George Yoo

Dr. George Yoo is a Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Wayne State University and serves as Chief Medical Officer and Director of Clinical Affairs at the Karmanos Cancer Center. He chairs the Surgery Committee for the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) and maintains clinical practices at Wayne State University Medicine, Karmanos Cancer Center, and Weisberg Clinic.

Dr. Yoo completed his residency and fellowship in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1995 and 1996 respectively, and is board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. His clinical expertise spans head and neck cancer surgery, melanoma, thyroid/parotid/sinus tumors, and free flap reconstruction.

His research focuses on gene therapy and surgical adjuvant treatments for head and neck cancer, with publications spanning molecular oncology, immunotherapy combinations, nutritional interventions, and surgical innovations. Recent work examines epigenetic modifications, immune checkpoint inhibitors as radiosensitizers, and novel chemotherapeutic agents targeting cellular stress pathways.

Dr. Yoo's 9 most recent publications (2014-2019) demonstrate strong focus on translational head and neck cancer research, with recurring themes in molecular mechanisms (67%), surgical innovations (22%), and health policy/funding analysis (11%). Key trends include growing emphasis on immunotherapy combinations and epigenetic modulation since 2016.

• Best Doctors in America (2005-2015)
• HOUR Detroit Magazine Top Doctors (2005, 2006, 2008, 2010-2018)
• Newsweek Top Cancer Doctors (2015)
• Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctor (2012-2014, 2017)
• Detroit Super Doctors (2014)

As Co-Investigator on NCI-funded grants including the Head and Neck SPORE (2009-2015) and SWOG institutional grants (2004-2019), Dr. Yoo provides surgical leadership for national cooperative group trials. His $1.2M in active funding supports molecular basis research and clinical trial implementation. He holds a patent (60/436,754) for p53 overexpression in keratinocyte transformation models. Clinical teams include Karmanos Cancer Center's multidisciplinary head and neck oncology program and SWOG surgical leadership.