Dr. Jorge E. Cortes serves as Director of the Georgia Cancer Center and holds the Cecil F. Whitaker Jr., GRA Eminent Scholar Chair in Cancer at Augusta University, where he leads strategic efforts toward achieving National Cancer Institute designation. A distinguished physician-scientist, he received his medical degree from Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and brought extensive leadership experience from his 27-year tenure at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he served as Deputy Department Chair of Leukemia and Chair of AML and CML Sections. Since joining Augusta University in September 2019, Dr. Cortes has maintained clinical practice at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center, specializing in hematology and oncology with fluency in both English and Spanish to serve diverse patient populations. His career spans academic medicine, clinical research leadership, and direct patient care, establishing him as a prominent figure in cancer treatment and research infrastructure development across the southeastern United States.
Dr. Cortes has pioneered transformative advances in leukemia therapeutics through his leadership in clinical trials that directly contributed to the approval of five novel drugs for leukemia treatment, significantly improving patient outcomes worldwide. With over 1,300 peer-reviewed publications and more than 230 research grants as principal investigator, his scientific contributions have established new standards of care in chronic myeloid leukemia management and advanced understanding of treatment resistance mechanisms. His research portfolio demonstrates exceptional translational impact, bridging laboratory discoveries with clinical applications that have directly benefited thousands of patients battling hematological malignancies. The extensive citation of his work and inclusion among globally ranked scholars underscore his position as a leading authority whose research continues to shape contemporary approaches to blood cancer treatment.
Beyond his research achievements, Dr. Cortes exerts significant influence through leadership roles including President of the Latin American Leukemia Network and membership on the European LeukemiaNet panel for CML recommendations since 2006. He actively contributes to community health initiatives as a board member of the Augusta Symphony and Greater Augusta Arts Council, reflecting his holistic approach to population health improvement. Dr. Cortes continues to drive the Georgia Cancer Center's mission of reducing cancer burden through superior care, innovation, and education, with recent research focusing on addressing age-related disparities in cancer outcomes within underserved Georgia communities. His ongoing commitment to advancing clinical trials infrastructure and mentoring the next generation of oncology researchers positions him at the forefront of efforts to transform cancer care delivery and research excellence across the region.
