Thoracic medical oncologist Sukhmani K. Padda, MD, was recently selected to direct Thoracic Medical Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Padda’s appointment, following a national search, reflects her breadth of experience as a clinician and researcher in the field of thoracic oncology.
Research Focus
Dr. Padda’s research focuses on therapies for thoracic cancers, with a particular interest in improving treatment for genomic subsets of lung cancer, including KRAS- and EGFR-positive lung cancer, and rare thoracic tumors, such as thymic malignancies and lung neuroendocrine tumors. She also studies questions related to tumor biomarkers to help determine the best treatments for patients.
“There are a lot of success stories in lung cancer, but the area still needs improvement,” Dr. Padda said. “A great deal of work is being done with targeted treatments and how novel treatment approaches can overcome resistance to targeted therapies. There are a lot of interesting questions; I’m excited to help look for the answers.”
Sukhmani K. Padda, MD
Dr. Padda said that one of her top priorities is to further the development of clinical trials, building on Cedars-Sinai’s reputation for basic, translational, clinical, and health services research. “I would like to ensure that patients have access to novel clinical trials and therapies, maximizing their opportunities for successful health outcomes,” she explained.
Professional Background
A Detroit native, Dr. Padda obtained her medical degree from Northeastern Ohio Medical University in 2007. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Stanford University in 2011 and a 3-year fellowship there in medical hematology/oncology in 2014. She was Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. She also served as the phase I Clinical Research Group leader at the university.
Dr. Padda has authored and coauthored dozens of papers and articles for peer-reviewed scientific publications. In addition, she is a peer reviewer for a host of prestigious cancer journals, including the Journal of Clinical Oncology and JAMA Oncology.
