Dr. Lai is a tenured Professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at The University of
Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and a board-certified head and neck cancer surgeon. Dr.
Lai also holds joint appointments in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology and the
Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Lai earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford
University and his medical and doctorate degrees from The University of California, San
Francisco. He performed his residency at The University of Pennsylvania and completed his
fellowship in oncologic head and neck/cranial base surgery at The University of Pittsburgh School
of Medicine. His clinical expertise focuses on head and neck cancers with a special emphasis on
oral cavity cancer, thyroid and parathyroid disease, salivary gland neoplasms, and conservation
laryngeal surgery. Dr. Lai adopts a multidisciplinary approach to the management of head and
neck cancer patients with a committed engagement to cutting-edge treatment protocols. He is
the principal investigator for the NRG Oncology international randomized prospective clinical trial
of sentinel lymph node biopsy versus elective neck dissection for early-stage oral cavity cancer
(NRG-HN006; NCT04333537). Dr. Lai leads a robust basic and translational research program
focused on novel therapies for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and anaplastic
thyroid cancer (ATC), as well as development of imaging technologies to assess tumor
metabolism and normal tissue toxicity. Dr. Lai has received research awards from the National
Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), American
College of Surgeons, American Head and Neck Society (AHNS), American Academy of
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, The Thyroid Head and Neck Cancer
(THANC) Foundation and the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas. Dr. Lai holds
national leadership positions as Research Division Chair for AHNS and Chair of the Surgical
Oncology Committee for NRG Oncology.