Nova Foster, MD, FACS
Nova Foster, MD, FACS, is a clinical professor at the University of Arizona Department of Surgery and medical director of the Breast Program at Banner - University Medicine and the University of Arizona Cancer Center.
Dr. Foster comes to the department from Carbondale, Ill., where she was medical director of the Breast Center at Southern Illinois Healthcare. Prior to that, she was associate clinical professor of surgery at UCLA and co-director of the UCLA-Santa Monica Multidisciplinary Breast Center.
Dr. Foster received her medical degree from Vanderbilt University Medical School in Nashville, Tenn., where she was awarded the Founders Medal for highest honors. Following medical school, she completed surgical residency training at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. After residency, she joined the surgery faculty at UCLA-Santa Monica, where she served for 11 years.
Dr. Foster has devoted the last several years of her career entirely to breast surgery and the treatment of breast cancer and breast diseases. She is an expert in the latest breast cancer surgical techniques, including nipple-sparing mastectomy. She has authored numerous papers and articles on breast cancer as well as given many talks on breast cancer and the management of breast disease. She is a board-certified general surgeon, a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons.
On a personal level, breast cancer is near and dear to Dr. Foster's heart and is her passion, as she and her husband have several family members who have been affected by breast cancer. "It's more than a job," she said. "It's a mission and a privilege to be a part of helping women navigate their breast cancer journey to the best possible outcome. I am so fortunate to be able to have this as my life's work." Dr. Foster is married with two boys, and she loves Tucson and the desert landscape. In her free time, she and her family enjoy hiking, gardening, skiing, reading and watching movies.
Dr. Foster looks forward to helping provide outstanding personalized, state-of-the-art breast care to the Tucson community. She will see patients at the University of Arizona Cancer Center North Campus and Orange Grove Campus.