Ajay Goel, Ph.D., AGAF

626-218-0026
Ajay Goel, Ph.D., AGAF
Professor and Chair, Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics
Research Area
  • Gastrointestinal Cancer
Academic Appointments
  • Director, Biotech Innovations
  • Associate Director for Basic Science, Comprehensive Cancer Center

Dynamic and passionate — with a formidable record of patented innovations in cancer care — Ajay Goel, Ph.D., AGAF, is committed to developing better methods for the early detection and precision treatment of cancer. He joined City of Hope® in June 2019 as founding chair of the new Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics and founding director of Biotech Innovations at Beckman Research Institute. Dr. Goel is also the associate director of basic science for the comprehensive cancer center and is a fellow of the American Gastroenterology Association.

“City of Hope has a wonderful track record of moving discoveries from bench to clinic,” he said. “And by founding this new department, which will add a layer of earlier noninvasive diagnostics, we will hopefully make a difference in this war on cancer.”

A noted expert in gastrointestinal and other cancers, Goel is currently developing early-detection blood tests for colon, pancreatic and ovarian cancers — as well as a test for pancreatic cancer that can detect the disease seven years earlier than is now possible. Within the next few years, these tests are expected to become a simple and affordable part of everyone’s annual health physical, just like tests for diabetes or cholesterol.

He is also working with genomic-based precision oncology to provide answers to the question: Why do therapies work with some good candidates and not with others.

Goel was born in India, received his Ph.D. in biophysics from Punjab University, completed his postgraduate work at the University of California San Diego, and went on to a noteworthy 16-year career at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute in Texas. He has authored more than 300 articles in peer-reviewed international journals and holds more than 30 advanced genomic and transcriptomic international patents.

One surprising fact about Goel: In addition to his technological expertise, he finds wisdom in the ancient Indian medical system Ayurveda, which has given us such natural therapies as the proven anti-inflammatory in turmeric. Prevention, he believes, is the best medicine.

Visit Goel Lab

Location

Education & Experience

Degrees

  • 1991–1996, Ph.D., Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
  • 1988–1990, M.S. (Honors), Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
  • 1985–1988, B.S. (Honors), Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India

Fellowship

  • 1998–present, AGAF — Fellow, American Gastroenterology Association

Professional Experience

  • 2020–present, Associate Director of Basic Science, Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
  • 2019–present, Professor and Chair, Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
  • 2016–2019, Michael A Ramsay Chair in Cancer Genomics, Baylor Scott & White Healthcare
  • 2015–2019, Adjunct Distinguished Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences at Curtin University, Perth, Australia
  • 2015–2019, Adjunct Professor, Baylor University Institute for Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX
  • 2014–2019, Director, Center for Translational Genomics and Oncology, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and Charles A Sammons Cancer Center, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX
  • 2012–2019, Director, Center for Gastrointestinal Research, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and Charles A Sammons Cancer Center, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX
  • 2005–2019, Investigator/Professor, Baylor Research Institute, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX
  • 2011–2014, Director, Epigenetics and Cancer Prevention Research, Baylor Research Institute, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX
  • 2003–2005, Associate Investigator (equivalent to Associate Professor), Baylor Research Institute, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX
  • 2001–2003, Assistant Project Scientist, Department of Medicine and Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California

Awards & Memberships

Awards

  • 2023 Received AACR-Lustgarten Foundation’s Award
  • 2023 Elected Member, Publications Committee, American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)
  • 2023 PLoS One, Editorial Board, Long Service Award
  • 2023 Elected Member, Research Impact Fund (RIF) Committee of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC), Hong Kong
  • 2022 Distinguished National Alum Award, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
  • 2022, Top cited article in 2021, Scientific Reports
  • 2021, Elected nominating committee member, American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)
  • 2020, Board of directors nominee, Gastric Cancer Foundation
  • 2020, Erudite Scholar award, Kerala State Higher Education Council, Government of India
  • 2020, R. Robert & Sally Funderberg Research award, AGA
  • 2019, Ludwig Cancer Research-Hilton Foundation Partnership award
  • 2019, Top cited article in 2018, Scientific Reports
  • 2019, Best of the Journal award, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) for the Top cited article in 2017, Clinical Cancer Research
  • 2018, Best poster award, annual Baylor-TGen alliance meeting
  • 2018, Podium presentation, AACR 2018 annual meeting
  • 2018, Top Reviewer award, Gastroenterology journal
  • 2018, Four oral presentations, including at AGA's Plenary Topic Forum, Digestive Disease Week (DDW)
  • 2018, Poster of Distinction award, AGA
  • 2018, Selected for oral presentation, AACR 2018 annual meeting
  • 2017, National Cancer Institute Pancreatic Cancer Detection Consortium U01 grant award
  • 2017, Three oral presentations, AGA's Plenary Topic Forum, DDW
  • 2017, Poster of Distinction award, AGA
  • 2016, Selected into the AACR Basic Cancer Research Fellowships Scientific Review Award Committee
  • 2016, Poster of Distinction award, AGA
  • 2016, Michael A. Ramsay Chair in Translational Genomics and Oncology
  • 2016, Poster of Distinction awards at the annual AGA/DDW meetings in San Diego, CA

Memberships

  • 2022–present, Member, European Society of Medical Oncology
  • 2022–present, Member, American Pancreatic Association
  • 2018–present, Member, Early Detection Research Network
  • 2017–present, Member, Pancreatic Cancer Detection Consortium
  • 2017–present, Member, American Society of Clinical Oncology
  • 2017–present, Member, Cancer Epigenetics Society
  • 1998–present, Member, American Association for Cancer Research
  • 1998–present, Member and Fellow, American Gastroenterology Association
  • 1993–present, Member, Electron Microscopy Society of India
  • 1989–present, Lifetime Member, Society of Biophysicists of India
  • 1989–present, Member, Association of Medical Physicists of India
  • 1994–1996, Member, Microscopy Society of America

Publications

  • Xu C, Mannucci A, Esposito F, Oliveres H, Alonso-Orduna V, Yubero A, Fernandez-Martos C, Salud A, Gallego J, Martin-Richard M, Fernandez-Plana J, Guillot M, Aparicio J, Fakih M, Kopetz S, Maurel J, and Goel A (2025). An exosome-based liquid biopsy predicts the depth of response and survival outcomes to cetuximab and panitumumab in metastatic colorectal cancer: The EXONERATE study. Clinical Cancer Research, 30(5): 789-799. PMID: 39820673. PMCID: PMC11913580.
  • Li Q, Xiao Y, Han L, Luo W, Dai W, Fang H, Wang R, Xu Y, Cai S, Goel A*, Bai F, Cai G (2025). Microbiome dysbiosis, neutrophil recruitment, and mesenchymal transition of mesothelial cells promote peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer. Nature Cancer. (ePub ahead of Print). PMID: 39966610. (*Co-corresponding author).
  • Mannucci A, Hernandez G, Uetake H, Yamada Y, Balaguer F, Baba H, Chen T, Chen J, Boland CR, Cavestro GM, Quintero E, and Goel A (2025). Prediction of long-term recurrence-free and overall survival in early-onset colorectal cancer survivors. The ENCORE multi-center study. Npj Precision Oncology, 9(10); 202. PMID: 40544180. PMCID: PMC12182588.
  • Sui S, Xu C, Kanda M, Okugawa Y, Toiyama Y, Park JO, Hur H, Kim SC, Taketomi A, Kodera Y, Cheng X, Li M, and Goel A (2025). A machine learning-powered exosomal liquid biopsy for noninvasive and early detection of gastric cancer: The DESTINEX multicenter study. JAMA Surgery, e252493. PMID: 40737022. PMCID: PMC12311825.
  • Mannucci A, Balaguer F, Yamada Y, Nagasaka T, Toiyama Y, Okugawa Y, Marti-Gallostra M, Jimenez-Toscano M, Vidal-Tocino R, Jimenez F, Perea J, Quintero E, Boland CR, Cavestro GM, and Goel A on behalf of the SECOC-ENCODE collaborators (2025). An Exosome-Based Liquid Biopsy for the Detection of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer: The ENCODE Multi-Center Study. Gastroenterology (In Press).
  • Mannucci A and Goel A (2024). Stool and blood DNA tests for colorectal cancer screening. New England Journal of Medicine, 390(23): 2224. PMID: 38899710.
  • Mannucci A and Goel A (2024). Stool and blood biomarkers for colorectal cancer management: An update on screening and disease monitoring. Molecular Cancer, 23(1),259. PMID: 39558327. PMCID: PMC1157510.
  • Mannucci A, Cavestro GM, and Goel A (2025). Defining Enrichment and Reconsidering Findings: A “D.E.F.” Perspective on the METAPAC Study. Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 10(10); 879. PMID: 40914176.
  • Mannucci A, and Goel A (2025). Advances in pancreatic cancer early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment: The past, the present, and the future. CA: The Journal for Clinicians, (ePub: Ahead of print). PMID: 40971231.
  • Okuno K, Watanabe S, Hur H, Lee J, Park JO, Tokunaga M, Kinugasa Y and Goel A (2024). An exosome-based liquid biopsy signature for therapeutic response prediction to platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with metastatic gastric cancer. Clinical and Translational Medicine, 14(7); e1629. PMID: 39031975. PMCID: PMC11259598.
  • Xu C, Jun E, Okugawa Y, Toiyama Y, Borazanci E, Bolton J, Taketomi A, Kim SC, Shang D, Von Hoff D, Zhang G, and Goel A (2024). A Circulating Panel of circRNA Biomarkers for the Noninvasive and Early Detection of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Gastroenterology, 166(1): 178–190. PMID: 37839499. PMCID: PMC10843014.
  • Okuno K, Watanabe S, Hur H, Lee J, Park JO, Tokunaga M, Kinugasa Y and Goel A (2024). An exosome-based liquid biopsy signature for therapeutic response prediction to platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with metastatic gastric cancer. Clinical and Translational Medicine, (In Press).
  • Mannucci A, Puzzono M, Goel A, Moeslein G, Balafas S, Di Serio MS, and Cavestro GM (2024). The Spigelman staging system and the risk of duodenal and papillary cancer in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis. A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Gastroenterology. (In Press). PMID: 38294150.
  • Dai Q, Ye C, Irkliyenko I, Wang Y, Sun HL, Gao Y, Liu Y, Beadell A, García JP, Goel A and He C (2024). Ultrafast Bisulfite Sequencing for Efficient and Accurate 5 Methylcytosine Detection in DNA and RNA. Nature Biotechnology, (In Press). PMID: 38168991.
  • Xu C, Jun E, Okugawa Y, Toiyama Y, Borazanci E, Bolton J, Taketomi A, Kim SC, Shang D, Von Hoff D, Zhang G and Goel A (2024). A circulating panel of circRNA biomarkers for the noninvasive and early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Gastroenterology, 166(1): 178-190. PMID: 37839499. PMCID: PMC10843014
    This article was featured as the Cover Page highlight of the journal.
  • Mimura K, Ogata T, Roy S, Yuan YC, Yoshimoto Y, Yoshida D, Nakajima S, Sato H, Machida N, Yamada T, Watanabe Y, Tamaki T, Fujikawa H, Inokuchi Y, Yayase S, Hanayama H, Saze Z, Katoh H, Oshima T, Goel A, Nardin A, Suzuki Y and Kono K (2024). Combination of oligo-fractionated irradiation with nivolumab can induce immune modulation in gastric cancer. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, 12(1): e008385. PMID: 38290769. PMCID: PMC10828861.
  • Yasui K, Toshima T, Inada R, Umeda Y, Yano S, Tanioka H, Nyuya A, Fujiwara T, Yamada T, Naomoto Y, Goel A*, and Nagasaka T (2024). Circulating cell-free DNA methylation patterns as noninvasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer treatment efficacy without referencing primary site mutation profiles. Molecular Cancer, 23(1); 1. (*Co-corresponding author). PMID: 38172877. PMCID: PMC10762960.
  • Zhu Z, Guo Y, Liu Y, Ding R, Huang Z, Yu W, Cui L, Du P, Goel A and Liu CY (2023). ELK4 promotes colorectal cancer progression by activating the neoangiogenic factor LRG1 in a noncanonical SP1/3-dependent manner—Advanced Sciences, 10(32); e2303378. PMID: 37786278. PMCID: PMC10646254.
  • Liu X, Zhang L, Zhu B, Liu Y, Li L, Hou J, Qian M, Zheng N, Zeng Y, Chen C, Goel A, Wang X (2023). Role of GSDM family members in airway epithelial cells of lung diseases: a systematic and comprehensive transcriptomic analysis. Cell Biology and Toxicology, 2023 Dec;39(6):2743-2760 PMID: 37462807.
  • Garcia-Etxebarria K, Etxart A, Barrero M, Nafria B, Segues-Merino NM, Romero-Garmendia I, Goel A, Franke A, D’Amato M and Bujanda L (2023). Genetic Variants as Predictors of the Success of Colorectal Cancer Treatments. Cancers, 15(19): PMID: 37835382. PMCID: PMC10571592.
  • Okuno K, Tokunaga M, Von Hoff D, Kinugasa Y and Goel A (2023). Intratumoral Malasseziaglobosa levels predict survival and therapeutic response to adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Gastroenterology, 165(2): 502-504. PMID: 37119937. PMCID: PMC10405668.
  • Okuno K, Pratama MY, Li J, Tokunaga M, Wang X, Kinugasa Y and Goel A (2023). Ginseng mediates its anticancer activity by inhibiting the expression of DNMTs and reactivating methylation-silenced genes in colorectal cancer. Carcinogenesis, 44(5):394-403 PMID: 37137336. PMCID: PMC10414140.
  • Perez-Mayoral J, Gonzalez-Pons MM, Centeno-Girona H, Montes-Rodriguez IM, Soto_Salgado M, Suarez B, Rodriguez N, Colon G, Sevilla J, Jorge D, Llor X, Xicola RM, Toro D, Tous-Lopez L, Torres-Torres M, Reyes JS, Lopez-Acevedo N, Goel A, Rodriguez-Quilichini S and Cruz-Correa M (2023). Molecular and Sociodemographic Colorectal Cancer Disparities in Latinos Living in Puerto Rico. Genes, 14(4): 894. PMID: 37107652. PMCID: PMC10138302.
  • Untergasser A, Hellemans J, Ruijter J, van den Hoff M, Pfaffl MW, Dragomir MP, Meira D, Dias S, Reis R, Ferracin M, Dias-Neto E, Marsh I, Kubista M, Fabbri M, Goel A, Slaby O, Knutsen E, Chen BQ, Negrini M, Mimori K, Pichler M, Papatriantafyllou M, Anfossi S, Schmittgen T, Huggett J, Bustin S, Vandesompele J, and Calin G (2023). Disclosing quantitative RT-PCR raw data during manuscript submission: a call for action. Molecular Oncology, 17(5): 713-717. PMID: 36916500. PMCID: PMC10158759.
  • Miyazaki K, Xu C, Shimada M and Goel A (2023). Curcumin and Andrographis exhibit anti-tumor effects in colorectal cancer via activation of ferroptosis and dual suppression of glutathione peroxidase-4 and ferroptosis suppressor protein-1. Pharmaceuticals, 16(3): 383. PMID: 36986483. PMCID: PMC10055708.
  • This article was featured as the Cover Page highlighted feature in this issue of the journal.
  • Nishiwada S, Shimura T, Yamamura K, Nakagawa K, Nagai M, Nakamura K, Terai T, Yamada S, Fujii T, Kodera Y, Sho M and Goel A (2023). Clinical significance and functional role of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. British Journal of Cancer, 128(2): 321-330. PMID: 36396823. PMCID: PMC9902480.
  • Zhao Y, Peng F, Li W, Wang C, and Goel A (2023). A DNA Methylation-Based Epigenetic Signature for the Identification of Lymph Node Metastasis in T1 Colorectal Cancer. Annals of Surgery, 277(4): 655-663. PMID: 35837968. PMCID: PMC9840712.
  • Phan XT, Nguyen VH, SU R, Li Y, Qing Y, Qin H, Cho H, Jiang L, Wu X, Chen J, Fakih M, Diamond DJ, Goel A and Melstrom L (2023). Targeting fat mass obesity-associated protein mitigates human colorectal cancer growth in vitro and in a murine model. Frontiers in Oncology, 13: 1087644. PMID: 36874096. PMCID: PMC9981948.
  • Miyazaki K, Morine Y, Xu C, Nakasu C, Wada Y, Teraoku H, Yamada S, Saito Y, Ikemoto T, Shimada M and Goel A (2023). Curcumin-mediated resistance to Lenvatinib via EGFR signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cells, 12(4): 612. PMID: 36831279. PMCID: PMC9954241.
  • Okuno K, Watanabe S, Roy S, Kanda M, Tokunaga M, Kodera Y, Kinugasa Y and Goel A (2023). A liquid biopsy signature for predicting early recurrence in patients with gastric cancer. British Journal of Cancer, 128(6); 1105-1116. PMID: 36631634. PMCID: PMC10006424.
  • Cavestro GM, Mannucci A, Balaguer F, Hampel H, Kupfer SS, Repici A, Sartore-Bianchi A, Seppälä TT, Valentini V, Boland CR, Brand RE, Buffart T, Burke CA, Caccialanza R, Cannizzaro R, Cascinu S, Cercek A, Crosbie EJ, Danese S, Dekker E, Daca-Alvarez M, Deni F, Dominguez-Valentin M, Eng C, Goel A, Guillem JG, Houwen BBSL, Kahi C, Kalady MF, Kastrinos F, Kuhn F, Laghi L, Latchford A, Liska D, Lu KH, Lynch P, Malesci A, Mauri G, Meldolesi E, Møller P, Monahan KJ, Moslein G, Murphy CC, Nass K, Ng K, Oliani C, Papaleo E, Patel SG, Puzzono M, Remo A, Ricciardiello L, Ripamonti CI, Siena S, Singh SK, Stadler ZK, Stanich PP, Syngal S, Turi S, Urso ED, Valle L, Vanni VS, Vilar Sanchez E, Vitellaro M, Yurgelun MB, Zuppardo RA, Stoffel EM, on behalf of the Associazione Italiana Familiarità Ereditarietà Tumori, the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancers, the European Hereditary Tumor Group, and the International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumours (2023). Delphi initiative for early-onset colorectal cancer (DIRECt). International Management Guidelines. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 21(3); 581-603.e33. PMID: 36549470.
  • Okuno K, Xu C, Pascual-Sabater S, Tokunaga M, Takayama T, Han H, Fillat C, Kinugasa Y and Goel A (2023). Andrographis reverses gemcitabine resistance through the regulation of ERBB3 and calcium signaling pathway in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Biomedicines, 11(1): 119. PMID: 36672630. PMCID: PMC9855441.
  • Okuno K, Kandimalla R, Mendiola M, Balaguer F, Bujanda L, Fernandez-Martos C, Aparicio J, Feliu J, Tokunaga M, Kinugasa Y, Maurel J and Goel A (2023). A microRNA signature for risk-stratification and response prediction to FOLFOX-based adjuvant therapy in stage II and III colorectal cancer. Molecular Cancer, 22(1): 13. PMID: 36670412. PMCID: PMC9854096.
  • Sahu D, Lin C and Goel A (2023). Transcriptomic profiling reveals an enhancer RNA signature for recurrence prediction in colorectal cancer. Genes, 14(1): 137. PMID: 36672877. PMCID: PMC9859145.
  • Takahashi K, Shigeyasu K, Kondo Y, Gotoh K, Yano S, Umeda Y, Inokuchi T, Xu C, Yoshida K, Umeda H, Takahashi T, Takeda S, Yoshida R, Teraishi F, Kishimoto H, Mori Y, Noma K, Okugawa Y, Hiraoka S, Michiue H, Tazawa H, Matsushita O, Goel A and Fujiwara T (2023). RNA editing is a valuable biomarker for predicting carcinogenesis in ulcerative colitis. Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis, 17(5): 754-766. PMID: 36528792.
  • Okada Y, Peng F, Perea J, Corchete L, Bujanda L, Li W and Goel A (2023). Genome-wide methylation profiling identifies a novel gene signature for patients with synchronous colorectal cancer. British Journal of Cancer, 128(1): 112-120. PMID: 36319845. PMCID: PMC9814149.

View More Publications