Valley Hospital appoints Dr. José Guillem as medical director of research

The Valley Hospital has officially named Dr. José Guillem as its new medical director of research. In this role, Guillem will take the helm of all research initiatives across the Valley Health System.

Guillem’s primary focus will be creating a supportive ecosystem for clinicians, residents, fellows and interdisciplinary teams to pursue impactful clinical and investigative work.

“I bring a deeply collaborative and mission-driven approach to research leadership shaped by many years of experience across major academic environments,” Guillem said. “What excites me most about this opportunity is the ability to help cultivate innovation, mentorship, and interdisciplinary collaboration in a way that meaningfully benefits both the institution and the community it serves.”

Guillem steps into the role with an extensive background in clinical research and surgical leadership at several of the nation’s top medical institutions:

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York): Began his academic and surgical career as an active clinical and investigative surgeon.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Served as Chief of Gastrointestinal Surgery.
• Penn State Cancer Institute & Milton S. Hershey Medical Center: Most recently served as Associate Director of Surgical Research and Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery.

Guillem holds a medical degree and a Master of Public Health (MPH) in epidemiology from the Yale University School of Medicine, alongside an MBA from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. He completed his residency and research fellowship at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, followed by a colon and rectal surgery fellowship at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center.

In addition to his administrative duties, Guillem will remain a practicing surgeon at Valley’s Center for Digestive Health, specializing in the surgical treatment of rectal cancer, early-onset colon cancer, and inherited forms of colon cancer.

Valley Health System’s research enterprise is anchored by the state-of-the-art Okonite Research Center, which serves as the centralized hub for clinical trials and leading-edge investigations.