Abhijit A. Patel, MD, PhD

Abhijit Patel, MD, PhD, is a specialist in therapeutic radiology who focuses on the early detection and treatment of cancer.

"Detecting early-stage cancer via a simple blood test is one of the holy grails in oncology," Dr. Patel explains.

As an associate professor of therapeutic radiology at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Patel works on developing innovative blood tests known as “liquid biopsies,” which help identify cancer-specific mutations in blood samples. These tests have the ability to detect cancer at its earliest stages, which is crucial for improving the chances of a cure. Dr. Patel aims to minimize false positives and make these tests more reliable for cancer screening. He also studies the DNA fragments released by tumors into the bloodstream, which can provide vital information about cancer without the need for invasive procedures.

Dr. Patel received his medical training from Yale School of Medicine, completed an internship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and pursued residency in radiation oncology at Harvard Medical School. His postdoctoral research was conducted at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital.