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I decided to become a doctor at a very young age after seeing what some of my family members went through when they had cancer. Upon entering college, I majored in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology so I could understand how normal cells transform into cancer cells and what role immunotherapy can play in treatment.

As co-director of the Head and Neck Center at Perlmutter Cancer Center, I specialize in treating people with oropharyngeal cancer, salivary gland cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, tonsil cancer, laryngeal cancer, oral cancer, tongue cancer, thyroid cancer, nasal sinus cancer, eye tumors, and rare head and neck tumors.

Head and neck cancers pose unique challenges because they can affect people’s ability to speak, eat, work, and enjoy day-to-day interactions. My goal is to offer innovative treatments that minimize side effects while improving function and quality of life.

People who have head and neck cancers often require multiple types of treatment. Therefore, I collaborate with my colleagues in surgical and medical oncology to develop comprehensive cancer treatment that is tailored to each patient.

My clinical and translational research focuses on developing novel therapeutic treatments for head and neck cancers, new radiation treatment protocols, and new techniques to alleviate radiation side effects. I have researched how brachytherapy—an internal form of radiation treatment for cancer—can help preserve the tongues of people with newly diagnosed tongue cancers. I have also investigated the benefits of brachytherapy for patients with recurrent cancers who have previously received radiation treatment.

I am actively involved in radiation oncology education, nationally, as a board examiner for the American Board of Radiology, and internationally, as the chair of the International Education Subcommittee (IES) for the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). I am an expert lecturer and a consultant for the International Atomic Energy Agency. I was recognized as a fellow of ASTRO for my career contributions and by Castle Connolly’s “Top Doctors” series for the New York metro area from 2014 to the present.