Yolonda Colson, MD, PhD
Dr. Yolonda Colson is the chief of Thoracic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Hermes C. Grillo Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Maryland. Dr. Colson is recognized worldwide as a highly skilled surgeon and innovative researcher, a dedicated educator, and an inspiring leader in the field of thoracic surgery dedicated to improving patients’ treatment outcomes. She specializes in the care of patients with lung and other thoracic cancers, including malignant pleural mesothelioma, with a particular focus on understanding the unique differences of lung cancer in women.[1]
Education and Career
Dr. Colson began her academic journey by earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She then earned a medical degree from the Mayo Medical School and a Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center while also completing an internship, residency, and fellowship in General Surgery and an additional residency in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.[1]
Professional Memberships and Activities
Dr. Colson is the co-inventor on three awarded patents and has received over twenty foundation grants and seven R29/R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute. She has also been elected as a member of the National Academy of Medicine, has been examination chair for the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, the Chair of the advisory committee for the AATS Foundation, and is involved at a leadership level in dozens of other organizations.[1]
Research
Dr. Colson’s research focuses on the development of unique mechanisms of polymer and nanoparticle drug delivery aimed at preventing cancer recurrence, and the investigation of novel methods to identify hidden tumor material that has spread to nearby lymph nodes.[1]
She has participated in over 135 peer-reviewed publications highlighting her previous work in transplantation and her most recent investigations.
Recent clinical trials in which Dr. Colson is involved include:[3]
U01CA265713 (COLSON, YOLONDA L; GRINSTAFF, MARK W.; WONG, WILSON) Sep 17, 2021 – Aug 31, 2026. NIH. Precise tumor targeting with logic CAR circuits. Role: Co-Principal Investigator
R01CA232708 (COLSON, YOLONDA L; GRINSTAFF, MARK W.) Feb 15, 2019 – Jan 31, 2024. NIH. SUPERHYDROPHOBIC DRUG LOADED BUTTRESSES FOR PREVENTION OF LUNG TUMOR RECURRENCE. Role: Co-Principal Investigator
R01CA232056 (COLSON, YOLONDA L; GRINSTAFF, MARK W.; SHIRIHAI, ORIAN S) Feb 1, 2019 – Jan 31, 2024. NIH. OPTIMIZATION OF NANOPARTICLE TUMOR-LOCALIZATION AND DRUG-LOADING FOR TREATING MESOTHELIOMA. Role: Co-Principal Investigator
R01CA227433 (COLSON, YOLONDA L; GRINSTAFF, MARK W.; LIU, KEBIN; OBERLIES, NICHOLAS H.)Apr 1, 2018 – Mar 31, 2024. NIH. TUMOR-SPECIFIC DELIVERY OF VERTICILLIN A OVERCOMES EPIGENETIC SILENCING RESPONSIBLE FOR DRUG RESISTANCE. Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Her most recent publications include:[2]
103rd American Association for Thoracic Surgery Presidential Address: Dreamers and pragmatists: A story of our past, present, and future. Yolonda Lorig Colson>; The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2024 Mar 18
A Pilot Study Using Machine Learning Algorithms and Wearable Technology for the Early Detection of Postoperative Complications After Cardiothoracic Surgery.. Jorind Beqari, Joseph Powell, Jacob Hurd, Alexandra L Potter, Meghan McCarthy, Deepti Srinivasan, Danny Wang, James Cranor, Lizi Zhang, Kyle Webster, Joshua Kim, Allis…>; Annals of Surgery. 2024 Mar 14
Decreased Lung Metastasis in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Following Locally Delivered Supratherapeutic Paclitaxel-Loaded Polyglycerol Carbonate Nanoparticle Therapy. Sabatelle, R., Blessing, W., Kharroubi, H., Bressler, E., Tsai, L., Grinstaff, M., Chu, N., Shih, A., Colson, Y.>; Biomacromolecules. 2024 Mar 11
