M.D., Ph.D.
Radiation Oncologist
2015-2019, Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
2014-2015, General Surgery, Stanford University Hospital & Clinics, Stanford, CA
2013-2014, General Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Heather McGee, M.D., Ph.D., was inspired to pursue a career as a radiation oncologist by the experiences that her loved ones faced during cancer treatment, alongside her deep interest in how emerging options such as immunotherapy have reshaped the world of oncology. At City of Hope®® Cancer Center Duarte, Dr. McGee is deeply committed to partnering with patients to help them make informed, collaborative treatment decisions that are tailored to their needs and health goals.
Dr. McGee is a physician-scientist whose research explores how the immune system responds to radiation therapy. She graduated with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, earning a degree in molecular and cell biology with an emphasis in biochemistry. She went on to obtain a master’s degree in immunology from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, before completing her medical degree and Ph.D. in immunobiology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. At Yale, Dr. McGee conducted research in the lab of Dr. Richard Flavell, studying the interplay between immune cells and fibroblasts during wound healing, and was honored with the Prize Teaching Fellowship for her undergraduate immunology instruction.
Following a clinical internship at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. McGee trained in radiation oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She later held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, supported by the NIH/NCI K99 grant and the Salk Women & Science Special Award.
At City of Hope, Dr. McGee splits her time between treating patients and leading a basic science lab dedicated to tumor immunology. Her grant-funded research is supported by the National Institites of Health and National Cancer Institute, the American Association for Cancer Research, Debbie's Dream Foundation for Gastric Cancer Research and City of Hope’s Chancellors' Award. Her laboratory investigates how tissue-resident innate immune cells respond to radiation in diverse tumor environments. She is deeply passionate about bringing lab discoveries to the clinic to improve cancer care outcomes.