Jessika A. Contreras

Jessika A. Contreras, MD is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine and serves as Chief of Gynecologic and Brachytherapy Services at Siteman Cancer Center. She specializes in treating gynecologic malignancies including cervical, endometrial, vaginal, vulvar, and ovarian cancers using advanced radiation therapy techniques such as brachytherapy, adaptive radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, proton therapy, and MRI-guided radiation therapy. Her clinical practice is based at the Center for Advanced Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Contreras completed her medical degree at the University of South Florida in 2014, followed by a residency in Radiation Oncology at Washington University in St. Louis in 2019. She also holds a Bachelor of Systems Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University (2009).

Her research interests focus on advancing radiation therapy for gynecologic cancers, with particular emphasis on improving treatment precision and outcomes through innovative imaging techniques. She has pioneered work in MRI-guided radiation therapy (SMART - Stereotactic MR-guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy) and has conducted significant research on brachytherapy applications for cervical cancer. Her work spans clinical trials, technical innovations in radiation delivery, and outcomes research across multiple cancer types including gynecologic, head and neck, lung, and gastrointestinal malignancies.

An analysis of her publication record reveals a clear progression from foundational research in radiation therapy techniques to leadership in clinical trials and specialized applications. Her work shows increasing focus on personalized, image-guided approaches with emphasis on minimizing side effects while maximizing tumor control. Notably, her research has evolved from general radiation oncology topics to specialized applications in gynecologic cancers, particularly using advanced MRI-guided techniques.

Dr. Contreras has been actively involved in numerous clinical trials and multidisciplinary research initiatives, with publications appearing in high-impact journals including International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, Radiotherapy and Oncology, and Advances in Radiation Oncology. Her work has accumulated over 900 citations according to her Scopus profile.

She is fluent in both English and Spanish, enhancing her ability to serve diverse patient populations. Her clinical practice requires referrals from primary care or other providers, and she accepts various health insurance plans as listed on her provider profile.