Howard A. Burris III

Howard A. “Skip” Burris III, M.D., FACP, FASCO, established the first community-based phase I drug development program in Nashville in 1997, which became Sarah Cannon Research Institute where he has led the first-in-human studies for many now-approved drugs that have changed the standard of care for several types of cancers. Dr. Burris is President of Clinical Operations and Chief Medical Officer for Sarah Cannon, the Cancer Institute of HCA Healthcare. He is an associate of Tennessee Oncology, PLLC, where he practices medical oncology. Dr. Burris completed his undergraduate education at the United States Military Academy at West Point, his medical degree at the University of South Alabama, and his internal medicine residency and oncology fellowship at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.

Dr. Burris has been an ASCO member for nearly 30 years and currently serves as the society’s president. His volunteer roles include member of the ASCO Board of Directors and ASCO’s Conquer Cancer Foundation Board of Directors, chair of the Cancer Research Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Research Community Forum Council, and co-chair of the Ethics Committee. His committee memberships have included the Cancer Education, Scientific Program, Audit, and Sponsorship Committees, among others. Dr. Burris was named a Fellow of ASCO (FASCO) in 2010.