Robert Andtbacka, MD, CM, is an assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, at the University of Utah School of Medicine and a surgeon and investigator at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the Intermountain Healthcare. He specializes in surgery for melanoma, soft tissue sarcomas and cancers of the gastro-intestinal tract. His research interests include novel techniques to identify lymphatic and vascular spreading of melanoma, mechanisms of developing resistance to targeted therapies in soft tissue sarcomas including gastrointestinal stromal tumors and novel therapeutics for solid tumors. In addition, he participates in multi-center clinical trials designed to improve the diagnosis and treatments for cancer patients. Dr. Andtbacka received his medical degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada where he also completed a residency in general surgery. Before joining the University of Utah, he completed a 3-year fellowship in surgical oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.