Sue Yom

Sue Yom is a full-time Professor and Vice Chair of Strategic Advisory at the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where she holds the Jacobs Distinguished Professorship in Head and Neck Cancer Radiation Oncology. She is a practicing clinician-scientist who translates insights from patient care into clinical trials and translational research, focusing on head and neck, thoracic, and cutaneous malignancies. Her work includes developing novel molecular targeted agents, immunotherapies, and advanced radiation techniques, with a particular emphasis on virally driven cancers like HPV, EBV, and MCPyV.

• M.D./Ph.D. in Medicine/English from the University of Pennsylvania (2002)
• Internship and residency in Radiation Oncology at U.T. M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (2003-2007)

Her research integrates biomarker discovery (tissue, blood, imaging) to predict therapy response and prognosis. She leads major national and international clinical trials through NRG Oncology and the Head and Neck Cancer International Group (HNCIG), contributing to over 250 publications. Her leadership roles include Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, Chair of the NRG Oncology Head and Neck Cancer Committee, and co-Principal Investigator for NRG Oncology at UCSF.

• NIH R01 Grant (R01CA269950) for oral microbiome research in oral cancer patients (2022-2027)
• Key professional roles: National Boards Examiner (American Board of Radiology), Co-Chair of HNCIG Guidelines and Protocols Committee

Scientific accolades include multiple fellowships (Mellon, Benjamin Franklin), the Steven A. Leibel Memorial Award, Fellowships in ASTRO, AAWR, and ACR, and lifetime teaching honors. She actively shapes clinical guidelines through NCCN, ASTRO, and ASCO, while advancing health equity via the ASTRO Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council.