John B. Sunwoo
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery)
- Member, Stanford Cancer Institute
Key Documents
Contact Information
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Clinical Offices
Stanford Cancer Center 875 Blake Wilbur Drive CC-2223, MC 5820 Stanford, CA 94305 Tel Work (650) 498-6000 Fax (650) 724-7091
- Academic Offices
Personal Information Tel (650) 725-6500Alternate Contact Lucy Warren Administrative Assistant Email Tel Work 650-725-5968Not for medical emergencies or patient use
Professional Overview
Clinical Focus
- Cancer> Cutaneous (Dermatologic) Oncology
- Cancer> Head and Neck Cancer
- Thyroid Neoplasms
- Melanoma
- Parathyroid Neoplasms
- Tongue Neoplasms
Administrative Appointments
- Co-Director, Thyroid and Parathyroid Tumor Board, Stanford University School of Medicine (2011 - present)
- Member, Melanoma Program, Stanford University School of Medicine (2011 - present)
- Member, Metastatic and Recurrent Head and Neck Disease Task Force, Head and Neck Steering Committee of the National Cancer Institute, NIH (2011 - present)
- Member, Research Committee, American Head and Neck Society (2010 - present)
- Member, CORE Grants Study Section, American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (2009 - present)
- Member, Tumor Biology & Imaging Task Force, Head and Neck Steering Committee of the National Cancer Institute, NIH (2010 - 2011)
Honors and Awards
- Best Doctors in America, Best Doctors, Inc. (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
- K08 Award, National Institutes of Health (2004)
- Chief Resident Teaching Award, Washington University (2003)
- Alpha Omega Alpha, Washington University (2003)
- Young Investigator Award, American Head and Neck Society (2000)
- Resident Research Award, Washington University (1997, 1999, 2000)
Professional Education
| Board Certification: | Otolaryngology, American Board of Otolaryngology (2004) |
| Residency: | Washington University School Of Medicine MO (2003) |
| Fellowship: | National Institutes of Health MD (2000) |
| Internship: | UC Davis Health System CA (1994) |
| Medical Education: | Washington University School Of Medicine MO (1993) |
| M.D.: | Washington University, Medicine (1993) |
Postdoctoral Advisees
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
My laboratory is focused on two primary areas of research: (1) the immune response to head and neck cancer and to a tumorigenic population of cells within these malignancies called cancer stem cells; (2) the developmental programs of a special lymphocyte population involved in innate immunity called natural killer (NK) cells.
The overarching goal of my laboratory is to understand how NK cells, in the broader context of the host immune system, protect against developing and metastasizing tumor cells, especially a rare population of tumor-initiating cells called cancer stem cells. These tumorigenic cells have been isolated from a number of solid tumor malignancies, including human head and neck cancer. Heterogeneity of immune potency between individuals with these malignancies is well accepted but poorly understood. The work in my laboratory will address the questions of how and why the immune system can respond to and control malignant cells in some contexts but not in others. Clarity of the underlying basis for these differences would potentially explain why certain individuals are more susceptible to cancer, lead to better screening strategies, and ultimately provide much needed insight into how the host immune system can be manipulated to control cancer.
Despite the well-documented importance of NK cells in innate immunity, the development of this lymphocyte population is still poorly understood. In many patients afflicted with cancer, the NK cells from those individuals do not respond to typical NK cell stimuli. A more complete understanding of NK cell development may ultimately reveal potential ways by which malignancies render NK cells dysfunctional. My laboratory is particularly interested in understanding the transcriptional regulation of NK cell development and differentiation from stem and progenitor cells.
Clinical Trials
Publications
- Targeted endoscopic salvage nasopharyngectomy for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2012 Mar-Apr; (2): 166-73
- CD44(+) cells have cancer stem cell-like properties in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2012; (6): 465-70
- ERK1/2 regulation of CD44 modulates oral cancer aggressiveness. Cancer Res. 2012; (1): 365-74
- Identification of human NK cells that are deficient for signaling adaptor FcRγ and specialized for antibody-dependent immune functions. Int Immunol. 2012; (12): 793-802
- Impact of positron emission tomography/computed tomography surveillance at 12 and 24 months for detecting head and neck cancer recurrence. Cancer. 2012
- The CD47-signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPa) interaction is a therapeutic target for human solid tumors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012; (17): 6662-7
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