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Dr. Macarena de la Fuente Named Neuro-Oncology Clinical Service Leader and Chief of Neuro-Oncology Division

Macarena de la Fuente, M.D., has been appointed neuro-oncology clinical service leader for the Oncology Service Line at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and chief of the Neuro-Oncology Division in the Department of Neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Macarena de la Fuente, M.D.

Dr. de la Fuente joined the Miller School in August of 2014 as an assistant professor of clinical neurology. She has also been an active member of the Cancer Epigenetics Research Program at Sylvester and a principal investigator on numerous cutting-edge clinical trials. Since December 2018, she has been serving as interim chief of the Neuro-Oncology Division and was most recently named director of the Neuro-Oncology Fellowship Program.

As chief, Dr. de la Fuente will lead the Neuro-Oncology Division and be responsible for supervising all patient care activities regarding the diagnosis and treatment of patients with neurological cancers and neurological effects from cancer. She will supervise clinical activities across all UHealth sites. She will be responsible for student, resident, and fellow training in neuro-oncology, and will supervise all research activities in this area.

As the neuro-oncology clinical service leader, Dr. de la Fuente will play an integral role in developing and implementing the neuro-oncology strategy at Sylvester. Working closely with leadership, she will assist in faculty recruitment and development and create an efficient multidisciplinary care model for clinical care and clinical and translational research at all sites. She will be responsible for facilitating access to quality and timely care, standardization of services, and a patient centric approach to care.

Dr. de la Fuente is a graduate of the Neuro-Oncology Fellowship program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, where she served as consultant in the Department of Neurology after completing her fellowship. She is also a graduate of the University of La Plata in Argentina, her native country, where she also completed her residency in neurology. She has been certified in neuro-oncology by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties.

Dr. de la Fuente is an active member of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. She recently completed her term as a committee chair and is currently a project leader in the Women and Diversity Committee for SNO. She has been appointed by the president of the Florida Senate as a member of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Florida Center for Brain Tumor Research.

Dr. de la Fuente is an international leader in the clinical care and research of brain tumors. Her research interest focuses on IDH-mutant gliomas, specifically investigating radiographic biomarkers and developing treatments for these tumors using a combined approach of targeted therapies. She also has an interest in addressing brain tumor disparities in the Hispanic/Latino population.

Tags: Macarena de la Fuente, neuro-oncology, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center