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Benjamin Y. Lu, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology/Hematology)
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Training

Postdoctoral Fellow
Yale School of Medicine (2023)


Fellowship
Yale Cancer Center (2022)


Chief Fellow
Yale Cancer Center (2022)


Education

PhD
Yale University, Investigative Medicine (2024)


MD
New York University (2015)


About

Titles

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology/Hematology)

Biography

Benjamin Y. Lu, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology and Hematology) and Neurology and the Kathryn Louloudis Scholar in Cancer Research at the Yale School of Medicine in addition to a Medical Oncologist at Smilow Cancer Hospital. He received his MD from the New York University School of Medicine with Honors in Research. Dr. Lu completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital and his fellowship in Medical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center, where he also served as the inaugural Chief Fellow. His clinical and research interests involve understanding and improving immune therapies for patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors.

Dr. Lu also directs the Yale Tumor Neuroimmunology Lab, which is dedicated to understanding how the immune system interacts with cancers in the brain, with the ultimate goal of developing clinically relevant biomarkers and therapeutic targets for patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors. Dr. Lu’s research has been supported by the ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation, American Brain Tumor Association, Yale SPORE in Lung Cancer, Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer, Yale Cancer Center Advanced Training Program for Physician Scientists (T32), and the Yale Cancer Center Calabresi Immuno-Oncology Training Program (K12).

Last Updated on December 04, 2025.

Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

PhD
Yale University, Investigative Medicine (2024)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Yale School of Medicine (2023)
Fellowship
Yale Cancer Center (2022)
Chief Fellow
Yale Cancer Center (2022)
Residency
Yale New Haven Hospital (2019)
Internship
Massachusetts General Hospital (2016)
MD
New York University (2015)

Research

Overview

Medical Research Interests

Brain Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Benjamin Y. Lu's published research.

Publications

2025

2024

2023

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

Activities

  • activity

    Janeway Society

Honors

  • honor

    Kathryn Louloudis Scholar in Cancer Research

  • honor

    Career Enhancement Program Grant

  • honor

    Iva Dostanic, MD, PhD Physician-Scientist Trainee Award

  • honor

    Career Development Award

  • honor

    Emerging-Generation Award

Clinical Care

Overview

Benjamin Y. Lu, MD, PhD, is a medical oncologist specializing in thoracic oncology, focusing on the treatment of lung and skin cancers, as well as primary and metastatic brain tumors. Dr. Lu is dedicated to advancing immune therapies, which harness the body's own immune system to combat cancer, particularly in brain tumors. He employs various innovative approaches to improve patient outcomes.

As an instructor in medicine at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Lu conducts research on immune-based treatments for tumors that originate in the brain or spread there. He studies how certain white blood cells, called T cells, respond to cancer in order to develop new therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Lu received his medical training from New York University School of Medicine and completed his residency in internal medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital. He further specialized with a fellowship in medical oncology at Yale Cancer Center. His contributions to the field have been recognized by prestigious awards such as the Young Investigator Award from the Conquer Cancer Foundation and the Emerging Generation Award from the American Society of Clinical Investigation.

Clinical Specialties

Thoracic Oncology; Neuro-Oncology

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Contacts

Appointment Number

Administrative Support

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