Nicolas D. Prionas

Nicolas D. Prionas, M.D., Ph.D., serves as Assistant Professor and Director of Quality in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). A Bay Area native, he specializes in extending UCSF's cancer care throughout Northern California with clinical expertise spanning all malignancy sites, particularly breast cancer diagnosis and management.

His educational foundation includes:

• B.S. in Biomedical Computation, Stanford University (2001-2005)
• M.S. in Biomechanical Engineering, Stanford University (2005-2006)
• Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, UC Davis (2008-2012)
• M.D. in Medicine, UC Davis (2006-2014)
• Radiation Oncology Residency, Stanford University (2015-2019)

Dr. Prionas' research centers on technologies enhancing equitable cancer care access, building on his doctoral work in quantitative imaging using dedicated breast computed tomography. His clinical proficiency encompasses advanced radiotherapy techniques including IMRT, SABR/SBRT, SRS, IGRT, and IORT for precision tumor targeting.

Publication analysis reveals an evolution from foundational breast CT physics (2011-2012) to clinical radiotherapy outcomes research (2015-2019). Key trends include breast cancer imaging optimization, prognostic PET/CT biomarkers in lung cancer, and comparative effectiveness of SBRT versus conventional radiotherapy in prostate cancer.

Professional recognition includes:

• 2018 NCCN Oncology Fellows Program Grant
• 2015 Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Transitional Intern of the Year
• 2014 Russel A. McFall, MD Excellence in Radiology
• 2012 WSMRF Gale Hansen Starich, PhD, Oral Presentation Award
• Multiple honor society inductions (Alpha Omega Alpha, Phi Kappa Phi)

As Director of Quality, he leads departmental initiatives for care standardization while securing research funding like the NCCN Oncology Fellows Grant. His work bridges medical physics innovation with clinical implementation to address healthcare disparities.

Current leadership in UCSF's Radiation Oncology quality programs demonstrates commitment to translating imaging advances into community-wide cancer care improvements through systematic process optimization.