Geriatric Oncology Chair to Improve Care of Elderly

The School of Medicine has announced the Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation and Mary E. Bivins Foundation Endowed Chair of Excellence in Geriatric Oncology.

President Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., said it is an honor to be affiliated with the Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation and Mary E. Bivins Foundation.

“These foundations are synonymous with the West Texas spirit,” Mitchell said. “We truly respect their contributions, and we are fortunate to have their support for this endowed chair.”

The incidence of geriatric cancer in Randall and Potter counties is above the state’s average level. This endowed chair in geriatric oncology, awarded to Suhasini Nadesan, M.D., will partner with the School of Medicine’s existing geriatrics division to strengthen the care and research of elderly Texas Panhandle patients with cancer.

Nadesan received her medical degree from the University of Madras in Chennai, India in 1970. She completed her residency at University Hospital, State University of New York in Stony Brook, N.Y.

She has served as a fellow and attending physician at Beth Israel Medical Center, in a medical office with the U.S. Peace Corps, and as a medical investigator in New York. Nadesan is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, hematology and geriatrics.