Division Director, Hematology/Oncology
University of Iowa, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dr. Mohammed Milhem is the Division Chief of Hematology/Oncology within Internal Medicine He currently holds the Holden Family Chair for Experimental Therapeutics and previously served as the co-leader of the Experimental Therapeutics program at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center from 2012-2018. As the Holden Chair, he maintains oversight of all clinical research activity portfolio and mentor all oncology faculty in clinical trial development.
Dr. Milhem has distinguished himself as an outstanding academic oncologist, launching the HCCC’s sarcoma and melanoma programs, which he still directs today and has made the cancer center a leader in national sarcoma and melanoma research and care. He is a staunch believer in the power of collaboration that plays a vital role in the development of the clinical trial portfolios of each of the cancer center’s Multidisciplinary Oncology Groups.
As a leader, Dr. Milhem’s curiosity and wisdom drive many of the new initiatives or improvements he spearheads. He has led many efforts to improve clinical trial accrual and regionally has developed the Midwest Sarcoma Trials Partnership with seven other institutions almost a decade ago, as well as the Melanoma Midwest Partnership. This expertise is borne out by the fact that he has single-handedly opened 120 clinical trials since he joined the University of Iowa.
Dr. Milhem’s patient-focused approach, deep empathy, and expertise earned him the Leonard Tow Humanism Award in Medicine from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation in 2018 and the NCI Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award in 2013.
