Who Is Dr. Darren Carpizo?

Dr. Darren Carpizo is a Professor of Surgery and Oncology & the Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of Rochester. Based in Rochester, NY, Darren previously worked with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey for more than 11 years.

In his early childhood years, Dr. Darren Carpizo knew he would enter a career in the healthcare field. He wanted to be a doctor and took every educational and instructional path presented to him.

Upon graduating from high school, Darren chose to enroll in Cornell University in Ithaca, New York for his undergraduate and study in their Biology of Society major, a unique concentration to Cornell at the time. The major dives deep into the science of biology and how science is impacted on an ongoing basis by different aspects of society, including politics, and culture. While attending Cornell, Darren was also a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity and the Alpha Epsilon Delta Premedical Honor Society. He graduated in 1993 with his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology.

Following his undergraduate education, Dr. Darren Carpizo enrolled in Medical School at the University of Chicago. While here, he got involved in a program that exposed students to research and had the chance to research a condition called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Through this program, he had a chance to see what medical research in a lab looked like in actuality and gain hands-on experience in the field. Darren enjoyed the program, and it cemented his knowledge that he wanted to work as a physician or scientist.

Once Darren completed medical school, he trained to become a cancer surgeon. He attended the University of California in Los Angeles and completed his surgical residency through a program designed to train academic surgeons. Dr. Darren Carpizo spent nine years working with UCLA Health as a Surgical Resident, during which time he also decided to complete his Ph.D. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, a degree he earned in 2003.

Following his time at UCLA, Darren continued his fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York for the next two years, completing his surgical oncology residency. During his second year of fellowship, his area of concentration was on the management of patients with bile duct, liver, and pancreatic cancers.