Research Summary

Within my department, I am the vice chair of strategic advisory and hold the Jacobs Distinguished Professorship in Head and Neck Cancer Radiation Oncology. I am a full-time practicing clinician and my research draws from what I learn from my patients. My primary interests include head and neck, thoracic, and cutaneous malignancies, where I have developed and led multiple clinical trials, both within UCSF and across sites nationwide and overseas. I am interested in the development and evaluation of new therapeutic techniques, which to me include novel molecular targeted agents and immunotherapies as well as state-of-the-art technical advances in radiation therapy. I have special interests in virally driven malignancies associated with humanpapillomavirus (HPV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). My research has entailed collaborating with laboratory-based investigators to identify patient, tumor, and technical characteristics that influence prognosis and response to specific therapies, including tissue-, blood-, and imaging-based biomarkers. I have also conducted clinical trials focused on symptom management, radioprotectants, and supporting patients' quality of life and decision making.

University responsibilities include co-leading the site committee for clinical trial development in head and neck cancers at the UCSF HDFCCC and serving as the principal investigator for NRG Oncology cooperative group activities at UCSF. I previously served on the Cancer Committee which maintains our accreditation through the American College of Surgeons. Nationally, I am the Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, Chair of the NRG Oncology Head and Neck Cancer Committee, and a Board Member and the Guidelines and Protocols Committee Co-Chair for the Head and Neck Cancer International Group. I am a member of the NCCN Head and Neck Cancers guidelines committee as well as the Head and Neck Cancer Resource Panel, Education and Science Education Committees, and Education Committee of the Health Equity Diversity Inclusion Education Council of the American Society of Radiation Oncology. I was previously co-chair of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) steering committee for head and neck cancers, president of the American Radium Society (ARS), chair of the scientific program and nominating committees of ARS, chair of the Appropriateness Committee guidelines for radiation oncology at the American College of Radiology, and member of the NCI's Head and Neck Recurrent/Metastatic Disease Task Force. I have been on the scientific program committees of the American Society for Radiation Oncology, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and the American Head and Neck Society, among others. I am a national boards examiner for the American Board of Radiology. I have contributed to about 250 publications in the medical literature.

Research Funding

  • June 13, 2022 - May 31, 2027 - Oral microbiome and inflammatory status in antimicrobially-treated oral cancer patients , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA269950

Education

2002, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, M.D., Ph.D., Medicine/English
2003, U. T. – M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Internship, Medicine/Surgery
2007, U. T. – M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Residency, Radiation Oncology

Honors & Awards

  • 1992
    Mellon Fellow in the Humanities, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
  • 1995
    Benjamin Franklin Medical Scholar Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania
  • 2004
    Thomas Barkley Award, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
  • 2004
    Clinical Biostatistics and Trial Design Workshop, Cancer Education Consortium
  • 2005
    Fellowship, Korean American Society for Therapeutic Radiology & Oncology
  • 2006
    Jesse H. Jones Fellowship in Cancer Education, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
  • 2006
    Outstanding Resident Presentation Award, Texas Radiological Society
  • 2006
    A. Lavoy Moore Endowment Fund, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
  • 2006
    Eleanor Montague Distinguished Resident Award, American Association of Women Radiologists
  • 2007
    Vail Workshop on Methods in Clinical Cancer Research, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)/American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
  • 2008
    Joan F. Giambalvo Memorial Scholarship, AMA Women Physicians Congress
  • 2009
    Best Doctors in America, 2009-2014
  • 2011
    Educator of the Year Award, Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology
  • 2019
    Duke TIP Distinguished Alumni Award, Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP)
  • 2019
    Exceptional Mentor Award, American Medical Women's Association (AMWA)
  • 2019
    Steven A. Leibel Memorial Award, American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and American Board of Radiology (ABR) Foundation
  • 2020
    Fellow of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (FASTRO), American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
  • 2021
    Lawrence Margolis Lifetime Teaching Award
  • 2021
    Fellow of the American Association for Women in Radiology (FAAWR)
  • 2022
    Fellow of the American College of Radiology (FACR)
  • 2024
    Lawrence Margolis Lifetime Teaching Award
  • 2024
    AAWR Arleo Advocacy Award (A4)

Selected Publications

  1. Yom SS A Window Into a Universe of Stars: The Future of the Red Journal (and Maybe All Journals).  View on PubMed
  2. Lichter KE, Asaro A, Qureshi MM, Truong MT, Parekh A, Witztum A, Anand C, Silva GS, Royce T, Zaorsky NG, Grover S, Abdel-Wahab M, Thiel C, Eckelman MJ, Prionas N, Yom SS, Mohamad O The climate and health impact of U.S. radiation therapy: estimating greenhouse gas emissions, DALYs, and potential of hypofractionation.  View on PubMed
  3. Nguyen MT, Kistner-Griffin E, DeMass R, Chera BS, Halbert CH, Sterba KR, Hill EG, Nussenbaum B, Alberg AJ, Sandulache VC, Hernandez DJ, Jackson RS, Puram SV, Kahmke R, Osazuwa-Peters N, Jackson G, Yom SS, Graboyes EM Barriers and Timely Postoperative Radiation Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer.  View on PubMed
  4. Smith J, Dickstein DR, Mitta A, Sher D, Yom SS, McDowell L Red Journal Reviews: Typology, Methodology, and Standards.  View on PubMed
  5. Evans M, Bonomo P, Chan PC, Chua MLK, Eriksen JG, Hunter K, Jensen K, Jones TM, Laskar SG, Maroldi R, O'Sullivan B, Paterson C, Tagliaferri L, Tribius S, Yom SS, Gregoire V Delineation of the post-operative primary tumour and nodal clinical target volumes in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) clinical guidelines.  View on PubMed
  6. Moghanaki D, Yom SS, Vapiwala N Missing the Target: Radiation, "Toxicity," and Public Fear.  View on PubMed
  7. Paleri V, Yom SS Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Decade of Transformation.  View on PubMed
  8. Gulati A, Patel N, Kidane J, Perrin CE, Chan JW, Crosby TW, Young VN, Rosen CA, Yom SS, Ha PK, Schneider SL, Ma Y Prevalence of Long-Term Dysphagia in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors Not Receiving Dysphagia Treatment.  View on PubMed
  9. Tang LL, Huang CL, Lin SJ, Le QT, O'Sullivan B, Yom SS, Huang SH, Chan AW, Lee N, Pan JJ, Mejia MBA, Ahn YC, Wong KCW, McDowell L, Orlandi E, Friborg J, Chen YP, Yasuda K, Kodaira T, Whitley AC, King AD, Prajogi GB, Hahn E, Lin JC, Kiyota N, Lee V, Ji PJ, Hitchcock Y, Hoebers F, Blanchard P, Moon SH, Wan Ishak WZ, Harrington KJ, Yang KY, Colevas AD, Lee A, Hu CS, Rosenthal D, Siddiqui F, Langendijk JA, Lang JY, Yi JL, Shen LF, Li JB, Liu LZ, Lee AWM, Mai HQ, Yang MK, Sun Y, Chua MLK, Ma J Primary target volume delineation for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: CSTRO, CACA, CSCO, HNCIG, ESTRO, and ASTRO guidelines and contouring atlas.  View on PubMed
  10. Tang LL, Huang CL, Lin SJ, Le QT, O'Sullivan B, Yom SS, Huang SH, Chan AW, Lee N, Pan JJ, Mejia MBA, Ahn YC, Wong KCW, McDowell L, Orlandi E, Friborg J, Chen YP, Yasuda K, Kodaira T, Whitley AC, King AD, Prajogi GB, Hahn E, Lin JC, Kiyota N, Lee V, Ji PJ, Hitchcock Y, Hoebers F, Blanchard P, Moon SH, Wan Ishak WZ, Harrington KJ, Yang KY, Colevas AD, Lee A, Hu CS, Rosenthal D, Siddiqui F, Langendijk JA, Lang JY, Yi JL, Shen LF, Li JB, Liu LZ, Lee AWM, Mai HQ, Yang MK, Sun Y, Chua MLK, Ma J Target volume delineation of the neck for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: CSTRO, CACA, CSCO, HNCIG, ESTRO, and ASTRO guidelines and contouring atlas.  View on PubMed
  11. Bossi P, Kiyota N, Mesía R, Rosenberg AJ, Martino R, Fazer-Posorske C, Salmio S, Schroeder A, Yom SS Adverse event profiles and management of cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review.  View on PubMed
  12. Runge CL, Lyness JA, Gillison ML, Adelstein DJ, Harari PM, Ringash J, Geiger JL, Krempl GA, Blakaj DM, Bates JE, Galloway TJ, Jones CU, Gensheimer MF, Dunlap NE, Phan J, Caudell JJ, Pennington JD, Torres-Saavedra PA, Yom SS, Le QT, Movsas B Self-Perceived Hearing Outcomes With Radiation and Cisplatin or Radiation and Cetuximab for Patients With Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer-Results From NRG Oncology RTOG 1016.  View on PubMed
  13. Le C, Lewis M, Harris CS, Berger L, Chavez-Iglesias E, Morse L, Sucher A, Roy R, Olshen A, Hammer MJ, Paul S, Wallhagen M, Chan R, Sayer M, Yom S, Cho NW, Chan A, Levine J, Dhruva A, Miaskowski C, Conley YP, Kober KM A Data-Driven Epigenetic Characterization of Morning Fatigue Severity in Oncology Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: Associations With Epigenetic Age Acceleration, Blood Cell Types, and Expression-Associated Methylation.  View on PubMed
  14. Langer CJ, Harris J, Horwitz EM, Kies M, Ad VB, Wong SJ, Caudell JJ, Zeitzer KL, Spencer SA, Zhang Q, Yom SS, Le QT Phase 2 Study of Low-Dose Paclitaxel and Cisplatin in Combination With Split-Course Concomitant Twice-Daily Reirradiation in Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Long-term Follow-up of NRG Oncology Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Proto  View on PubMed
  15. Marks LB, Andratschke N, Yom SS, Paradis KC, Mayo CS, Yorke ED, Jackson A, Bentzen SM, Appelt AL, Vasquez Osorio E, Dawson LA Addressing Clinical Challenges of Reirradiation: A Continuum of Evolving Options.  View on PubMed
  16. Trout AT, Boike TP, Avram AM, Barry P, Dadparvar S, Duriseti S, Flavell RR, Grant FD, Kwatra N, Lai HA, Parisi MT, Yom SS, Tulchinsky M, Ghesani MV, Subramaniam RM, Levin TL, Small W, Schechter NR ACR-ACNM-ARS-SNMMI-SPR Practice Parameter for Treatment of Benign and Malignant Thyroid Disease With I-131 Sodium Iodide.  View on PubMed
  17. Zumsteg ZS, Luu M, Fortpied C, Jang JK, Chen MM, Mallen-St Clair J, Walgama E, Le QT, Machtay M, Tribius S, Forastiere A, Wong S, Ozsahin EM, Gregoire V, Vermorken JB, Ho AS, Yom SS Re-examining post-operative chemoradiotherapy in head and neck cancer: an updated long-term combined analysis of RTOG 9501/EORTC 22931.  View on PubMed
  18. Yom SS Niche No More? Adaptive Radiation Therapy as a Mainstream Proposition.  View on PubMed
  19. Biau J, Grégoire V, Tribius S, Blanchard P, Bonomo P, Cacicedo J, Yom SS Shifting away from elective nodal irradiation in HNSCC: What do we know and Where are we heading?  View on PubMed
  20. Ho AS, Huang SH, O'Sullivan B, Luu M, Evans M, Ferris RL, Lewis JS, Seethala RR, Yom SS, Mehanna H, Branstetter BF, Saba NF, Patel SG, Lydiatt WM, Zumsteg ZS Derivation and validation of the AJCC9V pathological stage classification for HPV-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma: a multicentre registry analysis.  View on PubMed

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