Joseph Califano, MD Physician in Chief, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
Joseph Califano, MD Physician in Chief, Professor of Surgery, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
Director, Head and Neck Cancer Center
Joseph A. Califano, III, MD, is a board-certified otolaryngologist. He is an internationally recognized head and neck surgeon who specializes in tumors of the oral cavity (mouth), salivary glands, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), sinuses, thyroid, and skull base. Dr. Califano has expertise in minimally invasive surgical techniques, including endoscopic laser and robotic surgery, to help best preserve function and appearance in his patients. He has an interest in HPV-related cancers of the throat, as well as premalignant conditions of the upper aero digestive tract.
His other areas of investigation include integrative network-based molecular analysis of head and neck tumors; detection of recurrent and occult primary cancer within blood and saliva using molecular biologic techniques; and defining the underlying biology of head and neck cancers.
A frequent speaker at national and international meetings, Dr. Califano has coauthored numerous textbooks and book chapters and over 230 peer-reviewed articles related to both clinical and scientific aspects of cancer. His work has appeared in Nature, Oral Oncology and Clinical Cancer Research, among others. He reviews and serves on the editorial board for a variety of medical journals, including Oral Oncology, the most respected specialty journal in head and neck cancer.
In his free time, Dr. Califano enjoys rock climbing, and is learning how to surf. He and his wife, Beth, have two children.
