James A Warneke, MD, FACS

Professor, Surgery
Member of the Graduate Faculty

James A. Warneke, MD, FACS, is a professor in the Department of Surgery Division of Surgical Oncology, where he is currently the interim division chief. He joined the faculty at the University of Arizona's College of Medicine in the Department of Surgery, Section of Surgical Oncology in 1991.

From 1992-2002, Dr. Warneke was the medical student clerkship director and then served as the residency director from 2001-2009. Before joining the Department of Surgery here at the University of Arizona, he was an assistant professor at the State University of New York. Dr. Warneke completed a surgical oncology fellowship at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. He completed his residency in general surgery at the University of Arizona. Dr. Warneke earned his Bachelor of Science with honors in biomedical sciences at the University of California in Riverside, California.

Dr. Warneke is involved in various research endeavors that allow him to continue to provide his patients with the most up-to-date treatment options available. Dr. Warneke's research involves the treatment of skin malignancies, especially melanoma and sarcoma. His other research, conducted in the laboratory, consists of examining thymocyte receptor expression in melanoma, which is used to study the progression and prevention of melanoma. He is also co-principal investigator on a program project grant for the study of chemoprevention of skin cancer from the National Cancer Institute belonging to David Alberts, MD. Dr. Warneke is also a co-investigator on several Arizona Cancer Center clinical gene therapy studies funded by Vical, Inc. and coordinated by Evan Hersh, MD.

Research Interests

Skin malignancies, especially melanoma and sarcoma
Thymocyte receptor expression in melanoma
Chemoprevention of skin cancer
Gene therapy

Degree(s)

  • BS, Biomedical Sciences: University of California Riverside, MD: University of California Los Angeles 1982
Honors and Awards
Affiliate, American College of Surgeons, Affiliate, Association for Academic Surgery, Affiliate, Society of Surgical Oncology, Affiliate, Southwest Oncology Group, Affiliate, Tucson Surgical Society, Teaching Award, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, 2008, Resident Role Model Award, 2000, Best Doctors in the West, 1996, Virginia Furrow Award: Feedback of Clinical Competence Using an OSCE during the Third Year Family Medicine and Surgical Clerkships, 1994, Dean?s Teaching Scholar, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, 1993-1994
Residency
Arizona Health Sciences Center, General Surgery
Fellowship
Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Surgical Oncology
Specialties
  1. General Surgery
  2. Treatment of Sarcoma and Melanoma
  3. Breast and Gastrointestinal Malignancies
Clinical Practice

Melanoma all types
Sarcoma soft tissue, extremity, and retroperitoneal
Lymph node enlargement
Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)
Abdominal masses

Board Certifications
  • American Board of Surgery