Women's Cancer Specialist Appointed Chair at Medical College

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Dr. Janet Rader appointed Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Janet Rader, M.D., has been appointed Chairman and the Jack A. & Elaine D. Klieger Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Medical College of Wisconsin by Jonathan I. Ravdin, M.D., dean and executive vice president. Dr. Rader, who will succeed Dwight Cruikshank, M.D., assumes her new position in September.

She will practice at Froedtert Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, major teaching affiliates of the Medical College. Dr. Rader is a gynecologic oncologist whose clinical specialties include chemotherapy and surgery (including laparoscopic/robotic procedures) for the treatment of cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers.

In addition to leading the department, Dr. Rader will provide leadership in development of a Women’s Health Research Program and a regional gynecologic cancer consortium while continuing her own research program in gynecologic cancers.

Dr. Rader comes to the College from the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, where she is professor of obstetrics and gynecology and of genetics. She is co-chair of the medical school’s Women’s and Children’s Health Subcommittee for Strategic Planning and serves on the university’s Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate Council. She also holds positions within the Siteman Cancer Center, and has served as president of the medical school’s Academic Women’s Network.

“I am delighted that Dr. Janet Rader has accepted our offer to lead the department of obstetrics and gynecology and serve in these other leadership roles,” said Dr. Ravdin. “Her clinical expertise, her research efforts and her proven ability to lead will all add tremendous value to our organization.”

Dr. Ravdin also acknowledged the career and accomplishments of Dr. Cruikshank, who has led the department of obstetrics and gynecology for 18 years.

“Under Dr. Cruikshank’s leadership, the department of obstetrics and gynecology has grown tremendously and developed a broad programmatic scope and clinical excellence in all areas of obstetrics and gynecology,” Dr. Ravdin said. “He built a comprehensive and successful clinical and educational program from what was a modest department. We all owe Dr. Cruikshank tremendous gratitude and recognition for his contributions to the College and our clinical partners.”

She has received continuous National Institutes of Health and American Cancer Society funding for her research since 1994. Her research focus is on the early molecular changes in genetic predisposition and identification of biomarkers for early detection and prevention of cervical cancer, and the development of novel therapies for gynecologic cancers.

She serves on numerous national expert committees related to gynecologic cancer, including the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) Cancer Prevention and Control Committee, the GOG Committee on Experimental Medicine, the NCI Cervical Cancer Task Force Gynecologic Cancer Scientific Steering Committee, and the Cancer Genome Atlas Steering Committee. She also serves on the editorial boards of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention and Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Rader has written 134 peer reviewed publications and more than 20 book chapters.

She served a research fellowship in molecular genetics and cell biology at the University of Chicago (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) in 1988, and a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at Johns Hopkins University in 1990. She received her M.D. degree from the University of Missouri in 1983, and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago in 1987. She received her BA from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1978.