DETROIT — The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has added Khalil Choucair, M.D., MSc, to its Thoracic Oncology and Phase I Clinical Trials multidisciplinary teams. Dr. Choucair began seeing patients in July 2025 at Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit and at Karmanos Cancer Institute – Dearborn.
Dr. Choucair completed his hematology and oncology clinical fellowship at Karmanos, where he served as chief fellow and worked closely with institute oncologists and researchers. He joins the institute as a medical oncologist focused on thoracic cancers.
“I am honored to continue my practice and research at Karmanos and to work toward treatments that will benefit patients in Detroit, Michigan and beyond,” Dr. Choucair said.
His clinical specialties include esophageal cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, thymoma and thymic carcinoma. His research interests encompass 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 neuroendocrine tumor plasticity and evolution to SCLC. He is also a member of the Phase I team that evaluates promising new drugs and therapy combinations in early clinical trials prior to FDA approval.
“It has been a pleasure to see Dr. Choucair grow as a physician and researcher and to witness his significant contributions to the future of cancer care,” said George Yoo, M.D., FACS, chief medical officer at Karmanos Cancer Hospital. Dr. Choucair has played a key role in planning the institute’s annual Lung Cancer Symposium.
Dr. Choucair co-directed this year’s Lung Cancer Symposium with Hirva Mamdani, M.D., leader of the Thoracic Oncology MDT. He serves on the advisory board of Karmanos’ Office of Cancer Research, Training and Education Coordination and is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine.
His prior training includes a research fellowship in precision oncology clinical trials at Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center, University of Toledo. He earned a Master of Science in Experimental Medicine from McGill University, where his work focused on prognostic biomarkers for patient stratification, completed medical training at the American University of Beirut, and finished residency at the University of Kansas, serving as chief resident for Research Development. He has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. 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.
To request an appointment, visit karmanos.org or call 1-800-KARMANOS (800-527-6266).
About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is a leader in cancer care, research and education. Part of McLaren Health Care, Karmanos is Michigan’s largest provider of cancer care and research and is recognized by the National Cancer Institute as a comprehensive cancer center. The institute’s headquarters and specialty cancer hospital are in downtown Detroit, and its network extends care and clinical trial access across Michigan and northern Ohio. For more information, visit karmanos.org.
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