Dr. Rona Yaeger

Dr. Rona Yaeger, MD, is a nationally recognized medical oncologist specializing in colorectal, anal, and gastrointestinal malignancies. She serves as an Associate Attending Physician in the Gastrointestinal Oncology and Early Drug Development Services at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), where she leads clinical initiatives and translational research in colorectal cancer. Dr. Yaeger earned her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine, completed her residency in internal medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, and pursued fellowship training in medical oncology at both Weill Cornell and Memorial Sloan Kettering. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology.

Dr. Yaeger is widely recognized for her leadership in molecular research and early-phase clinical trials targeting RAS, BRAF, and MAPK pathway mutations in colorectal cancer. She directs innovative laboratory and clinical research that deploys patient-derived xenograft and organoid models to dissect mechanisms of resistance and identify novel therapeutic vulnerabilities. Her laboratory’s work has been central to driving mechanism-based combination therapies into clinical testing, and she has published extensively on the genomics and signaling dynamics of colorectal tumors.

In addition to her clinical and research leadership, Dr. Yaeger is a respected lecturer and collaborator within national oncology networks. She is frequently invited to speak on advances in targeted therapy and early drug development, including KRAS-G12C and BRAF-mutant colon cancer strategies. Through her dedication to scientific innovation, clinical-trial leadership, and academic rigor, Dr. Yaeger continues to shape the evolving standards of care in colorectal and gastrointestinal oncology at MSKCC and on a national scale.