SUMMARY
Susanne G. Warner, M.D., is a surgeon-scientist seeking to improve patient quality of life through her research in operative, scientific and social arenas. Dr. Warner's studies address a range of topics including minimally invasive surgical techniques, racial and gender bias in the profession of surgery, and oncolytic viroimmunotherapy to treat aggressive hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) solid tumors.
Dr. Warner's research fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center punctuated her clinical training, and she continued as an assistant professor at City of Hope with the American Cancer Society Mentored Research Scholar program. Dr. Warner now leverages Mayo Clinic's unparalleled liver physiology and immunology expertise in combination with the Department of Molecular Medicine's track record of bringing viroimmunotherapy from bench to bedside for patients with no other options. Dr. Warner's current lab research focuses on optimizing viroimmunotherapies to target the currently nontargetable tumor immune microenvironment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
Focus areas
- Cholangiocarcinoma targeting. Dr. Warner seeks to target cancer-associated fibroblasts within the immune-privileged tumor microenvironment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
- Viroimmunotherapy. Dr. Warner firmly believes that oncolytic viroimmunotherapy has the potential to dramatically improve solid tumor treatment paradigms. She is focused on understanding which combination of viruses works best for which patients at which points in their treatment journeys.
- Minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Warner is passionate about the safe adoption of minimally invasive surgery for both patients and surgeons. Her research ranges from reporting minimally invasive surgery outcomes for HPB malignancies to understanding ergonomic implications of surgical techniques across body types.
- Bias in surgical training and practice. Dr. Warner has seen firsthand how gender bias can affect the trajectory of otherwise rising-star clinicians. She seeks to quantify and then protect the potential of the female surgeon experience. While Dr. Warner does not identify as a member of any group that is underrepresented in medicine, she is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion and seeks to investigate how metrics such as Press Ganey — which are used as objective data — might harm her colleagues from underrepresented backgrounds.
- Surgeon-patient communication. No matter how hard clinicians try, Dr. Warner believes that there is no such thing as informed consent; patients can never truly know what they are about to experience. Nevertheless, Dr. Warner has a keen interest in helping surgeons understand and optimize the impact of their communication stratagem on patients and their families.
Significance to patient care
The goal of Dr. Warner's research is to shine light in otherwise dark places. From a translational standpoint, that means elucidating and optimizing treatments for hard-to-treat, immune-privileged HPB cancers such as cholangiocarcinoma. Her ultimate goal is to ensure that all curative-intent surgery for HPB malignancies is indeed curative. In clinical practice, that means pushing the limits of what is resectable and what can be accomplished with minimally invasive interventions. That also means ensuring that decision-making between patient and surgeon takes into account patient goals and quality of life. In professional development, Dr. Warner seeks to ensure that all surgeons can arrive at their full potential, unfettered by race or gender bias from colleagues or patients.
Professional highlights
- Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.
- Elected Member-At-Large, 2022-2024.
- Leadership Academy, 2021-2023.
- Research Committee Chair, Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, 2020-2022.
- Junior Editorial Board Member, HPB Journal, 2022-2024.
- Younger Fellows Liaison, Association of Academic Surgery, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, 2023.
- Mayo Clinic.
- Hepatobiliary SPORE, Developmental Research Program, 2022.
- Pilot and Feasibility Grant program, Cell Signaling in Gastroenterology SPORE, 2022.
- Inlow Award for Resident Research Presentation, 2011.
- Teacher of the Year, Surgical Oncology Fellowship, City of Hope, 2021.
- Chair, Association for Academic Surgery Committee for Academic Advancement, 2020-2021.
- Junior Faculty Award, Circle of Service, 2018.
- Mentored Research Scholar Grant, American Cancer Society, 2016.
- Scientific Presentation Award, American Society of Breast Surgeons, 2009.