B Mark Evers, MD, FACS

At the University of Kentucky, Dr. Evers is the Markey Cancer Foundation Endowed Chair, Director of the Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center, and Professor and Vice-chair for Research in the Department of Surgery. He also serves as the Physician-in-chief of the Oncology Service Line for UK HealthCare.

Dr. Evers graduated summa cum laude (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Tennessee in 1979 and summa cum laude (Alpha Omega Alpha) from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 1983. He completed his surgical training at the University of Louisville and then performed a research fellowship at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston from 1988-1990. Prior to joining UK in 2009, Dr. Evers was Professor and Robertson-Poth Distinguished Chair in General Surgery and the Director of the UTMB Sealy Center for Cancer Cell Biology.

Dr. Evers’ research has been continuously funded by the NIH for more than 20 years, including an NIH MERIT Award, multiple R01s, and training grants. He has authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and reviews. Throughout his career, he has received more than 30 awards, including the prestigious Flance-Karl Award from the American Surgical Association, and held numerous leadership positions in national and international organizations. These include the Society for Surgical Oncology, American College of Surgeons, and the American Gastroenterological Association. He is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. Dr. Evers has held the positions of President of the Society of University Surgeons, Secretary and President the Southern Surgical Association, and Senior Director of the American Board of Surgery. He is currently Treasurer of the American Surgical Association. Dr. Evers serves on the editorial boards of three journals, is a past member of two NIH study sections, and acts as Associate Editor of the Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. In 2015, he was honored with an “Outstanding Alumnus” award from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Dr. Evers has been listed in “Best Doctors in America” since 2004. At the state level, Dr. Evers is a member of the Kentucky Lung Cancer Research Program Governance Board and a member of the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Program Advisory Committee. In 2013, he was elected to the Mid-South Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Evers led efforts to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation for the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center in 2013. The Markey Cancer Center is one of only 69 cancer centers designated by the NCI and the only one in Kentucky. Dr. Evers is currently leading preparation of the 2017 renewal application to the NCI.