Biographical summary
Rory L. Smoot, M.D., is a hepatobiliary and pancreas surgeon specializing in the treatment bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), pancreatic cancer and other pancreatic and hepatobiliary diseases. He is the vice-chair of Research for the Department of Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Smoot partners with patients to provide respectful and attentive care to their individual health needs, ensuring their desired health outcomes are prioritized in clinical choices.
His clinical focus includes:
- Surgical treatment for benign and malignant diseases of the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts.
- Surgical treatment for cholangiocarcinoma, metastatic cancer to the liver and other abdominal organs.
- Surgical treatment for abdominal and retroperitoneal sarcomas.
- Surgical treatment of splenic conditions.
- Surgical treatment of gastric and small bowel tumors.
Dr. Smoot earned his medical degree from Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota. He completed his general surgery residency at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester, MN. After residency, he continued his training at the University of Toronto, completing a fellowship in hepatobiliary surgery.
Dr. Smoot earned an Early-Stage Investigator qualification and is dedicated to advancing treatment for hepatobiliary and pancreas diseases. His research focuses on novel therapeutic strategies for cholangiocarcinoma, new therapies to augment liver regeneration and treatment for hepatobiliary malignancies. He authors expert content and publishes in high-impact scientific journals. His cancer research has been funded by the Department of Defense Career Development Award and the Regenerative Medicine Minnesota Foundation grant.
Conditions treated
Procedures performed
Interests
- Benign Conditions of the Liver and Bile Ducts (Hemangioma, Bile duct injury, Polycystic liver disease, Cystadenoma, Adenoma)
- Malignant Conditions of the Liver and Bile Ducts (Cholangiocarcinoma, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Gallbladder cancer, Metastatic colon cancer, Other metastatic tumors)
- Benign Conditions of the Pancreas (IPMN, Mucinous neoplasm, Neuroendocrine tumors)
- Malignant Conditions of the Pancreas (Pancreas cancer, Metastatic tumors to the pancreas)
- Other abdominal and retroperitoneal tumors (Sarcoma, Carcinoid, Gastric cancer, GIST, Small bowel cancer)
Mayo Clinic locations
Education
- 2014
Fellow - Hepatobiliary Surgery FellowshipUniversity of Toronto
- 2012
ResidentSurgery, Programs in Rochester, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
- 2012
ResidentMayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
- 2010
Clinical InvestigatorMayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
- 2010
ResidentClinician Investigator, Programs in Rochester, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
- 2005
MDMayo Medical School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
- 2003
Research ScholarHoward Hughes Medical Institute
- 2000
BA - Biology (with honors)University of Kansas
Activities and honors
Certifications
- 2013
General SurgeryAmerican Board of Surgery
Awards and honors
- 2018
Poster of DistinctionSociety of Surgical Oncology
- 2017
Center for Cell Signaling in Gastroenterology New Named InvestigatorMayo
- 2011
Howard K. Gray Travel AwardSurgical Residency Program, Department of Surgery
- 2010
Dr. Kaare K. Nygaard Travel AwardSurgical Residency Program, Department of Surgery
- 2009
Balfour AwardBalfour Research Symposium, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Department of Education Administration
- 2009
Inlow AwardSurgical Residency Program, Department of Surgery
- 2007
Dr. Kaare K. Nygaard Travel AwardSurgical Residency Program, Department of Surgery
- 2006
Silver Retractor AwardSilver Retractor
- 2004
Medical Student Prize for Excellence in NeurologyAmerican Academy of Neurology
- 2003
Continuing Education FellowshipHoward Hughes Medical Institute
- 2000
Gooding ScholarMayo Medical School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Department of Education Administration
Professional memberships
- 2024 - present
Grant ReviewerPrimary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) Support
- 2024 - present
External Grant ReviewerBelgian Foundation Against Cancer
- 2024 - present
Member, Research Transformation Discovery-Practice PillarResearch, Mayo Group Practices
- 2024 - present
Member, Research Transformation Clinical Impact PillarResearch, Mayo Group Practices
- 2024 - present
External Grant ReviewerSwiss National Science Foundation
- 2023 - present
Member, Advisory CommitteeNHLBI Sponsored R38 - Mayo Clinic "Stimulating Access to Research in Residency" (StARR) program
- 2022 - present
Executive Committee Member, NIDDK-funded Digestive Disease Research Core CenterMayo Clinic
- 2021 - present
Steering Committee MemberMayo Clinic Center for Biomedical Discovery
- 2021 - present
MemberAmerican Association of Cancer Research
- 2020 - present
Co-Chair, Surgical Peer Review Research CommitteeDepartment of Surgery
- 2020 - present
MemberInternational Liver Cancer Association
- 2019 - present
Member, Executive CommitteeDepartment of Surgery
- 2018 - present
MemberAmerican Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
- 2016 - present
Member, Membership CommitteeAmerican Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association
- 2015 - 2018
Subject Matter ExpertMayo Clinic EHR/RCM Convergence Project/Plummer Project
- 2014 - 2018
Member, Program Sub-Committee - HepatobiliarySociety for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
- 2014 - present
MemberThe Priestley Society
- 2010 - present
MemberAmerican Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association
- 2010 - 2012
Member, Membership CommitteeAssociation for Academic Surgery
- 2009 - 2023
MemberSociety for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
- 2009 - 2022
MemberAssociation for Academic Surgery
Publications
Research activities