John A. Olson, Jr MD, PhD

John A. Olson, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed the new Head of the Division of General and Oncologic Surgery within the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Department of Surgery.

Dr. Olson is a nationally respected surgeon-scientist who specializes in endocrine and oncologic surgery with an emphasis on cancer of the parathyroid glands, thyroid, and breast. His NIH-funded laboratory focuses on parathyroid disease, and he recently was awarded a NIH R01 grant to study molecular mechanisms of altered calcium sensing in human parathyroid disease. His clinical research interests include development of biomarkers for breast cancer and the study of aromatase inhibitor therapy to improve surgical outcomes for post-menopausal women with breast cancer.

“Dr. Olson has developed a highly ambitious vision for the growth of the clinical, scientific, and educational programs within general and oncologic surgery, specifically within endocrine surgery,” says Stephen T. Bartlett, M.D., Peter Angelos Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery. “With Dr. Olson’s leadership we expect to further expand our strong scientific programs and increase collaboration with other surgical specialties across the department.”