Faculty

Nishant Agrawal, MD

  • Chair of Surgery
    Professor of Surgery
    Professor of Radiation and Cellular Oncology
  • Clinical Interests: Head and Neck Cancer, Head and Neck Surgery, Hyperparathyroidism, Laryngeal Cancer, Minimally Invasive ENT Surgery, Oral Cancer, Pituitary Tumors, Throat Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, Vocal Cord Cancer
  • Research and Scholarly Interests: Head and Neck Cancer, Head and Neck Neoplasms, HPV Head and Neck Cancer, Mouth Cancers, Salivary Gland Neoplasm, Thyroid Cancer, Thyroid Neoplasms
  • Websites: Research Network Profile
  • Contact: nagrawal4@uchicago.edu
  • Graduate Program: Committee on Cancer Biology

Dr. Agrawal’s lab is devoted to the study of the genetics and molecular diagnostics of head and neck cancer. The group has described the genomic landscape of head & neck squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal cancer and medullary thyroid cancer, and has developed assays using tumor DNA as a biomarker in saliva and plasma. His lab’s research is focused on the application of cancer genetics to design diagnostic approaches to reduce morbidity and mortality from head and neck cancer.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, NY
Fellowship - Head and Neck Surgical Oncology
2008

Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
Post-doc - Molecular Genetics
2007

Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
Residency - Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
2007

Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
MD - Medicine
2001

Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ
BA - Biology
1997

Patient Reported Toxicity with Radiation Deintensification in HPV-Associated Oropharynx Cancer: ECOG-ACRIN E2399 and E1308.
Patient Reported Toxicity with Radiation Deintensification in HPV-Associated Oropharynx Cancer: ECOG-ACRIN E2399 and E1308. JCO Oncol Adv. 2026 Jul-Sep; 3(3).
PMID: 42820118

Circulating Tumor DNA in Head and Neck Cancer: A Review From the American Head and Neck Society.
Circulating Tumor DNA in Head and Neck Cancer: A Review From the American Head and Neck Society. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2026 09 01; 152(9):905-913.
PMID: 42530947

Comprehensive multi-omic dissection and AI-prioritized target identification in inverted papilloma-associated sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma.
Comprehensive multi-omic dissection and AI-prioritized target identification in inverted papilloma-associated sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma. NPJ Precis Oncol. 2026 Jul 10.
PMID: 42432132

Living evidence-informed guideline on the early detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma and potentially malignant disorders: Light-based adjuncts to determine the need for biopsy, Version 2026 1.0.
Living evidence-informed guideline on the early detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma and potentially malignant disorders: Light-based adjuncts to determine the need for biopsy, Version 2026 1.0. J Am Dent Assoc. 2026 Sep; 157(9):968-979.
PMID: 42227938

Living evidence-informed guideline on the early detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma and potentially malignant disorders: Vital staining adjuncts to determine the need for biopsy, Version 2026 1.0.
Living evidence-informed guideline on the early detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma and potentially malignant disorders: Vital staining adjuncts to determine the need for biopsy, Version 2026 1.0. J Am Dent Assoc. 2026 Jun; 157(6):576-587.
PMID: 41941357

Systemic Treatment of Thyroid Cancer: ASCO Guideline.
Systemic Treatment of Thyroid Cancer: ASCO Guideline. J Clin Oncol. 2026 05 10; 44(14):1349-1372.
PMID: 41921121

Living evidence-informed guideline on the early detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma and potentially malignant disorders: Cytology adjuncts to determine the need for biopsy, Version 2026 1.0.
Living evidence-informed guideline on the early detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma and potentially malignant disorders: Cytology adjuncts to determine the need for biopsy, Version 2026 1.0. J Am Dent Assoc. 2026 Mar; 157(3):224-234.
PMID: 41781073

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Following Head and Neck Chemoradiation: A Scoping Review With Exploratory Meta-Analysis.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Following Head and Neck Chemoradiation: A Scoping Review With Exploratory Meta-Analysis. Head Neck. 2026 06; 48(6):1587-1594.
PMID: 41552947

Tumor-initiating stem cells fine-tune the plasticity of neutrophils to sculpt a protective niche.
Tumor-initiating stem cells fine-tune the plasticity of neutrophils to sculpt a protective niche. Cancer Cell. 2026 Jan 12; 44(1):94-111.e11.
PMID: 41349542

Digital Versus Manual PD-L1 Scoring in Advanced NSCLC From the IMpower110 and IMpower150 Trials.
Digital Versus Manual PD-L1 Scoring in Advanced NSCLC From the IMpower110 and IMpower150 Trials. J Thorac Oncol. 2025 12; 20(12):1778-1790.
PMID: 40759194

View All Publications

Editorial Board
PLOS ONE
2019

AACR Team Science Award, American Association for Cancer Research
AACR
2017

Expert Panel, Early Detection (Screening) of Oral Cancer Clinical Practice Guidelines, American Dent
ADA
2016 - 2017

Reviewer (member)
NIH Cancer Genetics Study Section
2016

Senior Faculty Scholar, Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence
University of Chicago
2016

Editorial Board
Scientific Reports
2015

George T Nager Award for Excellence in Teaching
Johns Hopkins University
2012

Owsei Temkin Scholarship
Johns Hopkins University
2001

Richard Westcott Appleton Scholarship
Johns Hopkins University
2001

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Scholarship
Johns Hopkins University
1999

Marvin Harold Cheiten Award (1st in class), Rutgers University
Rutgers University
1997