Alissa Greenbaum, MD
Dr. Alissa Greenbaum is the Program Director of the University of New Mexico’s Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program, the only cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) program in the state. She specializes in the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal and peritoneal malignancies and is certified in robotic surgery.[1]
Though Dr. Greenbaum entered the medical field with a primary interest in disparities in health care, upon being introduced to surgery she changed course, connecting with the ability to make significant change in a short period of time. Her skill in using HIPEC followed having been mentored by H. Richard Alexander, MD, a renowned specialist in peritoneal surface malignancies and the CRS-HIPEC technique, in which patients diagnosed with abdominal cancers like peritoneal mesothelioma undergo surgical removal of their tumors followed by the peritoneal cavity being bathed in heated chemotherapy to further target and kill cancer cells.[2]
Education and Career
Dr. Greenbaum’s original interest in health disparities and public health led her to volunteer with AmeriCorps, working as a medical assistant in a community health setting in San Francisco. She attended medical school at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland, and after earning her degree went to the University of New Mexico to complete an internship and residency in General Surgery. She then completed a two-year research fellowship at University of New Mexico focusing on surgical outcomes and cancer disparities in Native American and Hispanic populations, then completed a two-year Complex General Surgical Oncology fellowship at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, as well as a master’s certificate in clinical and translational science through Rutgers University, where she was mentored by Dr. Alexander.[1]
Upon completion of her medical training, Dr. Greenbaum returned to the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center to work as a surgical oncologist. In addition to her practice, she is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the UNM School of Medicine and Associate Program Director for the general surgery residency at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.[2]
Research
Dr. Greenbaum’s research focuses on Native American health, cancer screening, and intercultural approaches to healthcare, as well as large database research examining surgical outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal and peritoneal malignancies. She appreciates the ability to be involved in ongoing clinical trials that comes with working at a comprehensive cancer center.[2]
