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Joseph N. Contessa, MD, PhD

Professor of Therapeutic Radiology and of Pharmacology
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Additional Titles

Co-Leader, Radiobiology and Genome Integrity, Yale Cancer Center

Vice Chair for Basic Science Research, Therapeutic Radiology

About

Titles

Professor of Therapeutic Radiology and of Pharmacology

Co-Leader, Radiobiology and Genome Integrity, Yale Cancer Center; Vice Chair for Basic Science Research, Therapeutic Radiology

Biography

Joseph N. Contessa, MD, PhD, a radiation oncologist, is the director of Yale Medicine’s Central Nervous System Radiotherapy Program. He specializes in treating patients with primary tumors of the brain, head and neck, and at the base of the skull.

“Due to Yale's large referral base, I frequently see relatively rare tumors,” he says, including low-grade and malignant gliomas, ependymomas, high-grade meningiomas, hemangiopericytomas, paragangliomas, and schwannomas. His expertise in treating uncommon cancers benefits patients diagnosed with these tumor types. “I look forward to helping patients have the best possible outcome when they are faced with a challenging diagnosis,” he says.

Dr. Contessa is a Professor of therapeutic radiology and of pharmacology at Yale School of Medicine where he is part of a team of physicians and scientists who are actively researching the cellular mechanisms that tumors use to evade or “outsmart” standard cancer therapies in hopes of identifying new approaches that improve treatment.

“We are all working together to increase our knowledge, improve our care and beat cancer,” Dr. Contessa says.

Appointments

Education & Training

Resident
The University of Michigan (2009)
Intern
The University of Michigan (2005)
PhD
Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth Universit (2004)
MD
Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth Universit (2004)

Research

Overview

Therapeutic approaches for the treatment of EGFR and FGFR addicted lung cancer

Radiosensitization of malignant gliomas

Novel small molecule inhibitors of N-linked glycosylation

Molecular Imaging of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

Drug Discovery and High Throughput Screening

Targeted therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

Chemicals and Drugs; Neoplasms; Radiobiology

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Joseph N. Contessa's published research.

Publications

2024

2023

2021

2019

2018

Clinical Trials

Current Trials

Clinical Care

Overview

Joseph N. Contessa, MD, PhD, a radiation oncologist, is the director of Yale Medicine’s Central Nervous System Radiotherapy Program. He specializes in treating patients with primary tumors of the brain, head and neck, and at the base of the skull.

“Due to Yale's large referral base, I frequently see relatively rare tumors,” he says, including low-grade and malignant gliomas, ependymomas, high-grade meningiomas, hemangiopericytomas, paragangliomas, and schwannomas. His expertise in treating uncommon cancers benefits patients diagnosed with these tumor types. “I look forward to helping patients have the best possible outcome when they are faced with a challenging diagnosis,” he says.

Dr. Contessa is also an associate professor of therapeutic radiology and of pharmacology at Yale School of Medicine where he is part of a team of physicians and scientists who are actively researching the cellular mechanisms that tumors use to evade or “outsmart” standard cancer therapies in hopes of identifying new approaches that improve treatment.

“We are all working together to increase our knowledge, improve our care and beat cancer,” Dr. Contessa says.

Clinical Specialties

Therapeutic Radiology

Fact Sheets

Yale Medicine News

Get In Touch

Contacts

Academic Office Number
Appointment Number
Clinic Fax Number
Mailing Address

Therapeutic Radiology

PO Box 208040

New Haven, CT 06520-8040

United States

Locations

  • Yale Therapeutic Radiology

    Academic Office

    Hunter Building

    15 York Street, Ste HRT 139

    New Haven, CT 06510

  • Patient Care Locations

    Are You a Patient? View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.