Walter J. Curran, Jr., MD, FACR, is Professor Emeritus and former Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. He served for 11 years as the Executive Director of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the state of Georgia.

Dr. Curran is considered an international expert in the management of patients with locally advanced lung cancer and malignant brain tumors. He has led several landmark clinical and translational trials in both areas and is responsible for defining a universally adopted staging system for patients with malignant glioma.

Dr. Curran has served as the group chairman and principal investigator of NRG Oncology, formerly the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, a National Cancer Institute-funded cooperative group dedicated to advancing patient treatment and care through clinical trials and research. He was the first radiation oncologist to serve as Director of a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center.