Clinical gains gastrointestinal oncologist

Dr. Veena Shankaran, an oncologist who treats patients with pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers through the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, has joined the Clinical Research Division.

Outside of direct patient care, Shankaran researches the overall financial impact of cancer therapy on patients and their families. She also analyzes the cost-effectiveness of gastrointestinal cancer therapies.

“Veena is a talented clinician and investigator with a passion for health outcomes research in cancer,” said Dr. Scott Ramsey of the Public Health Sciences Division, who acts as Shankaran’s research mentor. “She will be developing expertise that will be highly valuable in understanding the financial and human impact of persons with gastrointestinal malignancies. We are extremely pleased that Veena is working with our group.”

Shankaran earned her medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School, where she also did her internship and fellowship in Internal Medicine. She also completed a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

“I came to the Center largely to work with Scott’s group and to collaborate with researchers at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy on cost-effectiveness and comparative effectiveness research in gastrointestinal malignancies,” said Shankaran, who is also a UW assistant professor.