I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry and physics from Harvard College, magna cum laude, in 1980 and earned a Master of Science degree in applied physics from Stanford University in 1983.  I received my M.D. degree from the University of California at San Francisco in 1987 and completed my residency training at the Joint Center for Radiation Therapy at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts in 1992, serving as chief resident during my final residency year. I held a faculty position at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles from 1992-1995 and practiced in Los Angeles with Valley Radiotherapy Associates in the late 1990’s.  I transitioned back to academic practice at Tulane University in New Orleans in 2000 before joining the radiation oncology faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center in 2008.  Currently, I am an associate professor of radiation oncology.

I have strong clinical interest and experience in the radiation management of head and neck malignancies, the application of stereotactic techniques in radiotherapy and the radiation treatment of base of skull and central nervous system malignancies in both adults and children. In addition, I have been the principal investigator of several clinical trials in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, including a published phase I/II trial of concurrent weekly cisplatin, cetuximab and nab-paclitaxel with 70Gy radiotherapy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, a published phase II trial of weekly cisplatin and cetuximab with 60-66Gy concurrent continuous course re-irradiation in recurrent squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck and an ongoing phase I trial of reduced volume, PET-directed hypo-fractionated radiotherapy with weekly cisplatin for T1/2N0-2 squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck that completed the first dose cohort of 60Gy in 25 fractions over five weeks.  I am principal investigator of an ongoing phase I radiation dose-escalation clinical trial of stereotactic radiosurgery without whole brain radiation for brain metastases that completed the lead-in dose level groups of 18Gy, 21Gy and 24Gy for each of three different size metastases <1cm, 1-2cm and 2-3cm, respectively, and was principal investigator of a completed phase II trial of surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy without whole brain radiation for brain metastases.

Over the past twenty years, I have accrued to multiple to RTOG, COG and NRG cooperative group trials and served as local principal investigator for the RTOG at Tulane University and then UTSouthwestern from 2006-2012. I co-authored published results of prospective RTOG clinical trials in brain metastases, RTOG-0320, and lung cancer. RTOG-0617, co-authored retrospective experiences and case reports of both head and neck cancers, brain tumors and metastases and mentored both medical students and residents in retrospective clinical research in head and neck cancer, brain tumors and clinical physics.