Jessica Donington

Jessica Donington is a Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Section of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Chicago. She is a prominent figure in thoracic oncology with leadership roles including surgical chair for the thoracic malignancy group of NRG Oncology Group, council member for the Western Thoracic Surgical Association, and immediate past-president of both the New York Society for Thoracic Surgery and Women in Thoracic Surgery.

Dr. Donington earned her BS in Biology from the University of Michigan (1987), MD from Rush University (1992), completed General Surgery training at Georgetown University (1999), Cardiothoracic Surgery at Mayo Clinic (2002), and a Surgical Oncology fellowship at NIH/NCI (1996). She also holds an MS in Clinical Research from NYU (2010).

Her research focuses on non-small cell lung cancer with particular expertise in multimodality therapy for locally advanced disease, treatment options for high-risk patients with early stage lung cancer, and lung cancer in women. Her work bridges clinical practice with research innovation, addressing critical gaps in thoracic oncology care. She has been instrumental in developing clinical guidelines and advancing surgical approaches for lung cancer management.

Analysis of her recent publications (2024-2025) reveals three major research trajectories: 1) Development of clinical practice guidelines for lung cancer management across multiple professional societies; 2) Investigation of healthcare disparities and equity in surgical care; and 3) Advancement of diagnostic and treatment approaches for complex thoracic malignancies. Her work consistently emphasizes evidence-based practice and patient-centered care.

Dr. Donington has been actively involved in mentoring and advancing women in thoracic surgery, serving as past president of Women in Thoracic Surgery. Her leadership extends to numerous national committees focused on improving thoracic surgical care, cancer treatment protocols, and professional standards in academic medicine.

She maintains an active research laboratory and clinical program focused on improving outcomes for lung cancer patients, with particular attention to high-risk populations and innovative treatment approaches. Her work integrates surgical expertise with multidisciplinary cancer care to optimize patient outcomes.