Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgical Oncologist

George
Molina

Assistant Professor of Surgery
Mass General Brigham
Harvard Medical School

Leveraging quantitative research and health system innovation to improve patient outcomes for patients with complex pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancers.

View Publications →
Dr. George Molina
01

About

I am an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, at Mass General Brigham (Brigham and Women's Hospital) at Harvard Medical School, where I lead a research program focused on improving patient outcomes through health system innovation and advanced quantitative methods, at the intersection of public health, data science, and care delivery.

My team investigates how fragmentation of cancer care impacts outcomes for patients with complex pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancers. We also develop and evaluate novel approaches that leverage large administrative datasets to emulate randomized clinical trials.

I obtained an MPH in Quantitative Methods from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH). As part of my training in General Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, I completed a two-year post-graduate research fellowship at Ariadne Labs, a joint health systems innovation center of BWH and HSPH. I then completed the Mass General Brigham/Dana-Farber Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Harvard Medical School.

I currently serve as the Interim Cancer Committee Chair at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

I am committed to open science, rigorous methodology, and the mentorship of the next generation of health services researchers. I currently serve on the editorial advisory boards of The American Journal of Surgery and Annals of Surgical Oncology (Hepatobiliary Tumors Section).

02

Research Projects

This study evaluates the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who achieve a pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant treatment, using the National Cancer Database.

National Cancer Database Analysis

Using target trial emulation in the National Cancer Database to estimate the per-protocol effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery versus upfront surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy on overall survival among patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

National Cancer Database · Target Trial Emulation

Evaluating the association between neoadjuvant radiation and margin status and local recurrence among patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas who underwent curative-intent surgery at a high-volume cancer center.

Single-Institution Cohort Study

Characterizing how multidisciplinary metastatic colorectal cancer programs are structured and implemented across U.S. cancer centers and identifying key factors that facilitate or hinder their establishment and sustainability, with the long-term objective of improving equitable access to high-quality multidisciplinary care.

Multi-Institutional Study

An in-depth analysis of health care spending and utilization for individuals with cancer, assessing use of various cancer treatments, clinical outcomes, and opportunities for high-value care delivery.

American Society for Radiation Oncology · Co-Investigator (PI: Nancy Keating)
03

Writing

July 2026

What every patient should know after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

George Molina, MD, MPH

The most important decision in pancreatic cancer care is often the first one — choosing the right team to guide you from the very beginning.

Opinion  ·  Unpublished manuscript
July 2026

What every patient with pancreatic cancer should know before treatment begins

George Molina, MD, MPH

Every patient deserves a careful evaluation that answers one fundamental question: What is the best treatment for this specific patient, with this specific tumor, at this specific point in time?

Opinion  ·  Unpublished manuscript
July 2026

Why a pancreas-protocol CT scan is the most important test after diagnosis

George Molina, MD, MPH

Before deciding how to treat pancreatic cancer, physicians must first understand exactly where the cancer is, how far it has spread, and whether it involves the blood vessels surrounding the pancreas.

Opinion  ·  Unpublished manuscript
February 2026

Exploring the Potential of Artificial Intelligence to Design Multidisciplinary Care Programs for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Emily E. Witt, MD, MSC  ·  Gezzer Ortega, MD, MPH  ·  George Molina, MD, MPH

An exploration of how AI could be used to help improve practice efficiency, care coordination, equity, and disseminate models for multidisciplinary care for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Opinion  ·  Unpublished manuscript
April 2020

Tackling the COVID-19 Human Resource Emergency

George Molina, MD, MPH  ·  Alexander Hannenberg  ·  Rachel Smith  ·  Joaquim Havens  ·  Thomas Stelfox  ·  Eddy Lang  ·  Laura V. Duncan  ·  Susan Haas  ·  Jason Pradarelli  ·  Nikhil Panda  ·  Yves Sonnay  ·  Christy Cauley  ·  Evan Benjamin  ·  Mary E. Brindle

An outline of important principles that may help organizations guide the formulation of human resource contingency plans should a surge of critically ill patients occur in your specific institution.

Commentary
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Patient Resources

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Contact

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Every patient facing a complex cancer diagnosis deserves access to timely, evidence-based, and compassionate care. Our research program is dedicated to advancing surgical oncology through innovation in clinical care, health services research, multidisciplinary collaboration, and patient-centered outcomes research.

Your support helps us:
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  • Build data infrastructure and collaborative research programs that accelerate discovery and improve outcomes

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