Quagliana Endowed Lectureship and Fellowship Award

On October 11, the Department of Internal Medicine held the 7th Annual Joseph M. Quagliana, MD Endowed Lectureship and awarded the Quagliana Fellowship Award.

This year, on behalf of her parents, Angela Quagliana was honored to present the annual Fellowship Award to hematology/oncology fellow David Gill, MD.

The Quagliana Endowed Lectureship invites distinguished lecturers in honor of one of the department’s prior faculty members. Dr. David Bjorkman recognized this year’s lecturer, Jon Trent, MD, PhD, with the University of Miami, Sylvester Cancer Center. Dr. Trent presented on gastrointestinal stromal tumors. 

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor optimizing apoptosis

Jon Trent, MD, PhD

Dr. Trent earned his MD and PhD in cancer biology from The University of Texas Health Science Center where he also completed a residency in internal medicine. He then completed a fellowship in medical oncology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center while serving as chief fellow.

Prior to joining the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, he held an appointment as associate professor of medicine in the Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Dr. Trent is currently the Associate Director for Clinical Research at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Director of the Bone and Soft-tissue Sarcoma Group. 

The major focus of his clinical, educational and research efforts are with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and all other sarcomas including myxofibrosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, chondrosarcoma, angiosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, pigmented villonodular synovitis, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans perivascular endothelial cell sarcoma (PEComa), angiomyolipoma, alveolar soft-parts sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma.

The major efforts of Dr. Trent’s research focus on understanding the mechanisms of action and resistance of imatinib in GIST and other sarcomas while striving toward improved therapeutic options. His work involves the use of novel preoperative/postoperative clinical trials, prospectively acquired tumor tissue, cell lines, archival tissue, as well as collaborations with disciplines such as the genomics facility, surgical oncology, pathology, radiology, and interventional radiology.

Joseph M. Quagliana, MD

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Dr. Joseph Quagliana received his doctorate of medicine with honors from the University of Buffalo School of Medicine. He then trained at Tufts University in Boston and Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo. He joined the University of Utah in 1962 as a Fellow in Hematology and became Chief Fellow in 1963.

In 1964, he was a Clinical Instructor in Medicine and Director of Research at the San Jose California Medical Foundation. He served as Captain and Deputy Hospital Commander during the Vietnam War and received an Air Force Commendation Medal for his efforts.

In 1968, Dr. Quagliana returned to the University of Utah as the Cancer Coordinator and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine. During his time with the University, he established the first Medical Oncology Division and built the Clinical Oncology Fellowship Training Program that helped the University Hospital become a cancer patient referral center. Thanks to his work the University was integrated into several national clinical cancer research groups including the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) and his time and research in Utah served as a major building block to the establishment of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. While in Utah, he started the Intermountain Regional Cancer Network Program providing cancer education, protocols for patient care, research training and tumor boards in Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. This program provided a large patient referral base for the University of Utah Hospital.

Dr. Quagliana moved to Las Vegas in 1974, and became Chief of Hematology/Oncology and Director of Medical Education at Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He brought the first national cancer research program, the Southwest Oncology Group to Las Vegas and the southwest. Through the introduction of SWOG to Las Vegas, patients and families now had access to multidisciplinary clinical trials which improved the practice of Oncology in preventing, detecting and treating cancer, and enhancing the quality of life for cancer survivors.

In 1978, Dr. Quagliana established his own freestanding clinic, The Cancer and Hematology Center of Nevada; the first in Southern Nevada. He affiliated with UCLA and developed the first Pediatric Oncology Program in Nevada. In 1999, he joined the Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada and pursued his lifelong commitment to research and total patient care.

Dr. Quagliana is now retired and enjoying time with his family and loving wife, Paula.