Gregory N. Gan, M.D., Ph.D.

Professional Background

After receiving his Medical Degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Gregory Gan continued his education and went on to earn his Ph.D. in DNA Repair and Mutagenesis in the Department of Pharmacology.

Dr. Gan is an Associate Professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center and co-Director of Translational Research and Oligometastatic Program. As both a radiation oncologist and physician-scientist, Dr. Gan's basic science research interest focuses on head and neck cancer and lung cancer biology, how inflammation can dysregulate the tumor microenvironment and radiation biology. The labs focus centers on p38 MAPK and MAPKAPK2 (MK2) biology and its intrinsic effects on cancer cell migration, invasion via EGFR and c-MET signaling as well as its extrinsic effects via chemokine modulation and secretory factors on the tumor immune microenvironment.

• PhD, DNA Repair and Mutagenesis, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
• MD, Doctor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
• BS, Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA
• Internship, Shadyside-Presbyterian Hospital; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA
• Residency, Radiation Oncology, Anschutz Cancer Center, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO
• Other, Radiation Oncology, Anschutz Cancer Center, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO

• American Board of Radiology, American Board of Radiology
• Kansas License, Kansas Board of Healing Arts
• Medical License, Colorado Medical Board
• Medical License, Iowa Department of Health
• Missouri License, State of Missouri
• New Mexico License, New Mexico Board of Medical Examiners

• American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology, Re-irradiation Cooperative Group, Member, 2024 - Present
• American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology, Scientific Grant Review, Member, 2022 - 2027
• American Society For Clinical Oncology, Member, 2021 - Present
• American Society For Clinical Oncology, Immunotherapy task force, Member, 2021 - 2023
• American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology, Scientific Education Program Directorate, Member, 2021 - 2026
• American Association of Cancer Researchers, Member, 2012 - Present
• American Board of Radiology, Member, 2010 - Present

---

Research

Overview

Dr. Gan is pursuing translational research with the goal of developing novel treatment strategies for head and neck and thoracic cancers. Dr. Gan and his research team are testing the hypothesis that radiotherapy can up-regulate EMT which can lead to tumor repopulation, distant metastasis, and overall treatment resistance. He is ideally suited to address this question because of his fellowship training and expertise in establishing head and neck cancer patient-derived tumor xenografts mouse models, developing a model for mouse head and neck irradiation, and evaluating tumor stem cell biology and its respective microenvironment. Dr. Gan is also interested in how radiotherapy (particularly high dose per fraction also known as stereotactic body radiotherapy) and EMT may affect local and distant control rates in both HPV positive and negative head and neck cancers and thoracic malignancies. He became interested in this area because local control and overall survival remain very poor for patients with HPV negative head and neck cancers. Insights gained from a better understanding of why these tumors fail locally and distantly can potentially improve outcomes.

• A Phase II Trial of Durvalumab (MEDI4736) and Ablative Radiation in Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (DARES), Astra Zeneca, Sub-Investigator

• Berggren, K., L, Restrepo-Cruz, S, Hixon, M., D, Cowan, A., T, Keysar, S, Craig, S, James, J, Barry, M, Ozbun, M., A, Jimeno, A, McCance, D, Beswick, E., J, Gan, G., N. 2019. MAPKAPK2 (MK2) inhibition mediates radiation-induced inflammatory cytokine production and tumor growth in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oncogene, 38 (48), 7329-7341
• Morgan, D, Berggren, K., L, Spiess, C., D, Smith, H., M, Tejwani, A, Weir, S., J, Lominska, C, Thomas, S., M, Gan, G., N. 2021. Mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase-2 (MK2) and its role in cell survival, inflammatory signaling, and migration in promoting cancer. Molecular Carcinogenesis, 61 (2), 173-199
• Morgan, D, Okwuone, D., D, Berggren, K., L, Arnold, L, Schmidt, A, Spiess, C, Smith, H, Yada, R, Hendrikse, N, Madan, R, Shrock, D, Lominska, C, Hu, M, Witek, M, Soper, S, Lin, Y, Gao, H, McCance, D., J, Thomas, S., M, Beebe, D, Kerr, S., C, Gan, G., N. 2025. MK2 promotes p16 negative head and neck cancer migration, invasion, and metastasis.. Cancer letters, 622, 217690
• Smith, H, Morgan, D, Berggren, K., L, Hixon, M., D , Shen, X, Woolbright, B, Taylor, J, Gan, G., N. 2020. The MAPKAPK2 pathway mediates radiation-induced tumor inflammation and proliferation in bladder cancer
• Okwuone, Dakota., Dike Dimegwu, Morgan, Deri, Gan, Gregory., N. 2024. Exploring the function of myeloid cells in promoting metastasis in head and neck cancer. Explor Target Antitumor Ther, 5 (1), 108-119
• lin, yuting, Wu, Wei, Setianegara, Jufri, Wang, Aoxiang, Gerard, Nicolas, Nys, Jarrick, Gan, Gregory., N, Gao, Hao. 2025. Advancing Proton Therapy: Integration of Minibeam Spatial Fractionation and FLASH Dose Rates. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8116270/v1
• Morse, Ryan., T, Ganju, Rohit., G, Gan, Gregory., N, Cao, Ying, Neupane, Prakash, Kakarala, Kiran, Shnayder, Yelizaveta, Lominska, Christopher., E. 2022. Sarcopenia and Treatment Toxicity in Older Adults Undergoing Chemoradiation for Head and Neck Cancer: Identifying Factors to Predict Frailty. Cancers, 14 (9), 2094