Heather McGee, M.D., Ph.D.

Heather McGee, M.D., Ph.D.
Radiation Oncologist
Clinical Expertise
  • Gastrointestinal Cancers
  • Hepatobiliary Malignancies
  • Pancreas Cancer
  • Colorectal Cancer
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)/Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy (SABR)
Research Area
  • Immune Response to Radiation
  • Tumor-Immune Microenvironment
  • Radiation-Induced Cell Death Mechanisms
  • Innate Immunity
  • Natural Killer Cells
  • Hepatocellular Carcinoma
  • Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer
Academic Appointments
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Immuno-Oncology
Clinical Teams
Radiation Oncology
Gastrointestinal Cancers

Radiation oncologist Heather McGee, M.D., Ph.D., draws inspiration from loved ones who have been diagnosed with cancer and seeing how recent advances in immunotherapy have transformed cancer care. She takes great pride in answering all of her patients’ questions and empowering them to be part of the decision-making process.
 
Dr. McGee, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-scientist whose lab focuses on the immune response to radiation. She graduated from University of California Berkeley with honors with a degree in molecular cell biology (biochemistry emphasis) and then earned a master’s degree in immunology at University of Cambridge. She completed her doctoral training at Yale University where she earned an M.D. and a Ph.D. in immunobiology. She worked in the laboratory of Richard Flavell, Ph.D., studying immune-fibroblast interactions during wound healing and received Yale’s Prize Teaching Fellowship for teaching immunology to undergraduates.

Dr. McGee completed her intern year at University of California San Francisco and residency training in radiation oncology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute, where her research was funded by a Salk Women & Science Special Award and a National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute K99 grant. 

At City of Hope, she is a physician-scientist who sees patients in radiation oncology and has a basic science laboratory focused on tumor immunology. Her lab is funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute R00 grant, the American Association for Cancer Research, Debbie's Dream Foundation Award for Gastric Cancer Research and City of Hope Chancellors' Award. Her laboratory investigations focus on the role of tissue-resident innate immune cells in response to radiation in different tumor microenvironments and she is passionate about translating scientific findings back to the clinic to create better outcomes for cancer patients.

 

Visit McGee Lab

Location

Education & Experience

Board Certifications
  • ABR Board Certified in Radiation Oncology
Degrees
  • 2013, Doctor of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
  • 2011, Doctor of Philosophy, Yale University Graduate of Arts & Sciences (Immunobiology), New Haven, CT
  • 2004, Master of Philosophy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
  • 2002, Bachelor of Arts (Molecular and Cell Biology (biochemistry emphasis), University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, graduated with honors
Residency

  • 2015-2019, Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY

  • 2014-2015, General Surgery, Stanford University Hospital & Clinics, Stanford, CA

Internship

  • 2013-2014, General Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Professional Experience
  • 2021-present, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology and Department of Immuno-Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
  • 2019-2021, Radiation Oncology Consultant, RefleXion Biology-guided Therapy, Hayward, CA
  • 2020-2021, Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA
  • 2019-2020, Postdoctoral Fellow, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA

Awards & Memberships

Awards

  • 2023, American Association for Cancer Research-Debbie’s Dream Foundation Career Development Award for Gastric Cancer Research
  • 2021, City of Hope Chancellors Award
  • 2021, NIH/National Cancer Institute R00 Award
  • 2020, NIH/National Cancer Institute K99 Pathway to Independence Award
  • 2020, Salk Women & Science Special Award, La Jolla, CA
  • 2019, RSNA Roentgen Resident Research Award, Mount Sinai, New York, NY
  • 2018, Adaptive Biotechnologies Young Investigator Award for ImmunoSeq Research, New York, NY
  • 2017, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer “Sparkathon” Team Science Award, Chicago, IL
  • 2012-13, Yale Samuel Jordan Graham Scholarship, New Haven, CT
  • 2010, Society for Investigative Dermatology Eugene M. Farber Travel Award, Montagna Symposium on the Biology of the Skin, Gleneden Beach, Oregon
  • 2010, Yale University Prize Teaching Fellowship, New Haven, CT
  • 2002, Cambridge Overseas Trust Scholarship, University of Cambridge, UK
  • 2002, Yanaba & Jung Award for Outstanding Biochemistry Honors Thesis Research, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Publications

Complete list of published work in my bibliography

  • McGee H, Bonner J, Egelston C, Fu Y, Flores O, Lindsey S, Shaktah L, Moratalla-Navarro F, Kamal Y, Tsang K, Walker C, Idos G, McDonnell K, Rennert H, Barry E, Brenner H, Buchanan D, Campbell P, Chan A, Chang-Claude J, Figueiredo J, Gago-Dominguez M, Hoffmeister M, Hsu L, Huyghe J, Jenkins M, Le Marchand L, Lenz H, Li L, Lindblom A, Liu YR, Lynch B, Newton C, Offit K, Ogino S, Pamplona R, Pellatt A, Pharoah P, Phipps A, Reynaga L, Templeton A, Um C, Wolk A, Woods M, Wu A, Yun Y, Zheng W, Williams T, Conti D, Peters,U, , Lejbkowicz F, Greenson J, Schmit S, Gauderman W, Hamilton S, Moreno V, Rennert G, Gruber S,. Genetic Variation and Regulation of MICA Alters Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Immunosurveillance in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer. [preprint]. 2024 September.  https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.22.243141. doi: 10.1101/2024.09.22.24314127.
  • McGee HM, Williams TM, Lee P. Radiation With Immunotherapy May Be a Double-Edged Sword- How Can We Learn From Recent Negative Clinical Trials?  JAMA Oncol. 2024 Jun 6;. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.1527. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 38842841.
  • Monjazeb, AM, Daly, ME, Luxardi, G, Maverakis, E, Merleev, A, Marusina, A, Borowsky, A, Mirhadi, A, Shiao, SL, Beckett, L, Chen, S, Eastham, D, Li, T, Vick, LV, McGee, HM, Lara, F, Garcia, L, Morris, LA, Canter, RJ, Riess, JW, Schalper, KA, Murphy, WJ, Kelly, K. Atezolizumab plus Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Medically Inoperable Patients with Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Multi-Institutional Phase I trial. Nature Communications. 14, 5332 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40813-w
  • Ladbury C, Li R, Danesharasteh A, Ertem Z, Tam A, Liu J, Hao C, Li R, McGee H, Sampath S, Williams T, Glaser S, Khasawneh M, Liao Z, Lee P, Ryckman J, Shaikh P, Amini A. Explainable Artificial Intelligence to Identify Dosimetric Predictors of Toxicity in Patients with Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Secondary Analysis of RTOG 0617. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2023 Jul 3:S0360-3016(23)00598-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.06.019. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37406826
  • Liu, J, West H, McGee HM, Williams, TW, Lee, P, and Amini, A.  Challenges in Synergizing Radiotherapy with Immunotherapy to Unlock the Abscopal Effect in Metastatic NSCLC: A Systematic Review. Neoplasia. 2023 Jun 20;43:100914. doi: 10.1016/j.neo.2023.100914.  PMID: 37348427
  • Liu J, Ladbury C, Tam A, Chao J, Kim J, McGee HM, Williams TM, Amini A, Chen YJ. Current landscape of radiation oncology in esophageal cancer: a narrative review. J Thorac Dis. 2022 Nov;14(11):4494-4505. doi: 10.21037/jtd-22-939. PMID: 36524066
  • Liu J, Lee P, McGee HM, Chung V, Melstrom L, Singh G, Raoof M, Amini A, Chen YJ, Williams TM. Advances in Radiation Oncology for Pancreatic Cancer: An Updated Review. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Nov 22;14(23):5725. doi: 10.3390/cancers14235725. PMID: 36497207
  • Badrani JH, Strohm AN, Lacasa L, Civello B, Cavagnero K, Haung YA, Amadeo M, Naji LH, Lund SJ, Leng A, Kim H, Baum RE< Khorram N, Mondal M, Seumois G, Pilotte J, Vanderklish PW, McGee HM, Doherty TA. RNA-binding protein RBM3 intrinsically suppresses lung innate lymphoid cell activation and inflammation partially through CysLT1R. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 3; 13(1):4435. PMID: 35908044.
  • Zarinshenas R, Ladbury C, McGee H, Raz D, Erhunmwunsee L, Pathak R, Glaser S, Salgia R, Williams T, Amini A. Machine learning to refine prognostic and predictive nodal burden thresholds for post-operative radiotherapy in completely resected stage III-N2 non-small cell lung cancer. Radiother Oncol. 2022 Aug; 173: 10-18. Epub 2022 May 23. PMID: 35618098.
  • Karasarides M, Cogdill AP, Robbins PB, Bowden M, Burton EM, Butterfield LH, Cesano A, Hammer C, Haymaker CL, Horak CE, McGee HM, Monette A, Rudqvist NP, Spencer CN, Sweis RF, Vincent BG, Wennerberg E, Yuan J, Zappasodi R, Lucey VMH, Wells DK, LaVallee T. Hallmarks of Resistance to Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors. Cancer Immunol Res. 2022 Apr 1;10(4):372-383. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-20-0586. PMID: 35362046
  • Bielecki P, Riesenfeld SJ, Hütter JC, Torlai Triglia E, Kowalczyk MS, Ricardo-Gonzalez RR, Lian M, Amezcua Vesely MC, Kroehling L, Xu H, Slyper M, Muus C, Ludwig LS, Christian E, Tao L, Kedaigle AJ, Steach HR, York AG, Skadow MH, Yaghoubi P, Dionne D, Jarret A, McGee HM, Porter CBM, Licona-Limón P, Bailis W, Jackson R, Gagliani N, Gasteiger G, Locksley RM, Regev A, Flavell RA. Skin-resident innate lymphoid cells converge on a pathogenic effector state. Nature. 2021 Apr;592(7852):128-132. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03188-w. PMID: 33536623.
  • McGee HM, Marciscano AE, Campbell AM, Monjazeb AM, Kaech SM, Teijaro JR. Parallels Between the Antiviral State and the Irradiated State. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2021 Aug 2;113(8):969-979. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djaa190. PMID: 33252657.
  • Garcia-Perez L,* Pelzcar P,* McGee HM, Kempski J, Agalioti T, Giannou A, Konczalla L, Brockmann L, Soukou, S, Steglich B, Bedke T, Manthey C, Seiz O, Diercks BP, Guse AH, Perez D, Izbicki JR, Gagliani N, Flavell RA, Huber SM. TGF-β signalling in Th17 cells promotes IL-22 production and colitis-associated colon cancer. Nature Communications. 2020 May 25;11(1):2608. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16363-w. PMID: 32451418
  • Smith WH, Law AS, Hulkower M, McGee HM, Lehrer EJ, Schwartz M, Taouli B, Sung M, Buckstein, M. The effect of radiation therapy on the objective response and outcomes with nivolumab for hepatocellular carcinoma. Acta Oncol. 2020 May 22:1-4. doi: 10.1080/0284186X.2020.1769860. PMID: 32441551
  • Smith WH, Ru M, McGee HM, Sung M, Rosenzweig K, Buckstein M. Safety of Nivolumab in Combination with Prior or Concurrent Radiation Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Journal of Radiation Oncology. 2020. doi:10.1007/s13566-020-00419-x
  • Lehrer EJ, McGee HM, Sheehan JP, Trifiletti, DM. Integration of Immuno-Oncology with Stereotactic Radiosurgery in the Management of Brain Metastases. J Neurooncol. 2020 Feb 12. doi: 10.1007/s11060-020-03427-6. PMID: 32052355.
  • Bedognetti D, Ceccarelli M, Galluzi L, Lu R, Palucka K, Samayoa J, Spranger S, Warren S, Wong K, Ziv E, Chowell D, Coussens LM, De Carvalho D, DeNarod D, Galon J, Kaufman H, Kirchhoff T, Lotze MT, Minn AJ, Politi K, Shultz LD, Thorsson V, Weidhaas JB, Ascierto M, Barsan V, Bot A, Church S, Draganov D, McGee HM, Monette A, Murphy JF, Nistico P, Park W, Rudqvist NP, Snyder A, Sweis RF, Butterfield LH, Disis ML, Fox BA, Thurin M, Cesano A, Marincola FM. A Comprehensive View on Cancer Immune Responsiveness: A Synopsis from the 2018 SITC Workshop. Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer. 2019, May 22; 7:131. doi:10.1186/s40425-019-0602-4. PMID: 31113486.
  • McGee HM,* Jiang D,* Soto-Pantoja DR,* Nevler A,* Giaccia AJ, Woodward WA. Special Report: Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment in Radiation Oncology: Proceedings from the 2018 ASTRO-AACR Research Workshop. Clinical Cancer Research. 2019 May 15; 25(10): 2969-2974. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-18-3781. PMID: 30723144. *co-first authors
  • McGee HM, King MJ, Özbek U, Olson A, Kim E, Fischman AM, Schwartz M, Rosenzweig KE, Buckstein M. Dual Modality Radiation with External Beam Radiation Therapy and Transarterial Radioembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Gross Vascular Invasion. American Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2019 Apr; 42(4):367-374. doi: 10.1097/COC.0000000000000523. PMID: 30724782.
  • McGee HM, Carpenter T, Ozbek U, Kirkwood K, Tzeng T, Green S, Germano I, Buckstein M. Analysis of Local Control and Pain Control Following Spine Stereotactic Radiosurgery Reveals Inferior Outcomes for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Compared to Other Radioresistant Histologies. Practical Radiation Oncology. 2019 Mar; 9(2):89-97. doi: 10.1016/j.prro.2018.11.009. PMID: 30543868
  • Lehrer E, McGee HM, Peterson JL, Vallow L, Ruiz-Garcia H, Zaorsky NG, Sharma S, Trifiletti DM. Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in the Management of Brain Metastases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2018 Oct 7;19(10). pii: E3054. doi: 10.3390/ijms19103054. PMID: 30301252
  • McGee HM,* Daly ME,* Azghadi S, Stewart SL, Oesterich L, Schlom J, Donahue R, Schoenfeld JD, Chen Q, Rao S, Fragoso RC, Valicenti RK, Canter RJ, Maverakis EM, Murphy WJ, Kelly K, Monjazeb AM. Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy Induces Systemic Differences in Peripheral Blood Immunophenotype Dependent on Irradiated Site. International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics. 2018 Aug 1; 101(5):1259-1270. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.04.038. PMID: 29891204. *co-first authors.
  • Marciscano AE,* Walker JM,* McGee HM,* Kim MM,** Kunos CA, Monjazeb AM, Shiao S, Tran PT, Ahmed MM. Incorporating Immunotherapy into Radiation Therapy: Proceedings of the ASTRO/SITC/NCI Workshop. Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer. 2018 Jan 29; 6(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s40425-018-0317-y. PMID:29375032. *co-first authors.
  • Kleinschmidt D, Giannou A. McGee HM, Kempski J, Steglich B, Huber F, Flavell RA, Gagliani N, Huber SA Protective Function of Interleukin-22 Binding Protein in Acute Liver Injury. Journal of Immunology. 2017 Dec 15; 199(12):4078-4090. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1700587. PMID: 29109123.
  • Baird JR, Monjazeb AM, Shah O, McGee H, Murphy WJ, Crittenden MR, Gough, MJ. Stimulating Innate Immunity to Enhance Radiation Therapy-Induced Tumor Control. International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics. 2017 Oct 1; 99(2):362-373. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2017.04.014. PMID: 28871985
  • Fleming M, King C, Rajeev S, Baruwal A, Schwarz D, Schwarz R, Khadka N, Pande S, Khanal S, Acharya B, Benton A, Rogers SO, Panizales M, Gyorki D, McGee H, Shaye D, Maru D. Surgical referral coordination from a first-level hospital: a prospective case study from rural Nepal. BMC Health Serv Res. 2017 Sep 25;17(1):676. doi:10.1186/s12913-017-2624-2. PMID: 28946885
  • Lazarev S, McGee H, Moshier E, Ru M, Demicco EG, Gupta V. Preoperative versus Postoperative Radiotherapy in Localized Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Nationwide Patterns of Care and Trends in Utilization. Practical Radiation Oncology, April 2017. pii: S1879-8500(17)30117-0. doi: 10.1016/j.prro.2017.04.010. PMID: 28551391
  • McGee HM, Schmidt B, Booth C, Yancopoulos G, Valenzuela D, Murphy A, Stevens S, Flavell RA, Horsley V. Interleukin-22 Promotes Fibroblast-Mediated Wound Repair in the Skin. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. May 2013; 133(5):1321-9. doi: 10.1038/jid.2012.463. PMID: 23223145