Biography
Dr. Tawfik received his undergraduate Bachelor of Science in biology at the University of Louisville (2008) and attended medical school at Wake Forest Bowman Gray School of Medicine (2011). He continued his internal medicine residency at Wake Forest Baptist Health (2014) and stayed one year as a hospitalist faculty member (2015) while his wife completed fellowship. He completed his hematology and oncology fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern (2018) in Dallas, TX.
Personal Statement
Bernard Tawfik MD, is Associate Professor in Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology Oncology and a board certified, practicing medical oncologist at the University of New Mexico Cancer Comprehensive Center (UNM CCC). His clinical interest lies in the treatment of solid tumors with a focus on breast cancer and neuroendocrine tumors. His research has focused on the cancer care delivery, quality improvement and health disparities research. He is actively involved in the conduct of clinical trials and the breast cancer service line, leading the Breast Cancer Working Group Protocol Development Committee. He serves as Quality and Patient Safety Officer for the UNM CCC reviewing patient safety events and working to improve patient experience. He has cultivated collaboration with UNM Behavioral Measurement and Population Sciences and the New Mexico Department of Health. These collaborations have resulted in an investigator initiated clinical protocol evaluating the use of Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) to assess patient, staff and provider views and patient understanding of adjuvant endocrine therapy. He has further collaborations and publications regarding oral oncolytic adherence, safety and education, effective delivery of Survivorship Care Plans, effectiveness of tumor marker surveillance in early-stage breast cancer, improving germline genetic testing rates in pancreatic cancer and, decreasing chemotherapy infusion wait times. He serves on the Cancer Care Delivery Research Committee for both the NRG and Alliance cooperative groups and the National Cancer Institute Cancer Care Delivery Research Steering Committee.
Areas of Specialty
Medical Oncologist in Breast Cancer and Neuroendocrine Tumors
Education
Fellowship: University of Texas Southwestern (2018)
Residency: Wake Forest (2015)
Internship: Wake Forest (2012)
Medical School: Wake Forest (2011)
Certifications
American Society of Clinic Oncology 2015-present
American Society of Hematology 2015-present
American Medical Association 2010-present
Board Certified in Internal Medicine
Board Eligible in Hematology and Oncology
Achievements & Awards
Hematology and Oncology Fellow Teaching Award - 2025
“Emerging Leaders” Designation from UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center - 2025
Hematology and Oncology Fellow Mentor Award - 2021
Exemplary Teacher – Teaching award, University of New Mexico, 2020 and 2023
ECOG-ACRIN Young Investigator Award of Distinction – ECOG-ACRIN, Orlando, Florida, 2017
Harrison Award – Internal Medicine Residency teaching excellence award, Wake Forest, 2015
Tinsley R. Harrison Resident Research Scholar, research award, Wake Forest, 2014
Gray Scholars Award – Award and scholarship for clinical medicine and research, Wake Forest, 2013
Commendation for Education to Medical Students – Resident teaching award, Wake Forest, 2012
M. Robert Cooper Oncology Excellence in Cancer Research – Medical Student research award, Wake Forest, 2011
Languages
- English
Research and Scholarship
Jonathan Coy, Isabella Doan, Devon Chabot-Richards, Mikaela Kosich, V. Shane Pankratz, Lukas Kerr, Sarah Jawadi, Bernard Tawfik. Tumor Mutations in Minority Populations Versus Non-Hispanic Whites Across Tumor Types. JCO Precision Oncology 2025 :9 e2500076(2025)
- Bell-Brown A, Tawfik B, Segarra-Vazquez B, et al. Addressing Challenges in Research Aimed at Reducing Financial Toxicity Among Cancer Patients and Caregivers: An Example From the CREDIT Study (SWOG S1912CD). Cancer Control. 2025;32. doi:10.1177/10732748251344469S.
- Jennifer A. Chan, M.D., M.P.H., Susan Geyer, Ph.D., Tyler Zemla, M.S., Michael V. Knopp, M.D., Ph.D., Spencer Behr, M.D., Sydney Pulsipher, M.P.H., Fang-Shu Ou, Ph.D., Amylou C. Dueck, Ph.D., Jared Acoba, M.D., Ardaman Shergill, M.D., Edward M. Wolin, M.D., Thorvardur R. Halfdanarson, M.D., Bhavana Konda, M.D., M.P.H., Nikolaos Trikalinos, M.D., Bernard Tawfik, M.D., Nitya Raj, M.D., Shagufta Shaheen, M.D., Namrata Vijayvergia, M.D., Arvind Dasari, M.D., Jonathan R. Strosberg, M.D., Elise C. Kohn, M.D., Matthew H. Kulke, M.D., Eileen M. O’Reilly, M.D., and Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, M.D., M.P.H. Phase 3 Trial of Cabozantinib to Treat Advanced Neuroendocrine Tumors. New England Journal of Medicine. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2403991
- Tawfik, B., Jacobson, K., Brown-Glaberman, U. et al. Developing questions to assess and measure patients’ perceived survival benefit from adjuvant endocrine therapy in breast cancer: a mixed methods pilot study. Clin Exp Med 24, 36 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-023-01261-4