Rita Nanda, MD
Director, Breast Medical Oncology Program, & Associate Professor, Medicine, The University of Chicago
Highlights
- LBBC Medical Advisory Board member since 2023
- Medical oncologist with research interests in identifying new treatments for breast cancer
- Leader of the University of Chicago’s clinical and translational breast cancer research efforts
- Widely published and award-winning researcher and speaker
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Rita Nanda, MD, is an associate professor of medicine and director of the breast medical oncology program at The University of Chicago. Her research interests include identifying new treatments for breast cancer, with a focus on triple-negative disease.
Dr. Nanda leads the University of Chicago’s clinical and translational breast cancer research efforts and serves as a principal investigator for the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC) and the ISPY2 Clinical Trial Network. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Association of Cancer Research, and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer.
Dr. Nanda has authored many scientific publications and book chapters, including one of the first reports of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for triple-negative breast cancer. She often presents her research at national and international conferences. She has earned several awards, including the 2014 National Cancer Institute Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award.
Experience & accolades
Expertise
- Medical oncology
- Immunotherapy
- Triple-negative breast cancer
Education
- The University of Chicago
- Medical doctor
- Residency in internal medicine
- Fellowship in hematology/oncology
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Bachelor of science, chemical engineering
Experience
- The University of Chicago (2005-Present)
- Associate professor, hematology/oncology
- Assistant professor, hematology/oncology
- Instructor, hematology/oncology
Awards & distinctions
- Induction, Salem Community High School Academic Hall of Fame, 2022
- Chicago’s Exceptional Women in Medicine, Chicago Magazine, 2021
- Chicago’s Top Doctors, Chicago Magazine, 2021
- Hero Award, Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, 2020
- Chicago’s Top Doctors, Chicago Magazine, 2019
- Top Doctors, Castle Connolly, 2017
- Chicago’s Top Doctors, Chicago Magazine, 2017
- Patient Satisfaction Award, University of Chicago Department of Medicine, 2015
- Leadership Award, Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, 2015
- Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award, National Cancer Institute, 2014
- Chief Hematology/Oncology Fellow, 2004
- Merit Award, ASCO Foundation, 2004
- Amgen Fellowship Award, 2004
- Merit Award, ASCO Foundation, 2003
- Calvin Fentress Research Fellowship Award, 1995
- National Merit Finalist and Scholar, 1989
Professional memberships & board positions
- Medical Advisory Board, Living Beyond Breast Cancer
- American Association for Cancer Research
- American Society of Clinical Oncology
- Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
Publications
- Nanda R, Chow LQ, Dees EC, et al. Pembrolizumab in Patients With Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Phase Ib KEYNOTE-012 Study. J Clin Oncol. 2016
- Nanda R, Liu MC, Yau C, et al. Effect of Pembrolizumab Plus Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on Pathologic Complete Response in Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer: An Analysis of the Ongoing Phase 2 Adaptively Randomized I-SPY2 Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2020
- Terman E, Sheade J, Zhao F, et al. The impact of race and age on response to neoadjuvant therapy and long-term outcomes in Black and White women with early-stage breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2023
- Freeman JQ, Sheade JB, Zhao F, Olopade OI, Huo D, Nanda R. Racial differences in familiarity, interest, and use of integrative medicine among patients with breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2024
- Michaels E, Chen N, Nanda R. The Role of Immunotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Clin Breast Cancer. 2024
