Ruben Anthony Mesa, MD

Dr. Ruben Mesa is board certified in internal medicine and hematology (blood disorders). He specializes in medical oncology (cancer).

Dr. Mesa leads the mission and programs against cancer at Atrium Health. He serves as enterprise senior vice president of Atrium Health, president of Atrium Health Levine Cancer (the cancer service line for Atrium Health) and executive director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center. Additionally, Dr. Mesa serves as vice dean for cancer programs and is the Charles L. Spurr MD Professor of Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

In his roles, Dr. Mesa oversees all efforts related to cancer practice, research and education across the Atrium Health system, including locations in Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Georgia.

Dr. Mesa is an international expert in hematologic cancers. He has dedicated his life's work to research and drug development for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), a group of chronic leukemias that can cause difficult symptoms, bone marrow problems, acute leukemia and premature death.

Dr. Mesa's research focuses on MPN biology, novel therapeutics and over 100 phase I-III clinical trials, symptom assessment tools and non-pharmacological interventions to alleviate MPN symptoms. He has led or co-led the development of 6 drugs that have been FDA-approved for MPNs. He serves in various leadership roles with the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR). He has been elected to the board of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) and is an executive officer of the board for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Dr. Mesa has won many career awards for his research from the Mayo Clinic as well as patient and MPN organizations. He was named the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

He is passionate about advancing cancer health equity and increasing minority patients' participation in cancer clinical trials. At the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Mesa sits on the CTAC (Clinical Trials Advisory Council) and is the Cancer Equity Leader (CEL) for the NCI Center for Health Equity. He is a member of the Genentech Health Disparities Task Force, Bristol Myers Squibb Health Disparities Task Force and the Janssen Health Disparities Task Force. He has testified on the importance of clinical trial diversity before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Dr. Mesa previously was executive director of the NCI-designated Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson. Earlier in his career, he practiced hematology at the Mayo Clinic, where he was chair of Hematology and Medical Oncology and deputy director of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Mesa has over 800 lifetime medical publications, with more than 500 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 15 book chapters and 2 edited books. He is frequently invited to speak on MPNs with over 600 lectures and visiting professorships, nationally and internationally.

Dr. Mesa received his medical degree at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, where he also completed residency and fellowship training.