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The Department of Radiation Onclology, Irvine, Orange, CA // Faculty // Allen M. Chen, MD

Allen M. Chen, MD, MBAProfessor and Chair

Dr. Allen Chen is Chair and Professor of the Department of Radiation Oncology at UCI. Dr. Chen graduated from Cornell University with dual Bachelor degrees in the Biological Sciences and American History. He earned a Medical Degree from Yale University School of Medicine and completed residency training at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Chen began his academic career at the University of California, Davis where he served as Residency Program Director before becoming Vice Chair at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Prior to joining UCI, he served as Chair of Radiation Oncology at the University of Kansas in Kansas City. Dr. Chen also holds Master’s Degrees in Business Administration from both the UCLA-Anderson School of Management, where he was awarded the John Wooden Global Leadership Fellowship, and the National University of Singapore where he studied international finance and business development.

Dr. Chen specializes in the management of head and neck cancers and is considered one of the world’s premier authorities on optimizing cure rates and quality of life for patients. With over 200 peer-reviewed research publications, Dr. Chen has been an active investigator on the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck cancer. His study on de-escalation for HPV-positive cancer was the first to ever suggest a benefit to reduced radiation doses when it was published in 2017 and set the standard for subsequent protocols. Dr. Chen has also conducted multiple clinical trials on re-irradiation techniques for recurrent cancers of the head and neck. Dr. Chen serves on leadership committees for the National Cancer Institute, Radiological Society of North America, American Board of Radiology, and is a fellow of the American Society for Radiation Oncology. He is a past president of the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology and has won multiple awards for teaching.

Education

Residency

  • University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, 2006
  • MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2003

Internship

  • Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Santa Clara, CA, 2002

Degree

  • MD: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 2001
  • MBA: UCLA-Anderson School of Management, Los Angeles, CA 2022
  • MBA: National University of Singapore 2022

Certifications and Memberships

  • American Board of Radiology, Radiation Oncology
  • UC Davis School of Medicine Mentorship Award
  • UCLA School of Medicine Mentorship Award
  • AI for Decision Making Certification, University of Pennsylvania- Wharton School of Business
  • American Society for Radiation Oncology
  • American Society for Clinical Oncology
  • Radiological Society of North America
  • American Medical Association
  • American Radium Society
  • American College of Healthcare Executives
  • Astra Zeneca Research Award

Awards

  • John Wooden Global Leadership Award
  • Arnold Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society
  • American Radium Society Young Investigator Essay Award
  • RTOG-Simon Kramer Young Investigator Award
  • NCI Young Investigator Award
  • Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology Educator of Year Award

Selected Publications

  1. Chen AM, Meshman J, Hsu S, Yoshizaki T, Abemayor E, St. John M. Oropharynx-directed ipsilateral irradiation for 16-positive squamous cell carcinoma involving the cervical lymph nodes of unknown primary origin. Head Neck 2018; 4: 227-232.
  2. Chen AM, Kupelian PA, Wang PC, Steinberg ML. Development of a radiation oncology-specific registry for research and quality assurance: A clinical-workflow solution. JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics 2018; CCI.17.00036.
  3. Chen AM, Cao M, Hsu S, Lamb J, Mikaelian A, Yang Y, Agazaryan N, Low DA, Steinberg ML. Magnetic resonance-imaging guided radiotherapy for head and neck cancer: initial clinical experience. Clin Transl Oncol 2018; 20: 160-168.
  4. Hegde J, Shaverdian N, Daly ME, Felix C, Wong D, Rosove MH, Garst J, Wang PC, Veruttipong D, Rao S, Fragoso RC, Riess J, Steinberg ML, Chen AM. Patient-reported quality of life outcomes after de-escalated chemoradiation for human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma: Findings from a phase II trial. Cancer 2018; 24: 521-529.
  5. Hegde J, Shaverdian N, Felix C, Veruttipong D, Wang PC, Rao S, Daly ME, Chen AM. Functional outcomes after de-escalated chemoradiation for human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal cancer: Secondary analysis of a phase II trial. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2018; 100:647-651.
  6. Velez MA, Veruttipong D, Wang PC, Abemayor E, St. John M, TenNapel M, Chen AM. Prognostic significance of FDG-PET metabolic tumor parameters for patients treated by re-irradiation for local-regionally recurrent head and neck cancer. Laryngoscope 2018; 128: 2345-2350.
  7. Chen AM, Hsu S, Felix C, Garst J, Yoshizaki T. Effect of psychosocial distress on outcomes of patients treated by radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Laryngoscope 2018; 128: 641-645.
  8. Chen AM, Felix C, Wang PC, Hsu S, Basehart V, Garst J, Beron P, Wong D, Rosove MH, Rao S, Melanson H, Kim E, Palmer D, Qi L, Kelly K, Steinberg MS, Kupelian PA, Daly ME. Reduced-dose radiotherapy for human papillomavirus-associated squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx. Lancet Oncol 2017; 18: 803-811.
  9. Chen AM, Yoshizaki T, Velez MA, Mikaeilian A, Hsu S, Cao M. Tolerance of the brachial plexus to high-dose re-irradiation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2017; 98: 83-90.
  10. Chen AM, Cao M, Hsu S, Lamb J, Mikaeilian A, Yang Y, Agazaryan N, Low DA, Steinberg ML. Magnetic resonance imaging-guided re-irradiation for recurrent head and neck cancer. Advances Radiat Oncol 2017; 2: 45-51.

Office LocationContact Us

Department of Radiation Oncology

UCI Medical Center

  • UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

    101 The City Drive, Bldg. 23, Orange
    CA 92868-3298
    Clinic:
    Office:
    Fax: (714) 456-7170