AHNS 2013 Annual Meeting - American Head and Neck Society

Robert Maxwell Byers BiographyRobert Maxwell ByersThe Robert Maxwell Byers Award, in the amount of$1000, is awarded for the best clinical or basic scienceresearch paper submitted for presentation at the annualmeeting of the American Head and Society.Robert Maxwell Byers, M.D. was born in Union Hospital,Baltimore, Maryland on September 24, 1937. He grewup on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the small townof Elkton. Very active in the varsity sports of baseball,basketball and track during his high school years, hecontinued his athletic participation at Duke University along with his premedstudies. He entered the University of Maryland Medical School inBaltimore in 1959 where he excelled in his medical studies and receivedmembership in AOA and the Rush Honor Medical Society. The highlight ofhis sophomore year was his 1961 marriage to Marcia Davis, his high schoolsweetheart. During his junior year, he was commissioned an Ensign in theUnited States Naval Reserve and later rose to the rank of Captain in 1986.In 1963, Dr. Byers begin his general surgical residency with Dr. RobertBuxton at the University Hospital in Baltimore. Five years later, as a fullytrained general surgeon, he went to the Republic of Vietnam with the1st Marine Division where he received a unit commendation medal anda combat action ribbon. On return to the United States, he spent a yearat Quonset Point, Rhode Island Naval Hospital as Chief of Surgery. In1969, he was certified by the American Board of Surgery. After dischargefrom the Navy in 1970, Dr. Byers and his family moved to Houston, Texaswhere he began a fellowship in Surgical Oncology at the University ofTexas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center under the guidance of Drs. R. LeeClark, Richard Martin, Ed White, William MacComb, Richard Jesse andAlando J. Ballantyne. This move proved to be a decisive event, as he neverleft. His career in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology was born, nurtured,and matured during the 31 years of his academic/clinical practice at theUniversity of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.During his tenure at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center he rose through theranks from Assistant Professor in 1972 to Associate Professor in 1976 and,finally, Professor and Surgeon in 1981.In 1998, he was honored with the Distinguished Alando J. BallantyneChair of Head and Neck Surgery. He is the author or co-author of over 200published papers, book chapter and monographs. He has given invitedlectures all over the world. Most recently (1999), he was selected to givethe Hayes Martin Memorial Lecture at the 5th International Conference onHead and Neck Cancer. He has been President of the American RadiumSociety and President of the Society of Head and Neck Surgeons both in1995 - 1996. His research interests and his expertise have been focusedon cancer of the oral cavity, head and neck cancer in young people andtreatment of the neck involved with metastatic cancer with a particularinterest in various neck dissections. Dr. Byers is a member of manyprestigious societies, of which the Southern Surgical Association, the TexasSurgical Society, the American College of Surgeons and the Society ofSurgical Oncologists are but a few. He is a peer reviewer for many medicaljournals and on the Editorial Board of three. During his 31 years at theUniversity of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, he has participated inthe surgical education of over 300 residents and fellows, many of whohave gone on to become prominent members of the specialty. The youthcommunity of Houston has benefited from his coaching expertise inbaseball and basketball while he has indulged in the hobbies of hunting,travel, and collecting toy soldiers.April 10 - 11, 2013 · www.ahns.info 31