Dr. Ronald J. Weigel

Ronald J. Weigel, MD, PhD is the EA Crowell Jr. Chair of Surgery at the University of Iowa and Medical Director for Cancer Programs at the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Weigel received his BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and obtained his MD and PhD in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.

Dr. Weigel received his general surgery training at Duke University Medical Center under the direction of Dr. David Sabiston. After residency, he became a tenured faculty member at Stanford University, where he developed a highly successful practice in breast and endocrine surgery and built an NIH-funded laboratory studying mechanisms of hormone response and gene regulation in breast cancer.

In 2002, Dr. Weigel joined Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia as Vice Chair and Chief of Surgical Oncology. While in Philadelphia, he earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2005, Dr. Weigel was recruited to the University of Iowa as Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery. He holds joint appointments as Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics.

Dr. Weigel is an accomplished surgical oncologist and endocrine surgeon who maintains a vibrant basic science research laboratory. He has been continuously funded by the NIH and DOD throughout his career and has served as the principal investigator of the University of Iowa’s NIH-funded T32 training grant in Surgical Oncology.

He has also served as a charter member of the NIH Cancer Molecular Pathobiology (CAMP) study section, and as a member of the Breast SPORE and NCI-designated Cancer Centers study sections. Dr. Weigel was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and has served as a Director of the American Board of Surgery. He is a past president of the Society of Surgical Oncology and the Central Surgical Association and is the current president of the American Surgical Association.

Additionally, he is a past Chair of the Board of Governors for the American College of Surgeons and became Medical Director for Cancer Programs at the American College of Surgeons in 2023. When not at work, Dr. Weigel enjoys spending time with his wife, Paula, and their four children.