Dr. James Donahue

Doctor Overview

Dr. James Donahue is a chest surgeon and surgical oncologist. He treats many conditions affecting the chest, including mesothelioma and lung cancer. Dr. Donahue sees patients at The Kirklin Clinic of the UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.

Dr. Donahue attended the University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate pre-medicine studies. He then received his medical degree from Harvard University. He is currently the section chief of thoracic surgery at the UAB Hospital. He also performs chest surgeries at the Birmingham VA Health Care System.

Along with treating patients, Dr. Donahue operates a research lab currently focused on esophageal cancer. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is certified by both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

Doctor Fast Facts

Main Specialty: Thoracic Surgery

Other Interests & Specialties: Chest wall surgery and tumors, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, lung nodules, malignant pleural effusions, mediastinal tumors and pleural mesothelioma pneumothorax.

Certifications, Awards & Accolades: American Board of Surgery certification in Surgery, American Board of Thoracic Surgery certification in Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery, ACS Fellow

Education & Experience:

• Medical Degree from Harvard Medical School
• Internship in General Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital
• Fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester
• Residency in General Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital

Publications

Vein-first vs. artery-first robotic lobectomy outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer. J Thorac Dis. 2024 Jan 30;16(1):368–78.

Morbidity and 30-day mortality after decortication for parapneumonic empyema and pleural effusion among patients in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ General Thoracic Surgery Database. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2019 Mar;157(3):1288-1297.e4.

Oncological outcomes from trimodality therapy receiving definitive doses of neoadjuvant chemoradiation (≥60 gy) and factors influencing consideration for surgery in stage III non-small cell lung cancer. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2017;2(3):259–69.

Role of p53 and EGFR as prognostic biomarkers in stage I non-small cell lung cancer. J Surg Oncol. 2014 Aug;110(2):97–8.