at the National Cancer Institute-designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center.

Dr. Stiles has built a reputation for his “patient-first” approach, which includes his pioneering use of minimally invasive surgery for early tumors, such as sublobar resection for small lung cancers, which preserves vital lung tissue and speeds recovery. Dr. Stiles will also play a key role in addressing well-documented health disparities in lung cancer by increasing screening to vulnerable populations and conducting more molecular testing to identify and cure early stage disease.

“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in New York City, and disproportionately impacts our patient population,” said Robert Michler, M.D., surgeon-in-chief; chairman, surgery; chairman, cardiothoracic and vascular surgery; co-director, Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart and Vascular Care; and professor of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery and of surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “Dr. Stiles’ expertise in thoracic surgical oncology expands the clinical options we can provide our patients with lung disease. Through his clinical and translational research, Dr. Stiles has significantly contributed to the medical community’s understanding and management of lung cancer. We are honored to have him join our team.”

Dr. Stiles joins Montefiore from New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell, where he and his team discovered the role that a protein, ADP-ribosyltransferase 1 (ART1), plays in helping lung cancer cells evade the immune system. His current research, which is supported by a Department of Defense grant, is focused on translating this discovery into new therapies.

“I have long admired Montefiore and Einstein’s dedication to tackling entrenched health disparities in the Bronx,” said Dr. Stiles. “We’ve recently learned that women and Black patients are developing lung cancer sooner, regardless of a history of smoking. This development, coupled with too few cancer screenings, is causing delayed diagnoses, undertreatment and poorer outcomes. One of the ways we plan to address this disparity is to increase screening in our community so we can diagnose and treat our patients sooner.”

Throughout his career, Dr. Stiles has helped raise money for lung cancer research through his involvement with the Lung Cancer Research Foundation; an organization at which he has been chair of the Board of Directors since 2017 and serves as the vice-chair of the Scientific Advisory Board. He is also a member of the American College of Radiology Lung-RADS Steering Committee.

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About Montefiore Health System

Montefiore Health System is one of New York’s premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 10 hospitals, including the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and more than 200 outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org. Follow us on Twitter and view us on Facebook and YouTube.  

About Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Albert Einstein College of Medicine is one of the nation’s premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2020-21 academic year, Einstein is home to 721 M.D. students, 178 Ph.D. students, 109 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 265 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 1,900 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2020, Einstein received more than $197 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, cancer, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States through Montefiore and an affiliation network involving hospitals and medical centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn and on Long Island. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and view us on YouTube.