Ishwaria Subbiah MD MS

Oncology•Houston, TX

Hospice & Palliative, Complementary and Integrative

Medical Oncology – Supportive & Palliative Care – Integrative Medicine

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2211 Macarthur StHouston, TX 77030

Summary

Dr. Ishwaria Subbiah, MD, MS, FASCO is a healthcare leader specializing in palliative care, integrative medicine, and medical oncology. With 16+ years of patient care experience and progressive scientific and administrative responsibilities, she has an expertise in navigating complex health systems and a solid track record of successfully launching large scale evidence-based programs in remote symptom monitoring, clinical trials access, technology-enhanced supportive care, and clinician wellbeing.

Her career spans academic centers, health systems, research institutes, and community networks, reflecting her commitment to data-driven patient care and workforce wellbeing. After medical education in New York City Health and Hospitals and St. George's University, internship at Albany Medical Center & VA System, and Internal Medicine residency at University of Texas at Houston, she completed fellowships in Developmental Therapeutics, Medical Oncology, and Palliative Medicine at MD Anderson before joining the faculty and rising to Associate Professor. Dr. Subbiah has held leadership roles at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, and US Oncology, where she developed the network's first clinical trial access and inclusion strategy and launched the comprehensive clinician wellbeing program.

Named a 2024 National Academy of Medicine Change-Maker and Fellow of ASCO, she serves as chair-elect for ASCO's Health Services Research Committee, past chair of ASCO State of Cancer Care in America and advised the US President's Cancer Panel. She has published extensively on burnout in medicine, received grants from ASCO and ACS, and serves as Associate Editor for JCO Oncology Practice, all reflecting her commitment to data-driven symptom management, clinical trials access, and workforce sustainability & wellbeing.

Education & Training

Rice UniversityCertificate, Health Care Management, 2018
University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer CenterFellowship, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2015 - 2016
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston/M D Anderson Cancer CenterFellowship, Hematology and Medical Oncology, 2012 - 2015
University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer CenterFellowship, Investigational Cancer Therapeutics Fellowship In Early Drug Development, 2011 - 2012
University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonResidency, Internal Medicine, 2009 - 2011
Albany Medical CenterInternship, Internal Medicine, 2008 - 2009
St. George's University School of MedicineClass of 2008
Johns Hopkins UniversityMS, Biotechnology, 2005
Johns Hopkins UniversityBS, Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2004

Certifications & Licensure

FL State Medical License 2021 - Present
TX State Medical License 2016 - 2027
TN State Medical License 2023 - 2026
OK State Medical License 2020 - 2021
American Board of Internal Medicine Internal Medicine
American Board of Internal Medicine Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

Young Investigator Award Finalist The International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG), 2017
AACR-GlaxoSmithKline Outstanding Clinical Scholar Award American Association for Cancer Research, 2013
Conquer Cancer Foundation Merit Award American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2013
Extramural Award for Patient-oriented Research Loan Repayment Program National Institutes of Health (NIH), 2013
AACR-Warner Fund Scholar-in-Training Award American Association for Cancer Research, 2012
ASCO/AACR Methods in Clinical Trials Workshop American Society of Clinical Oncology/American Association for Cancer Research, 2012
Finalist, Bristol-Myers Squibb Award, Postgraduate Clinical/Translational Research MD Anderson Alumni and Faculty Association, 2012
Trainee Excellence Award MD Anderson Alumni and Faculty Association, 2012
American College of Gastroenterology Presidential Poster Award American College of Gastroenterology, 2010
Merit/Travel Award winner for the American Society of Hematology (ASH)/Hemophilia and Thrombosis Research Society (HTRS) Coagulation Disorders Workshop American Society of Hematology (ASH)/Hemophilia and Thrombosis Research Society (HTRS), 2010
Beta Beta Beta Honor Society Johns Hopkins University, 2003
Office of Student Involvement Leadership Award Johns Hopkins University, 2003
The Chester Wickwire Diversity Award Johns Hopkins University, 2003
Dean's List Johns Hopkins University, 2002-2003
Intramural Research Training Award National Institutes of Health, 2000
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Publications & Presentations

PubMed

2 citations
State of Geographic Access to Cancer Treatment Trials in the United States: Are Studies Located Where Patients Live?
M Kelsey Kirkwood, Caroline Schenkel, Dominique C Hinshaw, Suanna S Bruinooge, David M Waterhouse
JCO Oncology Practice. 2025-03-01
Ten-Year Trends in Clinician Well-Being and Burnout Among Oncology Fellows in Training: An ASCO State of Cancer Care in America Study.
Caroline Schenkel, Laura A Levit, Kelsey Kirkwood, Tait Shanafelt, Ishwaria M Subbiah
JCO Oncology Practice. 2025-01-29
1 citations
Key Strategies to Promote Professional Wellness and Reduce Burnout in Oncology Clinicians.
Kaitlyn Lapen, Fumiko Chino, Amanda Noble, Jill O Jin, Laura A Levit
JCO Oncology Practice. 2025-01-29

Journal Articles

Development of a prognostic scoring system for patients with advanced cancer enrolled in immune checkpoint inhibitor phase 1 clinical trials
Sen S, Hess K, Hong DS, Naing A, Piha-Paul S, Janku F, Fu S, Subbiah IM, Liu H, Khanji R, Huang L, Moorthy S, Karp DD, Tsimberidou A, Meric-Bernstam F, Subbiah V, Br J Cancer, 1/1/2018
Outcomes of patients 65 years old with advanced cancer treated on phase I trials at MD Anderson Cancer Center
Subbiah IM, Wheler JJ, Hess KR, Hong DS, Naing A, Fu S, Kurzrock R, Tsimberidou AM, Int J Cancer, 1/1/2017
Palliative Care in the Time of Hurricane Harvey
Subbiah IM, Pallimed, 1/1/2017
STUMP un"stumped": anti-tumor response to anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor based targeted therapy in uterine inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor with myxoid f...
Subbiah V, McMahon C, Patel S, Zinner R, Silva EG, Elvin JA, Subbiah IM, Ohaji C, Ganeshan DM, Anand D, Levenback CF, Berry J, Brennan T, Chmielecki J, Chalmers ZR, Ma..., J Hematol Oncol, 1/1/2015
Targeted therapy of advanced gallbladder cancer and cholangiocarcinoma with aggressive biology: eliciting early response signals from phase 1 trials
Subbiah IM, Subbiah V, Tsimberidou AM, Naing A, Kaseb AO, Javle M, Fu S, Hong DS, Piha-Paul S, Wheler JJ, Hess KR, Janku F, Falchook GS, Wolff RA, Kurzrock R, Oncotarget, 1/1/2013
Cardiovascular toxicity profiles of vascular-disrupting agents
Subbiah IM, Lenihan DJ, Tsimberidou AM, Oncologist, 1/1/2011
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Books/Book Chapters

Manual of Medical Oncology
Chapter: Chapter 21: Colorectal Cancer.
Morris V, Subbiah IM, Kopetz S, Eng CMcGraw Hill Professional, New York, NY2016
Comprehensive Rectal Cancer Care
Chapter: The Management of Metastatic Disease.
Subbiah IM, Eng C, Lou EPertinax Publishing, United Kingdom2015

Abstracts/Posters

Caring for the caregiver during the cancer journey.
Subbiah IM, The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, 1/30/2019
Holistic care from the hospital's front door: pain management and symptom control in the Emergency Center.
Subbiah IM, Oncologic Emergency Medicine Annual Conference, Houston, TX, 1/18/2019
Characteristics and Incidence of Immune-Related Toxicities Among Older Adults on Immunotherapy-Based Phase I Trials.
Subbiah IM, Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) 2018 Annual Meeting, Vienna, Austria, 1/29/2018
A Comparative Analysis of Participation And Clinical Benefit Among Older Adults Versus Middle Age and AYA Patients on Phase I Clinical Trials with VEGF/VEGFR Inhibitors.
Subbiah IM, Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) 2018 Annual Meeting, Vienna, Austria, 1/29/2018
What's New in Palliative & Supportive Care: 5 Most Impactful Publications this Year.
Subbiah IM, 22nd Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Supportive Care, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Houston, TX, 1/15/2018
PROs & Patient Experience: The Role of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patient-Centered, Value-Driven Care
Subbiah IM, 22nd Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Supportive Care, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Houston, TX, 1/15/2018
Supportive Care & the Survivor: Exploring the intersection of Palliative Care and Cancer Survivorship.
Subbiah IM, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 30th Annual myCancerConnection Cancer Survivorship Conference, Houston, TX, 1/14/2018
Caring for the spirit of persons with advanced illness during crisis: The Harvey Experience.
Subbiah IM, Seventh Annual Symposium of the Institute for Spirituality and Health: The Collective Soul, Houston, TX, 1/10/2018
A Comparative Analysis of Participation And Clinical Benefit Among Older Adults Versus Middle Age and AYA Patients on Phase I Clinical Trials with VEGF/VEGFR Inhibitors.
Subbiah IM, MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting on Supportive Care in Cancer, 1/1/2018
Too old for treatment? Care for senior adults with a new diagnosis of cancer.
Subbiah IM, 21st Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Supportive Care, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Houston, TX, 1/14/2017
Immuno-oncology and the Older Adult: Comprehensive analysis of immune-related toxicities among older adults treated on novel immunotherapy-based phase I clinical trials.
Subbiah IM, Annual Conference of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG), Warsaw, Poland, 1/10/2017
Integration of supportive care in immuno-oncology trials: Investigating the incidence and severity of immune-related toxicities among older adults versus mid-age patie...
Subbiah IM, Hess KR, Fujii R, Lui A, Subbiah V, Naing A, Hong DS, ASCO Palliative and Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium, 1/1/2017
Call to integrate supportive care and patient reported outcomes in early phase clinical trials: An exploration of adolescent and young adult (AYA) participation on pha...
Subbiah IM, Tang C, Rao A, Subbiah V, Kurzrock R, Hong DS, ASCO Palliative and Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium, 1/1/2017
Immuno-oncology and the elderly: A comparative analysis of participation and toxicities of senior adults aged 65 years and above vs mid age and adolescent/young adult ...
Subbiah IM, Hess KR, Fujii T, Alshawa A, Lui A, Roy S, Khanji R, Subbiah V, Naing A, Hong DS, J Clin Oncol, 1/1/2017
Clinical benefit rate and participation of patients with advanced cancer on phase I clinical trials: A comparative analysis of senior adults aged 65 years and above ve...
Subbiah IM, Tang C, Rao A, Falchook GS, Subbiah V, Kurzrock R, Karp D, Hong DS, 2016 Annual Conference of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG), Milan, Italy, 1/18/2016
Transforming Lives of Patients with Advanced Illness and Caregivers in Suffering - Invocation.
Subbiah IM, Sixth Annual Symposium of the Institute for Spirituality and Health: The Collective Soul, Houston, TX, 1/13/2016
Clinical benefit rate and participation of patients with advanced cancer on phase I clinical trials: A comparative analysis of senior adults aged 65 years and above ve...
Subbiah IM, Tang C, Rao A, Subbiah V, Kurzrock R, Karp D, Hong DS, J Geriatr Oncol., 1/1/2016
Significant systemic and CNS activity of RET inhibitor vandetanib combined with mTOR inhibitor everolimus in patients with advanced NSCLC with RET fusion.
Cascone T, Subbiah V, Hess KR, Nelson S, Nilsson MB, Subbiah IM, Ali SM, Carbone DP, Salgia R, Owonikoko TK, Meric-Bernstam F, Doebele RC, Heymach J, J Clin Oncol, 1/1/2016
Safety, toxicity and activity of multi-kinase inhibitor vandetanib in combination with everolimus in advanced solid tumors.
Cascone R, Hess KR, Piha-Paul SA, Hong DS, Subbiah IM, Bhatt R, Fu S, Naing A, Janku F, Karp DD, Meric-Bernstam F, Heymach J, Subbiah V, J Clin Oncol, 1/1/2016
Impaired cell cycle arrest with concurrent epigenetic deregulation identified through next generation sequencing in patients with advanced carcinoma of unknown primary...
Subbiah IM, Varadhachary G, Tsimberidou AM, Wheler JJ, Subbiah V, Janku F, Roy Chowdhuri S, Zinner R, Hong DS, Cancer Res, 1/1/2015
A phase I study of everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) in combination with vandetanib (multikinase inhibitor of VEGFR, EGFR, and RET) in advanced solid tumors including molecu...
Cascone T, Hess KR, Piha-Paul S, Hong DS, Roxas M, Subbiah IM, Fu S, Naing A, Janku F, Karp D, Sherman SI, Meric-Bernstam F, Heymach JV, Subbiah V, Mol Cancer Ther, 1/1/2015
Concurrent aberrations in the Wnt, MAPK and PI3K pathways identified through next generation sequencing of relapsed refractory colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC): Implica...
Subbiah IM, Janku F, Tsimberidou AM, Naing A, Subbiah V, Wheler JJ, Zinner R, Eng C, Overman MJ, Kopetz S, Hong DS, Cancer Res, 1/1/2015
Next-generation sequencing of advanced, relapsed colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) to reveal mutations affecting Wnt, MAPK and PI3K pathway signaling: Emergence of novel...
Subbiah IM, Janku F, Tsimberidou AM, Naing A, Subbiah V, Wheler JJ, Zinner R, Eng C, Overman MJ, Kopetz S, Palmer GS, Hong DS, J Clin Oncol, 1/1/2015
One size does not fit all: Fingerprinting advanced carcinoma of unknown primary through comprehensive profiling identifies aberrant activation of the PI3K and MAPK sig...
Subbiah IM, Varadhachary G, Palmer G, Tsimberidou AM, Wheler JJ, Subbiah V, Janku F, Chowdhuri SR, Zinner R, Meric-Bernstam F, Hong DS, Cancer Res, 1/1/2014
Next-generation sequencing in carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) and novel combinatorial strategies in a heterogeneous mutational landscape: Implications for personali...
Subbiah IM, Varadhachary GR, Tsimberidou AM, Wheler JJ, Subbiah V, Falchook GS, Janku F, Zinner R, Roy-Chowdhuri S, Meric-Bernstam F, Hong DS, J Clin Oncol, 1/1/2014
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Lectures

Doing Everything
ASCO Annual Meeting 2019 - Chicago, IL - 6/1/2019
Rules of Engagement: Regulatory Guidelines when Using Social Media in Healthcare
ASCO Annual Meeting 2019 - Chicago, IL - 5/31/2019
Managing Cancer Pain through the Integration of Comprehensive Symptom Management.
Houston, TX - 1/27/2018
PROs in Clinical Practice: Utilization of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Routine Symptom Management.
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX - 1/19/2018
Caring for the whole person: Exploring the continuum between Supportive Care, Palliative Care, & Hospice, Partners in Knowledge
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX - 1/13/2018
Ethical issues in biomedical sciences in the responsible conduct of research: perspectives from the clinical front lines.
Houston, TX - 1/12/2018
Caring for the whole person: Comprehensive symptom management for patients on immunotherapy-based clinical trials.
Dallas, TX - 1/8/2018
Supportive Care & The Patient Experience: Delivering Patient-Centered Care Through the Integration Of Comprehensive Symptom Management
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX - 1/1/2018
Supportive Care & the Patient Experience: Comprehensive Care of Persons with Advanced Cancers.
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX - 1/7/2017
Early Integration of Supportive Care in the Care of Persons with Advanced Cancers.
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX - 1/3/2017
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Other

Focused Assessment and Study Tool (FAST): Psychiatry and Cognition Module, 3rd Edition
Ishwaria Subbiah, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
1/1/2017

Authored Content

Palliative Care in the Time of Hurricane Harvey9/27/2017

Press Mentions

Houston Doctors Show Their Artistic Sides While Helping Out the Sunshine KidsApril 22nd, 2025
‘Burnout Is Actionable’: 6 Organizational Strategies to Promote Wellness Among OncologistsMarch 25th, 2025
New Oncology Workforce Data Point to Widespread ConcernsOctober 22nd, 2024
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Professional Memberships

External Links

MD Anderson Faculty Pagehttp://faculty.mdanderson.org/Ishwaria_Subbiah/Default.asp?SNID=0
LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ishwaria-subbiah-md-ms-8a63637