Gynecologic Oncology Faculty

Division Chief

Julian Schink, MD, is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.  In 2006, he was named Medical Director Foundation and Associate Director for Clinical Affairs of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern Medical Faculty. He is a member of the Gynecologic Oncology Group, and has been a principal investigator of several cooperative group clinical trials investigating ovarian cancer chemotherapy and gestational trophoblastic disease. He recently assumed the role of Vice President of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and has long been an active member of the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation.

Dr. Schink earned his medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and completed his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at Northwestern University and his Gynecologic Oncology fellowship at UCLA.  Prior to joining the faculty at Northwestern in 2004, he served on the faculties at UCLA and at the University of Wisconsin, where he served as Vice Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from 1995 until 2004.   Dr. Schink is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and has been the recipient of numerous academic awards.  Four times, Woodward/White has named him one of the Best Doctors in America.  In addition, both Good Housekeeping Magazine and Ladies Home Journal have named Dr. Schink one of the nation’s Best Doctors for Women.

Faculty

Barbara M. Buttin, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a Gynecologic Oncologist at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, having joined the faculty of the Feinberg School of Medicine in 2005.  She began her medical career as a student at Hahnemann University School of Medicine, and completed an Obstetrics and Gynecology residency and her Gynecologic Oncology fellowship training at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr.Buttin is an active member of the Gynecologic Oncology Group and Society of Gynecologic Oncologists.

Recently, Dr. Buttin received a two-year award from the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research for her work studying molecular mechanisms that influence cell growth and metastasis in an aggressive subtype of endometrial cancer, uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC).   Other honors Dr. Buttin has been awarded include the Editor’s Award from the St. Louis Gynecological Society Annual Scientific Meeting and the Physicians’ Education Resource 2004 SGO Fellows Travel Grant.  She has authored several research articles on the role of defective DNA mismatch repair and hereditary cancer susceptibility in endometrial cancer focusing specifically on the MSH6 DNA mismatch repair gene.  Her current basic research includes the elucidation of pathways of carcinogenesis in uterine papillary serous carcinoma, its association with inherited cancer syndromes, as well as the prevalence of defective DNA mismatch repair in type II endometrial cancer.  Her clinical research focuses on the elucidation of shared risk factors for endometrial and colon cancer and biomarker development for high risk endometrial cancer.  Dr. Buttin has a special interest in novel chemotherapy and targeted agents for endometrial, cervical and ovarian cancer, treatment strategies for uterine sarcomas, as well as the role of radical surgery in gynecologic malignancies.

M. Patrick Lowe, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a Gynecologic Oncologist at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.  Dr. Lowe is also Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery Program. He is a member of the Gynecologic Oncology Group, Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, and the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists.  Additionally, he is an Instructor for the Advanced Laparoscopy Postgraduate Course at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting. 

Dr. Lowe earned his medical degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, and completed his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and his Gynecologic Oncology fellowship at the University of Southern California.  Prior to joining the faculty at Northwestern University, he served as a clinical instructor at the University of Southern California and the University of Tennessee.

John Lurain, MD is the John and Ruth Brewer Professor of Gynecology and Cancer Research at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.  He was Head of the Section of Gynecologic Oncology at Northwestern from 1985 – 2004, and he currently is the Director of the John I. Brewer Trophoblastic Disease Center as well as the Program Director for the Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology. Dr. Lurain has received recognition for both his outstanding clinical care and his efforts in education. 

Dr. Lurain has been named one of the Best Doctors in America by American Health Magazine, Best Doctors in Women’s Health by Good Housekeeping, America’s Top Doctors, Top Doctors for Cancer and Top Physicians by Castle Connelly, and Best Doctors in Chicago by Chicago Magazine.  He also received the Magnus P. Urnes Award for both resident and medical student teaching from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology on several occasions as well as the CREOG National Faculty Award for Excellence in Resident Teaching.    He developed and now directs the only Gynecologic Oncology fellowship program in Illinois.

Dr. Lurain’s primary research interests are related to the clinical factors associated with prognosis and treatment of gestational trophoblastic diseases as well as uterine and ovarian cancers.  He is an author on over 170 publications, including scientific articles, reviews, chapters and books.  Dr. Lurain is a member of eleven professional societies, including the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the International Gynecologic Cancer Society.  He is on the Uterine/Cervix Cancer Panel for Clinical Guidelines of the National Cooperative Cancer Network.  He has served on numerous national and local committees and is editor/reviewer for several peer-reviewed publications.

Diljeet Singh, MD, DrPH, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a Gynecologic Oncologist at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.  She began her medical career as a student at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and then received her Masters in Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health.  She completed an Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and a Gynecologic Oncology fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.  She completed her Doctoral degree in Cost Analysis at the University of Texas School of Public Health in 2003. Dr. Singh’s research interests are focused on the costs and quality of prevention and treatment of gynecologic malignancies.
Dr. Singh research evaluates the costs of both high technology and low technology approaches to the prevention of cervical cancer in developing and developed countries.  Her work addresses the need to tailor technology and screening techniques to specific settings and populations.  She continues to present nationally and internationally on HPV related disease and cervical cancer prevention.