Evan Y. Yu, MD

I always had a scientific bent and wanted to be a physician. The summer after my first year of med school, I worked with a urologist and met men being treated for prostate cancer. The patients, who were grappling with their diagnosis and considering their options, inspired me to specialize in oncology. I felt deep respect and compassion for those undergoing cancer treatment, but that really deepened once my father developed bladder cancer. Before my father’s illness, I was very much a molecular scientist. But having someone close to me get cancer made me think about the disease more holistically, rather than only as a ball of abnormal cells or a sample in a tissue culture dish. Now, I find myself dedicated to strengthening the links between clinical care and lab research so that the prognosis for patients only gets better and better. Today, I try to meld the clinical care and the biology. I’m passionate about searching for the next wave of cancer treatments — targeted agents with greater cancer specificity and fewer side effects for you.

I plant myself directly on the line between the laboratory and the clinic and engage both sides to develop a personalized approach to a selection of novel therapies. Your medical care needs to be built on a foundation of science and education, but I also bring an added dimension to my job by understanding biologic mechanisms of drug sensitivity and resistance. It’s really about working with you as a whole person, not just your cancer. I also recognize the importance of your relationship with your circle of loved ones. Oncology gives doctors a rare opportunity to connect deeply with families — from the outset of treatment through the course of the disease, sometimes over several years. I value the chance to get to know you and your family and will work intensively with you over time.