Kazuki Sugahara, MD, PHD
Locations and Appointments
CUIMC/Herbert Irving Pavilion
CUIMC/Milstein Hospital Building
Insurances Accepted
Please contact the doctor's office directly to verify that your particular insurance is accepted.
About Kazuki Sugahara, MD, PHD
Kazuki N. Sugahara, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Surgery. Dr. Sugahara studies drug delivery systems to enhance the diagnosis and therapy of various cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer. He has developed various tumor-targeting peptides that deliver compounds selectively to cancer tissue, and reported them in a number of high-profile journals such as Science. One of his peptides, the iRGD tumor-penetrating peptide, is now in a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial for metastatic pancreatic cancer. Dr. Sugahara's work has been recognized through grants and awards from national agencies such as the NIH, Department of Defense, and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and also from international societies such as the Japan Society of Drug Delivery Systems.
After receiving his medical degree from Shiga University of Medical Science in Japan, Dr. Sugahara underwent surgery residency at Tazuke Kofukai Kitano Hospital, Osaka, Japan, received a PhD in cancer biology and immunology from the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California. He came to Columbia University in 2013 to take dual appointment as a categorical resident and a research faculty at the Department of Surgery. He now continues to pursue his career as a surgeon scientist with a special focus on pancreatic cancer.
Specialties & Expertise
- Pancreatic Disease
Leadership, Titles & Positions
- Assistant Professor of Surgery
Hospital Affiliations
- NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Awards & Honors
- 2nd Place, Annual Research Competition, Department of Surgery, Columbia University (USA, 2016)
- Best Presentation Awards, Japanese Association for Metastasis Research (Japan, 2003, 2005)
- Blakemore Award, 1st Annual Research Symposium, Columbia University (USA, 2017)
- Career Development Award, AACR-Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (USA, 2012)
- Finalist, Poster Competition, Society of Surgical Oncology Annual Meeting (USA, 2015)
- Finalist, Poster Competition, Society of Surgical Oncology Annual Meeting (USA, 2019)
- Idea Expansion Award, Breast Cancer Research Program, Department of Defense (USA, 2012)
- John Jones Surgical Society Award, Columbia University (USA, 2014)
- Science and Technology Blasker Award, San Diego Foundation (USA, 2011)
- Travel Award - International Symposium, Japan Surgical Society (Japan, 2011)
- Young Investigator Award, Japan Society of Drug Delivery System (Japan, 2011)
- Young Investigator Award, Japanese Association for Metastasis Research (Japan, 2006)