Daniel J. Ma

Daniel J. Ma, MD is a Professor of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, serving as Consultant in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He holds multiple leadership positions including Enterprise associate medical director for Radiation Oncology in the Mayo Clinic Cancer Clinical Trials Office, Midwest chair of research for Radiation Oncology, and Enterprise Head and Neck Disease Group lead. Dr. Ma co-directs the Oropharynx Multidisciplinary Clinic with Dr. Eric Moore and chairs the Radiation Oncology Research Committee.

Dr. Ma's educational background includes a BSE from Rice University (2002), MD from Washington University School of Medicine (2006), internship at Tufts University School of Medicine (2007), radiation oncology residency at Washington University School of Medicine (2011), and a Postdoctoral Certificate in Clinical and Translational Science from Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science (2016). He is board certified in Radiation Oncology by the American Board of Radiology (2012).

His research focuses on three main areas: treatment de-intensification for HPV-related oropharynx cancer through clinical trials incorporating minimally invasive surgery and reduced-dose radiotherapy; biomarker-directed treatment using circulating tumor markers to individualize head and neck cancer therapy; and particle therapy applications to reduce toxicity while maintaining efficacy. Dr. Ma aims to balance cancer cure rates with quality of life preservation by developing personalized treatment approaches that minimize long-term treatment effects while ensuring disease control.

Dr. Ma has received numerous scientific awards including the Steven A. Leibel Memorial Award (2021), American Board of Radiology Distinguished Educator Award (2024), and Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center Top Accruing Provider for Clinical Trials (2024). He has secured significant research funding through grants including U01 DE029754, K12 CA90628, and P50 CA108961.

As an educator, Dr. Ma has been honored with the Mayo Fellows Association Teacher of the Year Award (2018) and Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine Excellence in Teaching Award (2019). He serves as Associate Section Editor for the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics (2019-2022) and as an Oral Examiner for the American Board of Radiology (2021-present). His laboratory, the Head and Neck Cancer Research Group, focuses on translating biomarker discoveries into clinical practice through well-designed clinical trials.