Thomas J. Polascik, M.D. FACS is the Lawrence C. Katz Professor of 
Urologic Surgery and Professor of Radiology at the Duke Cancer Institute at the Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. Dr. Polascik trained as a resident and did an oncology fellowship at the Brady Urological Institute, the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore MD. He is an international expert on cryoablative technologies as applied to prostate and kidney cancer. In 2006 he developed an interest in the nascent field of focal therapy for prostate cancer. He is a co-founder and director, the International Symposium on Focal Therapy and Imaging of Prostate and Kidney Cancer that began at Duke in 2008.  The symposium has brought together investigators and clinicians from all regions of the world and the meeting alternates between North America, Europe and Asia with Co-chairs Drs Jean de la Rosette and Inderbir Gill. This year marked the 12th annual meeting held in Washington DC in February 2020. Dr. Polascik is the President of the Focal Therapy Society and Editor of Imaging and Focal Therapy of Early Prostate Cancer released in 2016. He is the director of the Society of Urologic Oncology program at Duke and also the Genitourinary Program on Focal Therapy at the Duke Cancer Institute.  He is the Director of Surgical Technology, the Duke Prostate and Urological Cancer Center.  His research interests include the development of image-guided therapies for early prostate cancer, the development of prostate cancer imaging techniques and minimally invasive treatment options for both prostate and kidney cancer. He has published over 350 manuscripts and book chapters. He has held positions on several boards of directors, advisory boards, and has been active in the North Carolina Urological Association and the Board of Directors with the Southeastern Section, American Urological Association.  He is an avid ad hoc reviewer for a number of journals and currently holds NIH R-O1 and Department of Defense grants for research.