Daniel Chang to lead department of radiation oncology at Michigan Medicine

Daniel Chang, M.D., was named chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Michigan Medicine.

The University of Michigan Board of Regents approved the appointment at its Sept. 22 meeting. Chang, who is currently the Sue and Bob McCollum Professor of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University, will begin at U-M on Oct. 1.

Chang will be the third chair in the department’s 38-year history. He replaces Theodore S. Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D., who served as department chair since 1997.

The appointment is a homecoming for Chang, who received his medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit and a bachelor’s in chemistry and biochemistry from U-M. He completed his residency in radiation oncology at the University of Florida. He has been on the faculty at Stanford since 2007.

“It is an incredible honor to become the chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Michigan,” Chang said. “It is even more meaningful having grown up in Brighton and attended U-M as an undergraduate. I have bled Maize and Blue since I was a child, so this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity not just to lead one of the most elite departments in the world, but to do so in the place I called home for so many years.”

Chang specializes in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. In particular, he is developing stereotactic body radiotherapy for liver tumors, including tumors that originate in the liver as well as tumors that have spread to the liver. He uses functional imaging to determine treatment response with radiation and image-guided radiotherapy to improve radiation delivery for gastrointestinal cancers to reduce side effects and improve outcomes.

“Since entering the field nearly 20 years ago, I have witnessed radiation oncology and oncology as a whole undergo tremendous and transformative change, driven by the engine of innovation – with no signs of slowing down,” Chang said. “I hope to build on the substantial and numerous strengths of U-M’s Department of Radiation Oncology to position us at the forefront of that innovation.”

Michigan Medicine’s Radiation Oncology program offers patient care at eight locations across the state. The program was recently ranked No. 8 in the nation by Doximity’s Residency Navigator, a tool designed to assist medical students with making informed residency-related decisions.

The department emphasizes translational research, with a focus on testing new combination therapies and novel agents to improve treatment outcomes and quality of life. Physicists have been and continue to be leaders in the development of various imaging techniques to advance treatment planning and ever more precise delivery radiation therapy.

“I look forward to rejoining the U-M community and moving back to the great city of Ann Arbor,” Chang said. “I am especially excited to be able to cheer for our beloved Wolverines in person once again! Go Blue!”