The Valley Hospital Welcomes New Medical Director of Research
PARAMUS, NJ, June 3, 2026 – The Valley Hospital welcomes José G. Guillem, MD, as Medical Director of Research for The Valley Hospital.
In his new role, Dr. Guillem will have oversight of all research initiatives offered through Valley Health System. He plans to create an environment where clinicians, residents, fellows, and interdisciplinary clinical and research teams feel supported in pursuing meaningful scholarly and investigative work.
Prior to coming to Valley, Dr. Guillem began his academic career at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, serving as an active clinical and investigative surgeon. He then went on to serve as Chief of Gastrointestinal Surgery at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and, most recently, as Associate Director of Surgical Research at the Penn State Cancer Institute and Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania.
The Okonite Research Center serves as Valley’s home for research and clinical trials. This state-of-the-art center provides a centralized, dedicated space for teams to conduct leading-edge research in the areas of heart care, cancer care, and neurosciences, among others. Research and clinical trials are also conducted at The Valley Hospital and The Audrey and Robert Luckow Pavilion, home to Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care.
Valley’s research program is accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, a distinction that puts Valley on par with some of the world's most respected research organizations. This accreditation certifies Valley’s commitment to conducting ethical, high-quality research and following rigorous protocols for human subject protection.
In addition to his experience in research, Dr. Guillem is a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon. He received his medical degree and his master’s degree in public health with a concentration in epidemiology from Yale University School of Medicine. He also received his master’s degree in business administration from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management of Brandeis University in Massachusetts. He completed his general surgical residency and research fellowship at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York and a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Massachusetts.
Dr. Guillem will also be a practicing surgeon at Valley’s Center for Digestive Health, specializing in the surgical treatment of inherited forms of colon cancer, early age of onset colon cancer, and rectal cancer.
To learn more about research and clinical trials at Valley, please visit ValleyHealth.com/Research.