Daniel Vaena, MD

About Me

Daniel Vaena, MD, joined West Cancer Center in official capacity in July 2016 as a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist with a special focus on Urologic Oncology and the Experimental Therapeutics Phase 1 program.  Prior to joining West Cancer Center, Dr. Vaena was the co-Director of the Genitourinary Multidisciplinary Oncology Group at the University of Iowa Holden NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he also served many additional roles, including Director of Clinical Trials Office and participation in the Neuroendocrine Tumors SPORE grant.  In addition to demonstrated clinical excellence, Dr. Vaena’s focus on research in the academic setting will play an important role as he joins the West Cancer Center faculty.

After serving as a Clinical Professor in the Division of Hematology, Oncology & BMT in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Urology at the University of Iowa, he will continue with an academic appointment at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Vaena is recognized as one of the leaders in the treatment and study of urologic malignancies and new therapeutics.

Dr. Vaena is board certified in Medical Oncology and additionally serves as a committee member in national cooperative clinical trial research groups in genitourinary malignancies and research auditing, as well as participating in many other inter-institutional collaborative activities. He is also a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and American Association of Clinical Research (AACR).

Areas of Expertise

• Medical Oncology & Hematology
• Genitourinary Cancers
• Neuroendocrine tumors
• Clinical Trials quality improvement
• Clinical Research
• Translational Research
• Immunotherapy

Education and Training

• 1996, M.D., Universidad Federal do Rio de Janeiro Medical School, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• 1998, Internship in Internal Medicine, Universidad Federal do Rio de Janeiro Medical School, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• 2001, Residency in Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
• 2004, Fellowship in Hematology-Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN

Awards

• Staff Investigator for NCI Cancer Center Support Grant to support the research activities of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at The University of Iowa
• Secretary of Veterans Administration, Hands and Heart Award, 2008
• Merit Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2003
• Graduation, Cum Laude, 1996

Research

• Genitourinary oncology
• Clinical and translational research in prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancer
• Neuroendocrine tumors
• Clinical trials medical monitoring and auditing

Publications

To view Dr. Vaena’s most recent publications, please click here.