Jonathan T. Yang, MD, PhD, has joined NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center as director of clinical research at its Brain and Spine Tumor Center. Dr. Yang will also serve as associate vice chair for clinical research and developmental therapeutics in the Department of Radiation Oncology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

One of Dr. Yang’s main projects at NYU Langone will be to build a world-class metastatic disease program in the Department of Radiation Oncology as director of its Metastatic Disease Service. In this role he will work with medical oncologists, surgeons, palliative and supportive care oncologists, radiation oncologists, cancer biologists, and other specialists to develop novel treatments for patients with metastatic cancers.

When cancer metastasizes, it spreads to surrounding parts of the body, becoming more difficult and riskier to treat. One of Dr. Yang’s areas of expertise is in leading trials using novel radiation approaches and investigative drugs in combination with radiation to improve patient outcomes and better control the spread of cancer.

“I’m honored to join NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, where we have so many dedicated clinicians and researchers already doing great work in the field of metastatic disease,” said Dr. Yang. “Collaborating with this team will allow us all to learn more and ultimately create more effective and safer treatments that benefit our patients.”

At the Brain and Spine Tumor Center, Dr. Yang will work with a multidisciplinary team that includes neuro-oncologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologists to provide expert treatment for all types of brain tumors, including glioma and astrocytoma, pituitary adenoma, primary central nervous system lymphoma, and metastatic brain tumors. He will continue to expand its clinical research portfolio, bringing the latest and most advanced clinical trials to the wider NYU Langone enterprise.

“Dr. Yang brings an impressive wealth of experience and expertise to our team, and we are fortunate to have him join us,” said Alec Kimmelman, MD, PhD, who is the Anita Steckler and Joseph Steckler Chair of Radiation Oncology and the director of Perlmutter Cancer Center. “I am confident that Dr. Yang will contribute significantly to the continued success in the fields of radiation oncology and brain and spine tumor care.”

Dr. Yang has been a pioneer in advancing the treatment of patients with metastatic cancer, with a special focus on leptomeningeal disease, a rare form of metastasis that occurs in the thin layers of tissue and fluid covering the brain and spinal cord that is associated with a poor prognosis. He has led several practice-changing studies that resulted in improved survival in patients with leptomeningeal disease who receive radiation of the brain and spine.

About Dr. Yang

Dr. Yang earned his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine and a doctorate from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He did his radiation oncology training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he stayed on as faculty until he moved to Seattle. There he was an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where he developed and led the radiation oncology phase 1 clinical trial program.

He has held several leadership positions, serving as director of the Radiation Oncology Metastatic Disease Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and more recently as director of the Metastatic Disease and Developmental Therapeutics Service, director of clinical research, and medical director of the Gamma Knife Center in the University of Washington’s Department of Radiation Oncology.

Dr. Yang has authored and co-authored dozens of papers in high-impact journals, including the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Lancet, JAMA Oncology, and Clinical Cancer Research. He is also an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology.

Media Inquiries

Ryan Dziuba
Phone: 212-404-4131
Ryan.Dziuba@NYULangone.org