Joseph Shrager, MD

Joseph Shrager, MD, is Professor of Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) and Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Stanford. He is a clinical and translational scientist working mainly in the areas of lung cancer and diaphragm/skeletal muscle atrophy. His research first described the clinical syndrome of ventilator-associated diaphragm atrophy and dysfunction in 2007, and his group has since uncovered the molecular mechanisms underlying this problem. Dr. Shrager’s laboratory’s long-term focus is on responses of the respiratory muscles to various disease states and interventions, recently expanding into lung cancer-related translational laboratory work. He identified sensitive available method for quantitating circulating tumor DNA and identifying lung cancer driver mutations. Dr. Shrager maintains a busy practice in pulmonary surgery and has published 175 original research articles, editorials, chapters, and reviews on both clinical and laboratory topics. His research has been published in top-tier journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. He is a member of the editorial board of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery and many other prestigious academic surgical societies.

Dr. Shrager has been identified as one of “America’s Top Doctors” and one of “America’s Top Doctors for Cancer.” for multiple years running. Dr. Shrager has been awarded US News and World Report “Top Doctor” recognition in every year since that rating system was inaugurated in 2012; this award places him among the top 1% of thoracic surgeons nationwide based upon reviews by physician-peers.