Nathaniel R. Evans III, MD, FACS, FCCP

Professor of Surgery
Director, Division of Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery
Chief of Cancer Services, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Center City
Associate Director for Surgical Services, Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute

Nathaniel R. Evans III, MD, FACS, FCCP, grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and graduated from Moorestown Friends School in 1994. He then attended Princeton University, receiving his BA in 1998 in molecular biology. He received his MD from Stanford University School of Medicine in 2002.

Dr. Evans began his surgical training at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, in 2002. After completing an internship and residency in general surgery, he completed a fellowship in thoracic surgery at MGH. During that time, he spent several months as a visiting fellow at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he focused on minimally invasive esophageal surgery, and at Memorial Sloane Kettering, where he focused on thoracic oncologic surgery. He completed his thoracic surgical training in 2010.

In 2010, Dr. Evans joined Jefferson’s Section of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery as an Assistant Professor of Surgery. In 2013, he assumed leadership of the section and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2014. In 2017, he became the inaugural Division Director of the new Division of Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery within the Department of Surgery at Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

His clinical focus brings the latest in surgical expertise and technique to Jefferson Health. Under his leadership, Jefferson has become a regional and national leader in minimally invasive and robotic thoracic surgery, providing thousands of patients in the Philadelphia area and beyond with the best possible care for lung cancer, esophageal cancer, and other diseases of the chest.

Dr. Evans is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, and the Society of Black Academic Surgeons. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Chest Physicians. He is the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012 and a graduate of Jefferson’s Leadership Academy. In 2020, he received the Outstanding Clinician Award for Surgical Specialties and was promoted to Professor of Surgery.

During his time at Jefferson, Dr. Evans has led and participated in numerous multidisciplinary efforts to improve the lives of Jefferson patients. Highlights include:

Development and implementation of a comprehensive lung cancer screening program
Research to understand and address disparities in lung cancer screening, which includes a $2.8 million grant to assess and improve lung cancer screening in vulnerable populations
Participation in Jefferson’s multidisciplinary, patient-centered program for care and management of esophageal cancer

Dr. Evans leads a research team at Jefferson focused on early detection and treatment of lung cancer and the improvement of outcomes and patient experience after lung surgery and esophageal surgery. Their research has also been dedicated to identifying and alleviating disparities in care.

Within the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Dr. Evans has served as a member of the Clinical Operations Committee and the Oncology Coordinating Council for several years. In 2020, he was appointed Chief of Cancer Services for the center city division. He also serves as the clinical lead for the SKCC lung cancer program and multidisciplinary clinic.

Within the Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute, he serves as Associate Director for Surgical Services and has led the development of a standard for excellence across Jefferson Health for thoracic surgical care.