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Nicolas D. Prionas, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Radiation Oncology

Meet Dr. Prionas

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Dr. Nicolas Prionas, M.D. Ph.D., is a radiation oncologist with clinical expertise and interest in the detection, diagnosis, and management of breast cancer. As a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, he is passionate about bringing UCSF care into the community across the entire region. He treats people with malignancies of all disease sites and has expertise in specialized procedures including intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), stereotactic ablative/body radiotherapy (SABR/SBRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), and intra-operative radiotherapy (IORT).

Dr. Prionas received a B.S. in Biomedical Computation and a M.S. in Biomechanical Engineering from Stanford University. He completed joint MD/PhD training in Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine where his research specialized in quantitative imaging and radiotherapy using a novel dedicated breast computed tomography platform. Prior to arriving at UCSF, he completed Radiation Oncology Residency training at Stanford University where he was awarded the Malcolm A. Bagshaw Award for leadership and outstanding scientific achievement. Dr. Prionas is the Associate Director of Quality Initiatives and his research focuses on technologies that increase access to equitable care.

Education

2001-2005	Stanford University School of Engineering	BS	Biomedical Computation
2005-2006	Stanford University School of Engineering	MS	Biomechanical Engineering
2008-2012	University of California, Davis School of Engineering	PhD	Biomedical Engineering
2006-2014	University of California, Davis School of Medicine	MD	Medicine
2015-2019	Stanford University	Resident	Radiation Oncology

Professional Experience

2019-present	University of California, San Francisco	Assistant Professor	Radiation Oncology
2019-2021	University of California, San Francisco	Associate Director of Quality Initiatives	Radiation Oncology
2021-present	University of California, San Francisco	Director of Quality	Radiation Oncology

Awards & Honors

2001	California Governor’s Scholarship
2006 and 2007	2 time recipient of the S. James Vamvas Scholarship from the Hellenic-American Medical and Dental Society of Southern California
2011	Golden Key International Honour Society
2012	WSMRF Gale Hansen Starich, PhD, Oral Presentation Award
2013	Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, Junior inductee
2014	Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
2014	Russel A. McFall, MD Excellence in Radiology
2014	J.T. “Simon” Lie Memorial Scholarship for Achievement in Superior Academics and Involvement in Public Service and Leadership
2014	American College of Physicians Northern California Regional Meeting First Place Clinical Vignette Poster
2015	Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Transitional Intern of the Year
2018	NCCN Oncology Fellows Program Grant

Significant Research Highlights

N.D. Prionas, R. von Eyben, E. Yi, S. Aggarwal, J. Shaffer, J. Bazan, D. Eastham, P.G. Maxim, E.E.Graves, M. Diehn, M.F. Gensheimer, B.W. Loo. “Increases in serial pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT metrics are prognostic of regional and distant recurrence in early stage non-small cell lung cancer treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy,” Adv Radiat Oncol (2019) [In Press]

A.U. Kishan, A. Dang, A.J. Katz, C.A. Mantz, S.P. Collins, N. Aghdam, F. Chu, I.D. Kaplan, L. Appelbaum, D.B. Fuller, R.M. Meier, D.A. Loblaw, P. Cheung, H.T. Pham, N. Shaverdian, N. Jiang, Y. Yuan, H. Bagshaw, N. Prionas, M.K. Buyyounouski, D.E. Spratt, P.W. Linson, R.L. Hong, N.G.Nickols, M.L. Steinberg, P.A. Kupelian, C.R. King. “Long-term Outcomes of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Low-Risk and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer,” JAMA Netw Open 2(2):e188006 (2019). PMID 30735235

Y.Qian, R. von Eyben, Y. Liu, F.T. Chin, Z. Miao, S. Apte, J.N. Carter, M.S. Binkley, E.L. Pollom, J.P. Harris, N.D. Prionas, M. Kissel, A. Simmons, M. Diehn, D.B. Shultz, J.M. Brown, P.G. Maxim, A.C. Koong, E.E. Graves, B.W. Loo. “18F-EF5 PET-based Imageable Hypoxia Predicts Local Recurrence in Tumors Treated With Highly Conformal Radiation Therapy,” Int J Radiat Oncol Biol PhysS0360-3016(18)30596-0 (2018). PMID 29859786

A.U. Kishan, P.C. Wang, S.K. Upadhyaya, H. Hauswald, D.J. Demanes, N.G. Nickols, M. Kamrava, A. Sadeghi, P.A. Kupelian, M.L. Steinberg, N.D. Prionas, M.K. Buyyounouski, C.R. King. “SBRT and HDR brachytherapy produce lower PSA nadirs and different PSA decay patterns than conventionally fractionated IMRT in patients with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer,” Pract Radiat Oncol 6(4):268-275 (2016). PMID 26850649

S. Aminololama-Shakeri, C.K. Abbey, P. Gazi, N.D. Prionas, A. Nosratieh, C.S. Li, J.M. Boone,K.K. Lindfors, “Differentiation of ductal carcinoma in-situ from benign micro-calcifications by dedicated breast computed tomography,” Eur J Radiol 85(1),297-303 (2016). PMID 26520874

N.D. Prionas, S. Aminololama-Shakeri, K. Yang, S.R. Martinez, K.K. Lindfors, J.M. Boone,“Contrast-enhanced Dedicated Breast Computed Tomography Detection of Invasive Breast CancerPreceding Mammographic Diagnosis,” Radiology Case Reports 10(2), 936 (2015) ISSN 19300433

N.D. Prionas, S.E. McKenney, R.L. Stern, J.M. Boone, “Kilovoltage Rotational External Beam Radiotherapy on a Breast Computed Tomography Platform: A Feasibility Study,” Int J Radiat Oncol 84, 533-539 (2012). PMID 22436786

N.D. Prionas, G.W. Burkett, S.E. McKenney, L. Chen, R.L. Stern, J.M. Boone, “Development of a patient-specific two-compartment anthropomorphic breast phantom,” Physics in Medicine and Biology 57, 4293-4307 (2012). PMID 22705748

R.W. Katzberg, W.L. Monsky, N.D. Prionas, V. Sidhar, J. Southard, J. Carlson, J.M. Boone, T.C. Lin, C.S. Li, “Persistent CT nephrograms following cardiac catheterisation and intervention: initial observations,” Insights Imaging 3, 49-60 (2012). PMID 22695998

N.D. Prionas, S.Y. Huang and J.M. Boone, “Experimentally determined spectral optimization for dedicated breast computed tomography,” Med Phys 38, 646-655 (2011). PMID 21452702

S.H. Huang, S. Y., J.M. Boone, K. Yang, N.J. Packard, S.E. McKenney, N.D. Prionas, K.K. Lindfors, M.J. Yaffe, “The characterization of breast anatomical metrics using dedicated breast CT,” Medical Physics 38, 2180-2191 (2011). PMID 21626952

Patents:

Larry Partain, Mingshan Sun, Edward J. Seppi, Raisa Pavlyuchkova, Arundhuti Ganguly, Stavros Prionas, James E. Clayton, Nicolas Prionas, John M. Boone. “United States Patent 8935099 B2 Method and system for identifying, assessing, and managing cancer disease”, Varian Medical Systems, Inc, Sep 19, 2012