When Sallie Bailey’s husband, John Bailey, was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) in July 2018, the news came as a shock. Just months earlier, his physical appearance showed no difference.

The first sign was subtle: jaundice in one eye. The jaundice quickly spread throughout John’s entire body, the point at which he and Sallie met with Benjamin Womack, MD, associate professor of Clinical Medicine. Despite the care of Womack, Patrick Yachimski, MD, MPH, professor of Medicine, and Kristen Ciombor, MD, MSCI, associate professor of Medicine, John passed away in November 2018, only four months after his diagnosis.

“Until the jaundice appeared, there were no symptoms,” Sallie recalls. “It’s a silent disease, and by the time it’s detected, it’s often too late.”

John was more than a patient at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. He was a man with a passion for good food and wine. A talented chef, he worked in San Francisco, Chicago, France, and Washington, D.C., before retiring from professional kitchens. Even then, he continued creating memorable meals for family and friends and sought out locally owned restaurants and new wines to enjoy. His welcoming smile made everyone feel special, and he loved traveling, especially to California wine country.

After moving to Nashville in 2011, Sallie and John chose Vanderbilt Health for their care because they valued being part of a teaching hospital. That decision connected them to a team of experts who provided compassionate care during an incredibly difficult time. Sallie’s experience inspired her to take action. Today, she supports research led by Ciombor and Yachimski, hoping to help scientists detect cholangiocarcinoma earlier and slow its progression.

“Ultimately, I hope researchers will find a way to treat the cancer so that it isn’t a death sentence,” Sallie says. “Dr. Yachimski and Dr. Ciombor have both told me their goal is to work themselves out of a job. I admire and support that goal.”

Through her gifts, Sallie honors John’s legacy in a deeply meaningful way. Her support helps researchers pursue earlier detection methods, develop treatments that slow disease progression, and improve quality of life for patients. It also fuels innovation in clinical trials and provides hope for families facing rare cancers like cholangiocarcinoma. Every contribution moves science closer to a future where this diagnosis is no longer a death sentence.

“Particularly for a rare tumor type such as cholangiocarcinoma, contributions like Sallie’s propel our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of these tumors forward and set the stage for future therapeutic advances,” Ciombor said. “Philanthropic support such as Sallie’s provides critical resources at a time when patients with cancer need better treatment options more than ever.”

Learn more about supporting cancer research and making a gift by clicking here. When making a gift, please write in the comment field that you’d like your donation to support cholangiocarcinoma initiatives.

The post Wife of cholangiocarcinoma patient makes gift in honor of husband appeared first on Vanderbilt Health.

Four researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center have assumed new leadership roles. 

Shared resources at Vanderbilt-Ingram are designed to support and enhance cancer-relevant research and scientific interaction by providing access to cutting-edge technologies and services, as well as scientific expertise.

Scott Hiebert, PhD, emeritus professor of Biochemistry and the Hortense B. Ingram Chair in Cancer Researchat Vanderbilt University, led these shared resources in the Cancer Center from 2010 to 2025. With his retirement from Vanderbilt University, Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, director of Vanderbilt-Ingram, has appointed William Tansey, PhD, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, as the next associate director for Shared Resources for Vanderbilt-Ingram.  

As associate director for Shared Resources, Tansey will oversee 10 resources, including animal and human imaging, bioanalytics and proteomics, chemical synthesis and high-throughput analytics, cell imaging, data science, flow cytometry, genome editing, genomic sciences, survey and biospecimen, and translational pathology. In addition to his leadership roles at Vanderbilt-Ingram, Tansey has an active research lab that focuses on transcriptional dysregulation in cancer cells. 

“Shared resources provide Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center investigators access to technologies, expertise, and a collaborative infrastructure that would be impractical to have in their own laboratories. Our shared resources are world-class in every respect, and each of them are backed by experienced teams of professionals dedicated to advancing and accelerating cancer discovery. I am honored and excited to oversee this vital and vibrant part of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center mission,” said Tansey, who also serves as co-leader of the Genome Maintenance Research Program at Vanderbilt-Ingram. 

Translational Research, which is an essential component of Vanderbilt-Ingram and how findings in the lab are “translated” to clinical practice, was previously led by Park. With an ever-increasing number of opportunities to perform translational cancer research at Vanderbilt-Ingram, Douglas Johnson, MD, MSCI, professor of Medicine and the holder of the Susan and Luke Simons Directorship, has been named the next associate director for Translational Research.  

Johnson will oversee the implementation of emerging treatments and therapy advancements, such as cellular therapies, immunotherapies and targeted therapies. Johnson, who is clinical director of melanoma at Vanderbilt-Ingram, has expertise in this realm, having been an investigator on early clinical trials for immunotherapies and having recently implemented a tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy service line for patients. 

“Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center has incredible strengths in translating observations in the lab to the clinic, and from the clinic to the lab. I look forward to continuing to work with so many talented scientists and physicians in this role,” Johnson said. 

Douglas Kojetin, PhD, Ingram Associate Professor of Cancer Research and associate professor of Biochemistry, will join two other experts as co-leader of the Genome Maintenance Research Program. He joins Tansey and David Cortez, PhD, the Richard N. Armstrong PhD Professor of Innovation in Biochemistry, at the helm. The Genome Maintenance Research Program is focused on understanding how DNA is damaged, repaired, packaged, expressed and replicated. These are the processes that take place in carcinogenesis. 

“Dr. Kojetin will be an outstanding leader of the Genome Maintenance Program,” Cortez said. “His own research program is creative, rigorous and impactful. His thoughtfulness, enthusiasm and dedication to service will help our entire research community to make discoveries that reduce the suffering caused by cancer. I look forward to working with him.”  

Kristen Ciombor, MD, MSCI, has been named co-leader of the Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Research Program. She brings a wealth of knowledge to this role, having previously been co-leader of the Translational Research and Interventional Oncology Research Program. She is nationally and internationally recognized for her clinical research program and clinical expertise in colon cancer.

Ciombor also serves as the principal investigator for the NCI-funded National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) Lead Academic Participating Site (LAPS) grant at Vanderbilt-Ingram. Ciombor will join Cathy Eng, MD, who has led the GI Research Program for seven years, as she transitions away from this role over the next six months to focus more on her role as associate director of Strategic Relations and Research Partnerships and the Young Adult Cancers Program at Vanderbilt-Ingram.  

Park said the four researchers have established track records that make them the perfect choice for their new respective leadership roles. 

“Drs. Tansey, Johnson, Kojetin and Ciombor are all highly respected cancer researchers with the leadership skills to effectively lead these areas at Vanderbilt-Ingram,” Park said. “Cancer encompasses a myriad of complicated diseases, and our investigators are approaching it from many fronts. The research areas these scientists lead, and their ability to cultivate interactions across and between programs, are integral to our mission of advancing treatments and improving outcomes for people with cancer.” 

The post Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center names associate directors and new program leaders  appeared first on VUMC News.