The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit has added Dr. Khalil Choucair to its Thoracic Oncology and Phase I Clinical Trials Multidisciplinary Teams.
Choucair completed his hematology and oncology clinical fellowship at Karmanos, where he served as chief fellow and collaborated with institute oncologists and researchers. He began seeing patients in July 2025 at Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit and Karmanos Cancer Institute – Dearborn.
“Karmanos is an esteemed and renowned institution where some of the best minds are studying daily to find the best cancer therapies, some of which have already changed the way we treat cancer,” Choucair said. “Having the opportunity to continue my practice and research at Karmanos is a privilege, and I look forward to the advancements I’ll be part of to bring better treatments to patients that will not only benefit Detroit and Michigan, but the world.”
On the thoracic oncology team, Choucair treats esophageal cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, thymoma and thymic carcinoma. His research focuses include thoracic oncology biomarkers, small cell lung cancer therapies, precision and tumor-agnostic oncology, immune therapies and modulation, metabolomic–tumor microenvironment interactions in SCLC, biomarker development, and understanding neuroendocrine tumor plasticity and evolution to SCLC.
He also joins the phase I team, which evaluates promising new drugs, therapies and combinations in early clinical trials conducted prior to FDA approval to develop potential future standards of care.
“It’s been a pleasure to see Dr. Choucair grow in his field as a physician and researcher as he significantly contributes to the future of cancer care,” said Dr. George Yoo, chief medical officer at Karmanos Cancer Hospital. Yoo noted Choucair’s contributions to the Thoracic Oncology MDT and his role in planning the annual Lung Cancer Symposium.
Choucair co-directed this year’s Lung Cancer Symposium with Dr. Hirva Mamdani and serves on the advisory board of Karmanos’ Office of Cancer Research, Training and Education Coordination since 2023. He is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine.
He completed a research fellowship in precision oncology clinical trials at the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center at the University of Toledo. Choucair earned a Master of Science in Experimental Medicine from McGill University, with research on prognostic biomarkers for patient stratification, completed medical training at the American University of Beirut and residency at the University of Kansas, where he was chief resident for Research Development. He has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed articles.
Choucair is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Michigan Society of Hematology and Oncology, and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer.
Leave a Reply