Sana Karam

Sana Karam, MD, PhD is the Elizabeth H. and James S. McDonnell III Distinguished Professor and Department Chair of Radiation Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine. She is affiliated with the Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences and holds appointments in multiple graduate programs including Cancer Biology, Computational and Systems Biology, Immunology, Molecular Cell Biology, and Molecular Genetics and Genomics. Dr. Karam serves as the Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology and is an active member of the Siteman Cancer Center.

Dr. Karam earned her PhD in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Washington in 2001, followed by her Medical Degree from Georgetown University in 2008. She is board certified by the American Board of Radiation Oncology.

Dr. Karam's research focuses on tumor immunology, resistance to therapy, and clinical trials. Her work particularly emphasizes head and neck cancer, pancreatic cancer, recurrent and metastatic disease, and immunotherapy combinations with radiation. She has made significant contributions to understanding the tumor microenvironment, particularly how radiotherapy interacts with immunotherapy to modulate immune responses against cancer. Her research spans from basic science investigations of molecular pathways to clinical applications and trials.

Analysis of Dr. Karam's recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong focus on radio-immunotherapy combinations, with particular attention to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and pancreatic cancer. Her work explores mechanisms of resistance to therapy, biomarkers for treatment response, and novel therapeutic strategies combining radiation with immunotherapy agents like durvalumab. She has also contributed significantly to understanding the role of the tumor microenvironment, immune cell infiltration, and molecular pathways in treatment response.

Dr. Karam is actively involved in mentoring, being willing to mentor PhD/MSTP students. She has published over 150 research outputs with more than 4,600 citations, demonstrating the impact of her work in the field of radiation oncology and cancer immunology. Her research has been supported by numerous grants that enable her laboratory to conduct both preclinical and clinical studies.

Dr. Karam leads a research team that includes graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical researchers focused on advancing the understanding of radiation-immunotherapy interactions. Her laboratory investigates molecular mechanisms of radiation response, develops preclinical models for testing novel therapeutic combinations, and conducts clinical trials to translate these findings to patient care. The team collaborates extensively with other researchers in immunology, cancer biology, and clinical oncology to address complex questions in cancer treatment.