Mara Antonoff

Dr. Mara Antonoff serves as an Associate Professor and Program Director of Education in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Division of Surgery, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Since joining the faculty in 2014, she has established herself as a leading thoracic surgeon specializing in thoracic oncology, lung transplantation, and foregut diseases with a focus on minimally invasive techniques. She is board-certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and maintains active clinical and research roles.

Her academic foundation includes:

• Undergraduate: Chemistry and Biology, University of Pennsylvania
• Medical Degree: University of Minnesota Medical School
• General Surgery Residency: University of Minnesota (Chief Administrative Surgical Resident)
• Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship: Washington University School of Medicine (General Thoracic track)

Dr. Antonoff's research program targets critical gaps in thoracic oncology, with primary focus on pulmonary metastatic disease mechanisms, early lung cancer detection methodologies, and localized therapy optimization for metastatic lung cancer. She leads a multi-institutional trial for lung-limited metastatic colorectal cancer and serves as surgical PI for multiple NSCLC metastatic therapy trials. Her parallel educational research program develops innovative assessment tools and curricula for thoracic surgical training, emphasizing competency-based progression.

Professional recognition includes:

• Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.)
• Surgical Education Research Fellowship, Association for Surgical Education

Dr. Antonoff holds leadership positions across major surgical organizations including Women in Thoracic Surgery, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, and Thoracic Surgery Directors Association. As founding member of both the Thoracic Education Cooperative Group and Thoracic Surgery Social Media Network, she drives national educational initiatives. Her editorial influence spans the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, CTSNet, and Journal of Thoracic Disease, where she shapes scholarly discourse in cardiothoracic surgery.