J. Isabelle Choi, MD, FACRO

Clinical Director and Director of Research

Dr. Isabelle Choi is the Director of Research, Clinical Director, and a Research Associate Professor at the New York Proton Center. She is appointed to national and international leadership positions in both the proton therapy and conventional photon therapy communities. Dr. Choi is a Radiation Oncology Attending in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Prior to joining the New York Proton Center, Dr. Choi was the Clinical Director at the California Protons Cancer Therapy Center in San Diego, California, where she also served as the Associate Director of Clinical Research and the Chief of the Breast Cancer, Thoracic Oncology, and Gynecologic Services for the center. She was then appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and served as a clinical lead of the Maryland Proton Treatment Center.

Philosophy of Care

Dr. Choi utilizes evidence-based treatment paradigms and the most cutting-edge therapeutic techniques available to produce the best clinical outcomes possible. She considers short- and long-term quality of life and the goals of her patients and uses shared decision-making with them and their caregivers to develop an optimal and individualized plan of care that provides the level of care she’d wish to be delivered to her own loved ones.

Learn More About Dr. Choi

Education

Undergraduate
Harvard University
Medical School
University of Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine
Residency
Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (Chief Resident)

Board Certification

Radiation Oncology

Research

Dr. Choi’s research focuses on improving outcomes, reducing toxicities and more effectively delivering radiotherapy for breast cancer and gastrointestinal malignancies. As NYPC’s Director of Research, she oversees 22 clinical trials across numerous types of cancers. She is the principal investigator of numerous clinical trials at NYPC, including:
* Phase II Protocol of Proton Therapy for Partial Breast Irradiation in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
* A Randomized Phase III Trial Evaluating the Role Of Axillary Lymph Node Dissection In Breast Cancer Patients (cT1-3 N1) Who Have Positive Sentinel Lymph Node Disease After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
* Phase III Randomized Trial of Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) Versus Intensity Modulated Photon Radiotherapy (IMRT) for the Treatment of Esophageal Cancer
* Prospective Evaluation of Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy for Previously Irradiated Tumors

Leadership

Among her select national leadership appointments, Dr. Choi is Chair of the Proton Collaborative Group (PCG) Publications Committee, Chair of the PCG Breast Subcommittee, Chair of the National Association of Proton Therapy’s Physician Advisory Committee, and President of the Korean American Society of Radiation Oncology.