Wang, Marilene B. M.D. F.A.C.S.

Dr. Marilene B. Wang is a Professor in the UCLA Division of Head and Neck Surgery. Following her graduation from Loma Linda University School of Medicine at the top of her class, she went on to complete her residency training in head and neck surgery at UCLA. She was recruited to the faculty at UCLA in the Division of Head and Neck Surgery upon completion of her residency. She maintains a busy private practice at the UCLA Medical Plaza, with an emphasis on nasal/ sinus disease, head and neck cancer, sleep apnea, and thyroid/parathyroid disorders. She employs minimally invasive and endoscopic surgical techniques when feasible, for treatment of selected lesions in the head and neck.

Dr. Wang is Chief of the Head and Neck Surgery Section for the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. At the VA Medical Center she is responsible for supervising head and neck surgery residents, ranging from their first through sixth years of training. The Head and Neck Surgery Section runs a busy service at the VA, with over 5,000 outpatient visits annually and nearly 400 operations a year.

Dr. Wang maintains an active research laboratory, studying the molecular basis of head and neck cancer and novel treatment modalities. She was recently awarded a grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health for her research in the anticancer activity of curcumin, an Indian spice. Her other research awards include a First Place Resident Clinical Research Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngology, a Research Training Award from The American Triological Society, and a Resident Research Grant for the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Her current area of interest includes the study of cell cycle regulation in head and neck cancer, as well as the mechanism of action of curcumin in suppressing growth of cancers. Data from her laboratory confirm the anticancer potential for curcumin in head and neck cancer. Development of alternative treatments for head and neck cancer offers obvious advantages over the current standard protocols, which involve the morbidities of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Dr. Wang's teaching activities within the Division of Head and Neck Surgery include active participation in the Curriculum Committee for resident education. She has taught annual courses in endoscopic sinus surgery to the head and neck surgery residents at UCLA. She also leads the Head and Neck teaching conferences and tumor boards at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. In additions, she supervises undergraduates, medical students, and residents in her research laboratory. Through active participation in projects, they learn valuable techniques in molecular biology, while also gaining a better appreciation of the rewards and frustrations of research. UCLA residents from her laboratory have presented data at many regional and national meetings. Two recent resident research papers have won awards from the American Triological Society and the American Academy of Otolaryngology -Head and Neck Surgery.

Postdoctoral Education

Institution	Level (Intern, Resident, Fellow)	Department	Year
University California, Los Angeles	Resident	Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery	1988-92
UCLA Medical Center	Intern	General Surgery

Research Interests

• Molecular biology of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Clinical Interests

• Head and Neck Oncology
• Nasal and sinus disease
• Sleep apnea
• Thyroid/parathyroid disease

Honors and Awards

• The Shirley Baron Award, 1999, (Preceptor to Ali Namazie, M.D.), given for the best resident paper by the Western Section of the Triological Society
• Third Place, Resident Basic Science Research, The American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, 2000 (Preceptor to Steven J. Wang, M.D.)
• Honor Award, 2001, The American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery
• Research grant 2007, The National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health, "Curcumin suppression of head and neck cancer"

Hospital Staff Appointments

• UCLA Medical Center
• VA West Los Angeles Medical Center

Academic/Teaching Appointments

• Director, Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Course, Division of Head and Neck Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine

Titles

• Professor, UCLA Division of Head and Neck Surgery
• Chief of Otolaryngology, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System

Memberships in Scholarly or Professional Societies

• The American College of Surgeons
• The American Academy of Otolaryngolgoy -- Head and Neck Surgery
• The American Board of Otolaryngology
• The American Association for Cancer Research
• Society of University Otolaryngolgists
• American Head and Neck Society
• The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, aka The Triological Society
• The American Rhinological Society