Dr. Yuman Fong

Dr. Yuman Fong chairs the Department of Surgery and directs the Center for Surgical Innovation at City of Hope, where he unites hepatopancreatobiliary surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, geneticists, pathologists, pharmacists, dietitians, social-work navigators, and survivorship specialists in an early-morning conference that reviews imaging, molecular findings, and patient-reported outcomes before clinic opens. Point-of-care lab platforms deliver liver-function panels and germline results within the same visit, while nurse coordinators who speak multiple languages compress scans, tele-visits, and insurance authorizations into a single call—an approach that spares families repeated travel across Southern California. A secure portal lists operative dates, laboratory trends, and direct-message links, turning questions into answers within hours and transforming what once felt like a maze into a transparent roadmap grounded in collective expertise. Patients leave the first appointment with a unified plan and the confidence that every recommendation reflects consensus among specialists who communicate continuously.

 

Dr. Fong’s laboratory pioneered clinically deployable oncolytic viruses, including CF33-hNIS and its checkpoint-armed derivative Vaxinia, which selectively replicate in tumor cells while sparing normal tissue. A flagship first-in-human trial now pairs intravenous Vaxinia with pembrolizumab, embedding serial circulating-tumor-DNA assays and quantitative PET imaging to verify viral spread and immune activation in real time. Companion murine work maps how interferon signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity predict viral sensitivity, feeding machine-learning models that refine eligibility as the study matures. Early safety readouts prompted expansion into pancreatic and triple-negative breast cohorts, illustrating how Dr. Fong’s bench discoveries loop swiftly back to bedside benefit.

 

Innovation extends beyond virotherapy. Dr. Fong co-developed the first FDA-cleared robotic hepatectomy system and leads nationwide courses that broadcast 4K laparoscopic feeds and haptic-sensor data so surgeons from community hospitals can master complex liver resections without leaving home. Partnerships with engineering schools generate 3-D-printed organ models that residents use to practice vascular suturing, reducing operative time when they advance to live cases. Community outreach teams, many fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish, host bilingual liver-health fairs offering ultrasound screening, hepatitis-B vaccination, and nutrition counseling in neighborhoods with historically high hepatocellular-carcinoma incidence. These intertwined initiatives prove that technological imagination, education, and equity can progress together, assuring families that their surgeon invents, teaches, and listens in equal measure.