Gregory Gan, M.D., Ph.D.

After receiving his Medical Degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Gregory Gan continued his education and went on to earn his Ph.D. in DNA Repair and Mutagenesis in the Department of Pharmacology.

Dr. Gan is an Associate Professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center and co-Director of Translational Research and Oligometastatic Program. As both a radiation oncologist and physician-scientist, Dr. Gan's basic science research interest focuses on head and neck cancer and lung cancer biology, how inflammation can dysregulate the tumor microenvironment and radiation biology. The labs focus centers on p38 MAPK and MAPKAPK2 (MK2) biology and its intrinsic effects on cancer cell migration, invasion via EGFR and c-MET signaling as well as its extrinsic effects via chemokine modulation and secretory factors on the tumor immune microenvironment.

Dr. Gan is pursuing translational research with the goal of developing novel treatment strategies for head and neck and thoracic cancers. Dr. Gan and his research team are testing the hypothesis that radiotherapy can up-regulate EMT which can lead to tumor repopulation, distant metastasis, and overall treatment resistance. He is ideally suited to address this question because of his fellowship training and expertise in establishing head and neck cancer patient-derived tumor xenografts mouse models, developing a model for mouse head and neck irradiation, and evaluating tumor stem cell biology and its respective microenvironment. Dr. Gan is also interested in how radiotherapy (particularly high dose per fraction also known as stereotactic body radiotherapy) and EMT may affect local and distant control rates in both HPV positive and negative head and neck cancers and thoracic malignancies. He became interested in this area because local control and overall survival remain very poor for patients with HPV negative head and neck cancers. Insights gained from a better understanding of why these tumors fail locally and distantly can potentially improve outcomes.

Advancing Proton Therapy: Integration of Minibeam Spatial Fractionation and FLASH Dose Rates

Correlation between biological effective dose and radiation-induced liver disease from hypofractionated radiotherapy

Exploring the function of myeloid cells in promoting metastasis in head and neck cancer

FAT1 and CASP8 co-mutations are associated with poor prognosis in HPV negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

MAPKAPK2 (MK2) inhibition mediates radiation-induced inflammatory cytokine production and tumor growth in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase-2 (MK2) and its role in cell survival, inflammatory signaling, and migration in promoting cancer

MK2 promotes p16 negative head and neck cancer migration, invasion, and metastasis.

Sarcopenia and Treatment Toxicity in Older Adults Undergoing Chemoradiation for Head and Neck Cancer: Identifying Factors to Predict Frailty

The MAPKAPK2 pathway mediates radiation-induced tumor inflammation and proliferation in bladder cancer

A Phase II Trial of Durvalumab (MEDI4736) and Ablative Radiation in Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (DARES)

Role of cancer associated murine fibroblasts in head and neck cancer tumor repopulation

Development of a recurrent-metastatic head and neck cancer microphysiological system as a step towards precision medicine

Elucidating Late Effects of Radiation in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Idnetifying the Molecular Determinants Associated with Early Failure in Early-Stage Larynx Cancer Following defenitive Radiotherapy

Moerae Matrix Research

The Role of MK2 on head and neck cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastases

Understanding the role of MK2 in cancer migration-invasion in locally advanced head and neck cancer

Use of apatanib-nanosponge conjugate to reduce post-radiation induced oral cavity and salivary fibrosis