Peng brings immunotherapy experience to head and neck cancer research

photo of Peng lab members

Guangyong Peng, MD, PhD, has joined the Division of Head and Neck Cancer, bringing with him highly sought expertise in the field of immunotherapy and suppressive tumor microenvironments. Peng’s research adds to an aggressive expansion of cancer research efforts in the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University in St. Louis. Head and Neck Division Chief […]

Understanding individual cells to overcome treatment challenges in head and neck cancer

Sid Puram, MD, PhD, thinks that optimizing personalized cancer treatment requires better knowledge about tumor heterogeneity.  Understanding individual tumor cells will promote better and discrete treatment options for head and neck cancer patients. Head and neck tumors are composed of a variety of cells that have different functions, much like bees in a hive. Some […]

Join team Heads Up to raise money for cancer research

photo of Pedal the Cause kids challenge

Have fun, get your complimentary cool team jersey, and help raise money for world-class cancer research by joining our team Heads Up at this year’s Pedal the Cause Sept. 23 to 25. Children can help too! Register your kids ages 3-13 for the Kids Challenge, which takes place Sept. 17. Riders can choose to bike […]

Spector Lectureship adds research symposium

photo of Hayes presenting at Spector Lectureship

The Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University celebrated the 5th annual Spector Lectureship in the Biology of Cancer on April 20. Invited guest speaker Neil Hayes, MD, presented a summary and new thoughts on the roles of cisplatin and HPV in head and neck cancer. The Spector Lectureship celebrates the career of Gershon Spector, MD, […]

Faculty awarded $1.3M for head and neck cancer research

photo of Paul Zolkind at the microscope

Head and neck cancer researchers in the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine have recently attracted $1.3 million in new funding to support their groundbreaking research. The Division of Head and Neck Surgery is rapidly becoming a global force in many areas of cancer research, including HPV, genomics, diagnosis, outcomes disparities, and […]

Register for Pedal the Cause

ENT Pedal the Cause team

Have fun and support a great cause by joining our team at this year’s Pedal the Cause Sept. 23-25. Select our department’s team Heads Up and register by May 1 to take advantage of the lower registration rate. Pedal the Cause provides a great way to come together as a department and help our community. […]

Research identifies novel approach to control cancer

Major Lab cancer research team

Ben Major, PhD, is professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, professor of Otolaryngology and the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor in the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. His groundbreaking cancer research is leading to a greater understanding of the factors that control a variety of […]

Gender and race interaction revealed in cancer survival disparities

Mazul presenting research

Washington University researchers, led by Angela Mazul, PhD, and Sid Puram, MD, PhD, have demonstrated the first interaction between gender and race with regards to survival outcomes for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The results will help establish a greater awareness of the racial and gender disparities in cancer susceptibility, diagnosis, and treatment. […]

Q&A with Research Assistant Sophie Gerndt

Sophie Gerndt, MD, is a research assistant supporting head and neck cancer research efforts in the lab of Jose Zevallos, MD. What does your work in the Zevallos lab entail? I am a physician who graduated from medical school in Juarez City, Mexico. For the past year and a half I have been working as […]

Surge in research funding raises hope for head and neck cancer treatment

Surgeon-scientists and researchers in the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University have just been awarded $1.7 million in grants to improve understanding and treatment of head and neck cancer. The grants will fund research to: explore the de-intensification of treatments for HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer; identify the genomics of high risk HPV-associated and other cancers; understand […]