Kathleen K. Christians

Dr. Kathleen K. Christians is Professor of Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin, serving as Service Chief of Surgical Oncology GI Service and Co-director of the HPB Fellowship Program. She practices at Froedtert Hospital and Zablocki VA Medical Center, specializing in liver, pancreas, biliary, and gastrointestinal cancers with minimally invasive and robotic techniques.

Her training includes:

• MD, University of Iowa (1993)
• Surgery Residency, MCW (1993-1998)
• Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, MCW (1998-1999)
• HPB Fellowship, University of Hong Kong (2002-2003)

Research focuses on pancreatic cancer therapeutics, surgical outcomes, and AI applications. Key areas include neoadjuvant therapy optimization, molecular subtyping for precision medicine, and reducing administrative barriers in cancer care. Her work bridges surgical innovation with health services research to improve patient survival and access.

Recent publications (2023-2025) highlight trends in pancreatic cancer management: biomarker-driven treatment (CA19-9, KRAS wild-type), AI for surgical prediction, and multidisciplinary approaches to oligometastatic disease. Collaborations span surgery, oncology, and genomics, reflecting integration of basic science and clinical practice.

As leader of the GI Surgical Oncology Service and HPB Fellowship, she advances training and clinical care in complex hepatopancreatobiliary surgery while addressing systemic challenges in healthcare delivery.