DUARTE, Calif., November 24, 2008 — Ernest Soyoung Han, M.D., Ph.D., an expert in surgical and targeted treatments for ovarian cancer, has joined City of Hope as a surgical oncologist in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. Han’s research and clinical interests include chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer and biomarkers to predict response to targeted therapies. Han was previously a clinical instructor and gynecologic fellow at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center.
Ovarian cancer remains one of the deadliest forms of reproductive cancer. There are no effective screenings now available and approximately 70 percent of women are diagnosed when they have advanced disease. “Dr. Han’s research into ovarian cancer will help us develop new targeted therapies and his specialized training in robotic surgical techniques will enhance our renowned robotics program,” said Mark T. Wakabayashi, M.D., chief, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, City of Hope.
City of Hope’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology offers the most sophisticated diagnostic technologies and surgical options, such as the da Vinci surgical robots that offer patients the potential for less pain and scarring, reduced infections and blood loss, and faster healing.
Han is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Association for Cancer Research and an associate member of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists. He is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a candidate member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 2007, Han was named a top 100 reviewer for American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has been honored for his work with students at Brown University Medical School and received an Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Scholars Program Award in 2003.
Han earned his bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of California, Berkeley. He received both his Doctor of Philosophy degree in cell physiology and molecular biophysics and his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.
