Akhil Chawla

Akhil Chawla, MD is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery (Surgical Oncology) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Vice Chair of Regional Integration for the Department of Surgery. He leads the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and directs key initiatives such as the Northwestern Medicine Pancreatic Cyst and High-Risk Clinic. His roles include Director of Surgical Oncology for the South Region and Director of Oncology Research in the West Region.

Education & Training: BS and MD from the University of Cincinnati (2006–2010). Surgical training includes residencies at Case Western Reserve University (2017), and fellowships at MD Anderson Cancer Center (2014), as well as Harvard-affiliated institutions (Brigham and Women’s, Massachusetts General, Dana-Farber; 2019).

Research Interests: Focuses on clinical trials, biomarker development, and response assessment of systemic therapies in solid tumors, particularly pancreatic cancer. Leads the Alliance A021806 trial, the largest pancreatic cancer trial in North America, and chairs the NCI GI Steering Committee’s Pancreas Task Force.

Clinical Trials: Active trial Alliance A021806 evaluates perioperative chemotherapy for resectable pancreatic cancer. Enrollment criteria include adults with resectable pancreatic cancer. Locations: Chicago, IL.

• Recipient of NCI’s R50 Award for clinical trial infrastructure expansion.
• Directs the Northwestern Medicine Surgical Oncology Tumor Bank and Translational Research Laboratory.

Awards & Leadership: Multiple mentorship awards (2022–2024), invited roles on national committees (e.g., NCI Liquid Biopsy Task Force), and editorial roles at Annals of Surgical Oncology and Frontiers in Oncology.