Edward Partridge, MD

Co-director, Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center
Co-principal Investigator, MHDRC
Leader, MHRC Research Program
Director, UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor of Gynecologic Oncology, UAB
Professor of Surgery, UAB

Edward Partridge, M.D. currently serves as Director of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is also Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology and holds the Evalina B. Spencer Endowed Chair in Oncology. Dr. Partridge has demonstrated exceptional leadership ability in both research and administrative posts. His clinical interests are cancer control and prevention; cervical cancer; community based research; gynecology oncology; minority health disparities; and ovarian cancer.

Dr. Partridge has been or is PI or Co-PI on multiple NCI-funded grants and contracts, including the ALTS trial (NCI) investigating the most effective clinical approach to the care of women with Pap smears showing low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance; the WISH study (NCI) evaluating the impact of smoking cessation on the regression/progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and HPV status; the PLCO trial (NCI) investigating screening methodologies for multiple cancers with special emphasis on minority populations; the CRIS study (NCI) investigating the impact of lay health advisors on recruitment of minority women into clinical trials and the UAB SPORE in Ovarian Cancer. In addition, he is PI of the Deep South Network for Cancer control (NCI) which utilized Community Health Advisors to improve the cancer health status of African-American population in the rural South and the Morehouse School of Medicine/Tuskegee University/UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Partnerships to enhance the research capabilities of the minority-serving institutions. Most of these grants and contracts have interdisciplinary and interdepartmental teams which include behavioral scientists, epidemiologists, gynecologic oncologists, biostatisticians, experts in preventive medicine and others. These aforementioned programs have training programs that provide funding and mentorship for minority investigators and provide opportunities for these investigators to engage in cancer disparities work.

He was Chairman of the Commission for Cancer for the American College of Surgeons and currently serves as Chairman of the Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines Committee of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. He is on the Board of Directors of the Mid-South Division of the American Cancer Society and Vice President of the National American Cancer Society and will serve as President of that organization in 2010.