Kelly Olino, MD, FACS
Associate Professor TermCards
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Leader, Skin Cancer Surgery, Melanoma Program
Clinical Director of the Smilow Melanoma Program, Yale Cancer Center
Co-Director Cutaneous Malignancy Tumor Board, Yale Cancer Center
Medical Student Clerkship Liaison for Division of Surgical Oncology, Surgery
Chair Credentials Committee and Secretary of Medical Staff, Surgery
Contact Info
Surgical Oncology
310 Cedar Street, FMB130
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
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.
View Doctor ProfileAdditional Titles
Leader, Skin Cancer Surgery, Melanoma Program
Clinical Director of the Smilow Melanoma Program, Yale Cancer Center
Co-Director Cutaneous Malignancy Tumor Board, Yale Cancer Center
Medical Student Clerkship Liaison for Division of Surgical Oncology, Surgery
Chair Credentials Committee and Secretary of Medical Staff, Surgery
Contact Info
Surgical Oncology
310 Cedar Street, FMB130
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
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.
View Doctor ProfileAdditional Titles
Leader, Skin Cancer Surgery, Melanoma Program
Clinical Director of the Smilow Melanoma Program, Yale Cancer Center
Co-Director Cutaneous Malignancy Tumor Board, Yale Cancer Center
Medical Student Clerkship Liaison for Division of Surgical Oncology, Surgery
Chair Credentials Committee and Secretary of Medical Staff, Surgery
Contact Info
Surgical Oncology
310 Cedar Street, FMB130
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
About
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Titles
Associate Professor Term
Leader, Skin Cancer Surgery, Melanoma Program; Clinical Director of the Smilow Melanoma Program, Yale Cancer Center; Co-Director Cutaneous Malignancy Tumor Board, Yale Cancer Center; Medical Student Clerkship Liaison for Division of Surgical Oncology, Surgery; Chair Credentials Committee and Secretary of Medical Staff, Surgery
Biography
Kelly Olino, MD, FACS, is a doubly board -certified surgeon who provides patients with comprehensive surgical care including resection of skin and soft tissue tumors including melanoma, merkel cell carcinoma, sarcoma, and advanced cutaneous squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma, including minimally invasive techniques for metastatic disease. Dr. Olino is a past recipient of the Society for Surgical Oncology’s Clinical Investigator Award to support her research in tumor immunology. She continues this work at Yale and has been funded through the Calabresi Immune-Oncology scholar program and the Skin Cancer SPORE career enhancement program. She continues her work in translational research combining her knowledge of tumor immunology with her clinical acumen. She currently serves on the NCCN non-melanoma cutaneous malignancy committee.
Appointments
Surgical Oncology
Associate Professor on TermPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Fellowship
- The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2015)
- Residency
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital (2013)
- MD
- The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2005)
- BS
- Cornell University, Biological Sciences-Neurobiology (2000)
Research
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Overview
Tumor immunology
Medical Research Interests
ORCID
0000-0001-6209-5218
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Harriet Kluger, MD
James Clune, MD
Sarah Weiss, MD
Thuy Tran, MD, PhD
Jeffrey Ishizuka, MD, DPhil
Sajid A Khan, MD, FACS, FSSO
Melanoma
Immunotherapy
Carcinoma, Merkel Cell
Adrenocortical Carcinoma
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Publications
2025
1266 Spatial profiling of melanoma brain metastases exhibit elevated neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1) protein expression and associations with immune microenvironment and treatment response
Su D, Gaiger N, Schoenfeld D, Dong M, Djureinovic D, Galan A, Chiang V, Adeniran A, Olino K, Jilaveanu L, Kluger H. 1266 Spatial profiling of melanoma brain metastases exhibit elevated neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1) protein expression and associations with immune microenvironment and treatment response. 2025, a1441-a1443. DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2025-sitc2025.1266.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDefining the role of IL-1α in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma 3641
Lum L, Allen J, Frey A, Olino K, Ishizuka J. Defining the role of IL-1α in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma 3641. The Journal Of Immunology 2025, 214 DOI: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf283.1418.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHead and neck squamous cell carcinomaImmunosuppressive tumor microenvironmentTumor-associated macrophagesTumor microenvironmentIL-1AMouse model of head and neck squamous cell carcinomaTumor cellsTumor growthModel of head and neck squamous cell carcinomaMouse modelNeck squamous cell carcinomaExpression of interleukin-1 alphaElevated expressionSquamous cell carcinomaInterleukin-1 alphaPro-inflammatory cytokinesInnate immune systemCancer immunobiologyCo-culture experimentsImmune response regulationCell carcinomaImmunosuppressive conditionsMyeloid cellsInflammatory driversInflammatory cellsUse of imiquimod topical therapy for management of malignant melanoma positive margins
Lewis K, Islam S, Alper D, Carney M, Choi J, Leventhal J, Ariyan S, Baumann R, Olino K, Clune J. Use of imiquimod topical therapy for management of malignant melanoma positive margins. Frontiers In Oncology 2025, 15: 1666463. PMID: 41234721, PMCID: PMC12605384, DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1666463.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThis study investigates the effectiveness of 5% topical imiquimod therapy as a safe, cost-effective alternative to surgery for managing positive melanoma margins, achieving an 84% clinical response rate.Targeting an essential viral oncoprotein with an IL-7-enhanced mRNA vaccine induces durable immunity to Merkel cell carcinoma
Frey A, Clulo K, Fei Y, Dumit T, Scallo F, Allen J, Chang E, Perry C, Wirth L, Jacobs D, Braun D, Bosenberg M, Tran T, Clune J, Kluger H, Olino K, Ishizuka J. Targeting an essential viral oncoprotein with an IL-7-enhanced mRNA vaccine induces durable immunity to Merkel cell carcinoma. Cell Reports 2025, 44: 116359. PMID: 41042672, PMCID: PMC12646823, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116359.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsMerkel cell carcinomaMRNA vaccinesCell carcinomaCD8+ T cell memoryAntigen-specific T cell expansionTumor cell expressionT cell expansionT cell memoryTumor cell survivalTumor controlMemory differentiationAntigen lossResponse durabilityMurine studiesAntigen exposureIL-7Mouse modelOptimal vaccine targetsCell expressionMRNA technologyPatient samplesMRNA therapeuticsStrong antigensTumorViral oncoproteinsCase Report: Complete response to pembrolizumab monotherapy in a geriatric patient with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma and TNBC
Liu J, Olino K, Lustberg M, Kanowitz J. Case Report: Complete response to pembrolizumab monotherapy in a geriatric patient with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma and TNBC. Frontiers In Oncology 2025, 15: 1579287. PMID: 40936701, PMCID: PMC12420252, DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1579287.Peer-Reviewed Case Reports and Technical NotesConceptsMetastatic Merkel cell carcinomaTriple-negative breast cancerMerkel cell carcinomaPembrolizumab monotherapyCell carcinomaPoor prognosisBreast cancerLocally advanced triple-negative breast cancerMetastatic MCCClinical managementAggressive neuroendocrine skin cancerGeriatric patientsAnti-PD-1Efficacy of pembrolizumabNeuroendocrine skin cancerAdvanced cutaneous malignanciesCutaneous malignanciesOlder adult patientsTraditional chemotherapyPatient selectionAdult patientsAdvanced skinClinical trialsSkin cancerPatientsPerturbational single-cell RNA sequencing of patient tumors in Merkel cell and small cell lung carcinomas.
Perry C, Frey A, Fei Y, Costa P, Wang J, Ghadermarzi S, Levine D, Koda A, Nassar A, Ding M, Nie Y, Cordero-Dumit T, Augert A, van Djik D, Olino K, Ishizuka J. Perturbational single-cell RNA sequencing of patient tumors in Merkel cell and small cell lung carcinomas. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2025, 43: 2520-2520. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.2520.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSmall cell lung cancerMerkel cell carcinomaMonocyte-derived DCCD14+ monocytesT cellsPatient tumorsResponse to IFNImpact of immune checkpoint blockadeTumor-infiltrating T cellsCo-CultureSmall cell lung carcinomaTumor immunity cycleImmune checkpoint blockadeImmune cells co-culturedCell lung carcinomaInnate immune signaturesHuman tumor specimensCell lung cancerLymph node metastasisCell linesFactors associated with responseLong-term survivalAssociated with nonresponseStandard of careImmune samplesTwenty‐five years without progress: The enduring challenge of soft tissue sarcomas
Hardy N, Frej K, Nkansah R, Olino K, Deshpande H, Ma X, Trent J, Costa P. Twenty‐five years without progress: The enduring challenge of soft tissue sarcomas. Cancer 2025, 131: e35906. PMID: 40396557, DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35906.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSoft tissue sarcomasMedian survivalTissue sarcomasDistant diseaseNo significant differenceImproved survivalSurvival improvementPoor prognosisBreast cancerLung cancerRare diseaseLack of commercial interestSurvival rateSignificant differenceCancerSurvivalNovel drugsPositive drugDiseaseSarcomaPatientsTwenty-fiveBiological mechanismsMonthsDrug240: CLINICOPATHOLOGIC ANALYSIS OF MELANOMA METASTASES TO GASTROINTESTINAL SITES FOR A TISSUE MICROARRAY
Su D, Yi I, Gaiger N, Schoenfeld D, Adeniran A, Khan S, Olino K, Kluger H. 240: CLINICOPATHOLOGIC ANALYSIS OF MELANOMA METASTASES TO GASTROINTESTINAL SITES FOR A TISSUE MICROARRAY. Gastroenterology 2025, 169: s-1914. DOI: 10.1016/s0016-5085(25)05281-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchReal-world outcomes with T-VEC in patients with anti-PD-1 resistant in-transit disease from melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma
Su D, McNamara M, Kaszycki M, Frey A, Ishizuka J, Costa P, Tran T, Kluger H, Clune J, Weiss S, Olino K. Real-world outcomes with T-VEC in patients with anti-PD-1 resistant in-transit disease from melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma. Surgical Oncology Insight 2025, 2: 100120. DOI: 10.1016/j.soi.2024.100120.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsMerkel cell carcinomaMerkel cell carcinoma casesT-VECCell carcinomaMedian numberAnti-PD-1 blockadeStage IIIB-IV melanomaAdvanced Merkel cell carcinomaIn-Transit MelanomaIn-transit diseaseICI therapyTalimogene laherparepvecAdvanced melanomaCancer immunotherapyMetastatic sitesPartial responseIn-transitRegional metastasesMedian ageGrade 3Adverse eventsTreatment cyclesDisease progressionMelanomaPatientsNon-Cutaneous Melanoma Biology, Clinical Management, Current Therapy, and Future Directions in Treatment
Brown L, Olino K. Non-Cutaneous Melanoma Biology, Clinical Management, Current Therapy, and Future Directions in Treatment. Surgical Oncology Clinics Of North America 2025, 34: 453-471. PMID: 40413010, DOI: 10.1016/j.soc.2024.12.006.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Randomized Phase III Trial of Perioperative Immunotherapy With Response-Adapted Treatment Versus Standard-of-Care Treatment for Resectable Stage III/IV Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
HIC ID2000039679RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date08/14/2031Recruiting ParticipantsEtrasimod for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Diarrhea and Colitis
HIC ID2000036896RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date12/31/2028Recruiting ParticipantsA Phase 2 and Phase 3 Peri-operative Trial of Fianlimab and Cemiplimab Compared With Anti-PD1 Alone in Patients With Resectable Stage III and IV Melanoma
HIC ID2000038641RolePrincipal InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date09/21/2028Recruiting ParticipantsA Study to Investigate Efficacy & Safety of Intratumoral INT230-6 Compared to US Standard of Care in Adults with Soft Tissue Sarcomas (INVINCIBLE-3) (INVINCIBLE-3)
HIC ID2000038189RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date12/30/2027Recruiting ParticipantsA Randomized Phase III Study of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by Surgery Versus Surgery Alone for Patients With High Risk RetroPeritoneal Sarcoma (RPS)
HIC ID2000035965RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date04/21/2027Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge18+ years
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity The Society of Surgical Oncology
03/01/2022 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsProgram CommitteeDetailsScientific Program Committee- Chair Immuno-oncology subgroupactivity Association for Academic Surgery
2016 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsProgram Committeeactivity Schwartz Cancer Center Grand Rounds Planning Committee
2021 - PresentCommitteesCommittee Memberactivity Yale New Haven Hospital Credentials Committee
09/01/2021 - PresentCommitteesMemberactivity Status of Women in Medicine- Department of Surgery Liason
2022 - PresentCommitteesLiaison
Honors
honor Texas Rising Stars
01/01/2018Regional AwardSuper DoctorsDetailsUnited Stateshonor Golden Scalpel Medical Student Teaching Award
05/20/2016Other AwardUniversity of Texas Medical Branch School of MedicineDetailsUnited Stateshonor Society for Surgical Oncology Clinical Investigators Award
04/01/2016National AwardSociety for Surgical Oncology FoundationDetailsUnited Stateshonor Frank Coulson Resident Clinical Excellence Award
06/22/2013Other AwardThe Johns Hopkins School of MedicineDetailsUnited Stateshonor Department of Surgery Medical Student Teaching Award
06/22/2013Other AwardThe Johns Hopkins School of MedicineDetailsUnited States
Clinical Care
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17 Condition Fact Sheets5 Clinical Departments5 Clinical Trials12 News ArticlesSee All Related Content on Yale Medicine
Overview
Kelly Olino, MD, is a surgical oncologist with additional training in cancer immunotherapy. She treats skin cancer in patients who range from teenagers to people in their 90s. “I see a wide variety of people, because skin cancer affects everybody, unfortunately,” she says.
As a surgeon, Dr. Olino cares for patients in the office and in the operating room, removing skin and soft tissue tumors that occur anywhere on the body, and performing minimally invasive surgeries to treat metastatic skin cancer when it spreads to internal organs. “When I am treating a patient with skin cancer, I think not only about the technical expertise required to perform a given surgery, but more importantly how the surgery fits into the scope of a larger plan for that patient,” says Dr. Olino, who has additional training in immunotherapy, which she describes as a “revolutionary” step in the treatment of skin cancer. Skin cancer specialists were among the first doctors to successfully use immunotherapy, which harnesses the body’s own immune system to target cancer.
Dr. Olino decided to become a surgical oncologist partly because the patients she met as a trainee were so appreciative. She, in turn, has always taken the time to make sure each patient fully understands his or her condition and treatment. “Patients should know what's going on. Their families should know. I joke with them all the time. I say to them, "You know, I'm bilingual. I speak “Doctor” and I speak English, so please let me know if I start to speak “Doctor,” because if you don’t understand what I’m doing and why, it's time for me to explain it again.”
As an assistant professor of surgery at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Olino focuses her research on immunotherapy for skin cancer. She is currently part of a team that is looking at novel ways to combine different types of immunotherapies and move those therapies from the laboratory to patient care clinics.
Clinical Specialties
Fact Sheets
Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC)
Learn More on Yale MedicineSoft Tissue Sarcomas
Learn More on Yale MedicineDiagnosing Pediatric Sarcomas
Learn More on Yale MedicineSentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
Learn More on Yale Medicine
Board Certifications
Complex General Surgical Oncology
- Certification Organization
- AB of Surgery
- Original Certification Date
- 2016
Yale Medicine News
News & Links
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News
- October 28, 2025
Yale Develops Dual-Action Vaccine to Combat Aggressive Merkel Cell Carcinoma
- May 22, 2025
Defying the Odds: A WWII Veteran’s Journey with Melanoma
- May 16, 2025Source: WTNH News 8 (with Dr. Kelly Olino)
How to prevent and treat melanoma
- April 01, 2025
Yale Research Presented at 2025 Society of Surgical Oncology Annual Meeting
Related Links
Get In Touch
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Contacts
Surgical Oncology
310 Cedar Street, FMB130
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
Locations
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.