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On March 1, Renato G. Martins, M.D., M.P.H., will become the new chair of hematology, oncology and palliative care at VCU Massey Cancer Center and the Department of Internal Medicine at the VCU School of Medicine.

“I could not be more enthusiastic about joining VCU and Massey. I am inspired by the mission of providing high-quality care to a diverse population,” Martins said. “I want to join my colleagues in hematology, oncology and palliative care to expand the outstanding care Massey delivers throughout the region and help take VCU to new heights.”

Martins is a professor in the Division of Medical Oncology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he holds an endowed chair in cancer care. He also serves as the clinical research program director of thoracic/head and neck oncology at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) after previously serving as the associate medical director of solid tumor adult oncology. The SCCA is the outpatient site of oncology practice for the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Martins received his medical degree in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992 and earned a master’s degree in public health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 1998 while completing a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Martins has an impressive history of building new successful oncology programs. Early in his career, he was the chief of medical oncology at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA), where he grew the program from four patients accrued on clinical trials to over 200 patients in five years. During that period, he conducted Investigator-Initiated Trials (IITs) that were later published in the “International Journal of Radiation Oncology – Biology - Physics” and “Clinical Cancer Research.” The INCA had no track record of successful IITs prior to his arrival. Over the past 18 years, Martins has built the thoracic oncology program at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance from the ground up. The program did not exist in 2004 when he arrived, but saw over 800 new patients in 2021. He also created a robust research program, with multiple IITs and externally sponsored trials supported by a dedicated research staff with nine team members. Fred Hutch was awarded a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant in lung cancer — one of only four in the country — in August 2019, supporting new clinical trials of innovative treatments in immunotherapy, including checkpoint inhibitors and cancer vaccines.

Martins’ focus is in patient care and cutting-edge clinical research, particularly in the areas of lung cancer and head and neck cancer. He has published over 60 research manuscripts and numerous book chapters, and he has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and other organizations to support his research. An excellent mentor, Martins has won awards for service in both the U.S. and Brazil, and he is frequently recognized as a “Top Doctor” by Seattle Magazine.

Outside of work, Martins is an avid cyclist.

Khalid Matin, M.D., served as interim chair of hematology, oncology and palliative care during Martins’ recruitment and will continue in his role as associate medical director of the Cancer Service Line at Massey. Matin continued to grow the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care in pursuit of Massey’s mission and has been an exemplary leader during the COVID-19 pandemic.