Kristin R. Swanson, PhD

Mayo Clinic
Phoenix, United States

Dr. Swanson is currently the Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Professor in Cancer Research and also holds appointments as Professor of Radiation Oncology and Cancer Biology at Mayo Clinic, where she directs the Mathematical NeuroOncology Lab and co-directs the Precision NeuroTherapeutics Innovation Program at Mayo Clinic. She also holds an appointment as Professor of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at Arizona State University.

Dr. Swanson received her BS in Mathematics with a minor in Physics in 1996 from Tulane University. She then earned her MS in 1998 and PhD in 1999 in Mathematical Biology from the University of Washington. Dr. Swanson went on to a postdoctoral fellowship in Mathematical and Computational Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. She joined the faculty at the University of Washington in 2000, with appointments in both Neuropathology and Applied Mathematics. In 2015, she joined Mayo Clinic in Arizona as Professor and Vice Chair of Neurological Surgery.

Dr. Swanson is an internationally recognized mathematical oncologist focused on delivering optimal treatment to patients with brain cancer. Her research lab is driven by the motto that “every patient deserves their own equation.” Her laboratory group works to generate patient-specific predictive models to effectively and accurately predict tumor growth and response to therapy in individual patients. The group works with clinical and research teams to bring these innovations to the clinic to inform novel therapy design, resulting in better treatment and outcomes for patients. Dr. Swanson is recipient of the 2017 Mayo Clinic Service Award for Diversity and Inclusion, the 2008 University of Washington Award for Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year. Her research efforts have been supported through funding from the NIH, the Ivy Foundation, the James S McDonnell Foundation, the James D. Murray Endowed Chair at the University of Washington, and the Mayo Clinic.