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INFORMATION FOR

Gavitt Woodard, MD

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Thoracic )
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About

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Assistant Professor of Surgery (Thoracic )

Biography

Dr. Gavitt Woodard has a degree in neurobiology and health care policy from Harvard University and received her medical degree from Stanford School of Medicine. She completed her General Surgery Residency and Thoracic Surgery Fellowship at University of California San Francisco. During her training she was awarded an American College of Surgeons resident research award and spent two years as a thoracic oncology research fellow. In 2020 she joined the thoracic surgery faculty at Yale School of Medicine where she specializes in the care of patients with lung cancer.

Her research interests are in biomarkers of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, immune cell infiltration in the tumor immune microenvironment, immune cell dysfunction, and semi-solid lung adenocarcinoma. Her laboratory work is mentored by Dr. Lieping Chen who is credited with the discovery of PD-L1. Her research at Yale has been funded by the Yale SPORE in Lung Cancer, the American Cancer Society, IASLC Young Investigator Award, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons AstraZeneca Lung Cancer Research Award, and the Braude Foundation.

Appointments

  • Thoracic Surgery

    Assistant Professor
    Primary

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellow
University of California San Francisco (2020)
General Surgery Resident
University of California San Francisco (2018)
MD
Stanford University (2011)
BS
Harvard University, Neurobiology (2006)

Research

Overview

Medical Research Interests

Early Detection of Cancer

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Gavitt Woodard's published research.

Publications

2024

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Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • honor

    AstraZeneca Lung Cancer Research Award

    National AwardSociety of Thoracic Surgeons
  • honor

    Young Investigator Research Award

    National AwardIASLC
  • honor

    SPORE in Lung Cancer Career Enhancement Program Grant

    Yale School of Medicine AwardYale
  • honor

    Robotics Fellowship

    National AwardAmerican Association of Thoracic Surgeons
  • honor

    Chief Resident Achievement Award

    Other AwardUniversity of California San Francisco
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Clinical Care

Overview

Gavitt Woodard, MD, is a thoracic surgeon who treats diseases that affect the chest. She specializes in the care of patients with lung cancer, and approaches each new patient as part of a multidisciplinary care team that also includes oncologists and radiation oncologists.

Patients are sometimes surprised to learn that lung cancer has undergone a “complete revolution” in the past decade, with screening CT scans, robotic surgery, genetic testing, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, Dr. Woodard explains. “The vast majority of our early-stage lung cancer operations are done robotically with small incisions, less pain, and faster recovery times,” she says, adding that robotic technology is only going to improve with time.

Dr. Woodard says she always wanted to become a physician, but didn’t decide to become a surgeon until she was 16 years old and had surgery herself. “I love that surgery directly fixes a problem, the result is immediate, and it is so satisfying,” she says. “I considered many surgical specialties but was drawn to thoracic surgery because of the great lung anatomy, lung cancer biology, and the complexity of the operations.”

An assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Woodard performs research on biomarkers of early-stage lung cancer and on the tumor immune microenvironment in the laboratory of Lieping Chen, MD, PhD. Dr. Chen was the first to discover a protein called PD-L1, and he established the important role of this pathway in cancer immunotherapy.

Clinical Specialties

Thoracic Surgery

Fact Sheets

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Board Certifications

  • Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery

    Certification Organization
    AB of Thoracic Surgery
    Original Certification Date
    2022

Yale Medicine News

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Get In Touch

Contacts

Email
Appointment Number

Administrative Support

Locations

  • Thoracic Surgery

    Academic Office

    Boardman Building

    330 Cedar Street, Rm BB 205

    New Haven, CT 06510

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  • Patient Care Locations

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