Todd Aguilera, M.D., Ph.D.

Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center

Radiation Oncology
Radiation Therapy for Cancer
Radiation Therapy for Gastrointestinal Cancer

New Patient Appointment Accepting Virtual Visits or 214-645-8300

Biography

Todd Aguilera, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is a physician-scientist trained as a radiation oncologist, and has expertise in molecular engineering, molecular imaging, the tumor microenvironment, and tumor immunology.

Dr. Aguilera attended graduate school at UC San Diego School of Medicine where his work focused on engineering and validating activatable peptide-based probes to target the tumor microenvironment. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D. through UC San Diego’s Medical Scientist Training program. His doctorate work was done in the laboratory of Dr. Roger Y. Tsien, who received the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Dr. Aguilera completed his residency in radiation oncology at Stanford University Medical Center. As a resident and postdoctoral fellow at Stanford, he worked with Dr. Amato Giaccia studying factors in the tumor microenvironment that promote immunologic tolerance, and developing therapeutic approaches to improve immunotherapy responses in solid tumors. His specific interests are intrinsic factors that prevent or suppress the anti-tumor immune response after radiation, and how these factors can be reversed.

Dr. Aguilera was recruited to UT Southwestern’s Department of Radiation Oncology to establish his research group, which will continue to investigate the immune microenvironment and to engineer approaches to target cells and molecules that lead to immune privilege.

He also treats radiation oncology patients with gastrointestinal cancers, is developing laboratory projects in pancreatic cancer, and aims to establish collaborative projects with clinicians and researchers.

Dr. Aguilera was one of only three recipients of the ASTRO Resident Seed Grant in 2014; was honored as a Henry S. Kaplan Fellow, Stanford Radiation Oncology in 2016; and was successfully recruited to UT Southwestern in 2017 through the CPRIT First-Time Tenure Track Faculty recruitment award.

He is currently a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Society for Immunotherapy for Cancer, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society for Radiation Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the Radiological Society of North America.

Dr. Aguilera has been published in multiple journals including Nature Communications, Science, Clinical Cancer Research, Nature Cell Biology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics.

Meet Dr. Aguilera

Treating gastrointestinal cancer patients with radiation therapy is the primary clinical focus for Todd Aguilera, M.D., Ph.D. His passion to care for patients going through this challenging and sometimes frightening time is demonstrated by how he takes the time to walk them through each step of treatment.

Dr. Aguilera, a highly trained board-certified radiation oncologist and scientist, is an integral part of the gastrointestinal cancer care team at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He joined the team in 2017 after finishing his residency in radiation oncology and a clinical fellowship in gastrointestinal radiation oncology at Stanford University Medical Center.

“Overall, I am most proud of the relationships I have developed with patients, families, and colleagues. It is an incredible privilege to be invited into people’s lives the way we are in oncology,” Dr. Aguilera says. “Though the curative, palliative, and technical achievements should be praised, the lasting interpersonal interactions hold a unique place in our hearts and minds.”

In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Aguilera is the site principal investigator for the multisite PANCRS randomized phase III trial, which is focused on evaluating the role of stereotactic ablative radiation therapy in locally advanced pancreatic cancer. His research lab is focused on studying immunosuppressive factors in the tumor microenvironment. “The numerous scientific opportunities in the field of radiation oncology that can impact clinical care – from the basic biology of cancer to medical physics – are deeply engaging,” says Dr. Aguilera.

Education & Training

Fellowship - Stanford University Medical Center (2016-2017), Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology
Residency - Stanford University Medical Center (2012-2016), Radiation Oncology
Internship - UC San Diego Medical Center (2011-2012), Internal Medicine
Medical School - UC San Diego School of Medicine (2007-2011)
Other Post Graduate Training - UC San Diego School of Medicine (2003-2007)
Graduate School - UC San Diego School of Medicine (2003-2007)

Professional Associations & Affiliations

Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (2015-2017)
American Society of Clinical Oncology (2013-2017)
America Association for Cancer Research (2012-2017)
Radiological Society of North America (2011-2017)
American Society for Radiation Oncology (2011-2017)

Honors & Awards

Texas Super Doctors, Rising Star 2021
Texas Super Doctors, Rising Star 2020
Henry S. Kaplan Fellow 2016-2017, Stanford Department or Radiation Oncology
Malcom A. Bagshaw Symposium, Best Research Presentation 2015-2015
American Board of Radiology Holman Research Resident 2014-2016
ASTRO Resident Seed Grant 2014-2015

Books & Publications

Publications
- Systemic in vivo distribution of activatable cell penetrating peptides is superior to that of cell penetrating peptides.
  Aguilera TA, Olson ES, Timmers MM, Jiang T, Tsien RY Integrative biology : quantitative biosciences from nano to macro 2009 Jun 1 5-6 371-81
- In vivo characterization of activatable cell penetrating peptides for targeting protease activity in cancer.
  Olson ES, Aguilera TA, Jiang T, Ellies LG, Nguyen QT, Wong EH, Gross LA, Tsien RY Integrative biology : quantitative biosciences from nano to macro 2009 Jun 1 5-6 382-93
- Activatable cell penetrating peptides linked to nanoparticles as dual probes for in vivo fluorescence and MR imaging of proteases.
  Olson ES, Jiang T, Aguilera TA, Nguyen QT, Ellies LG, Scadeng M, Tsien RY Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2010 Mar 107 9 4311-6
- In vivo fluorescence imaging of atherosclerotic plaques with activatable cell-penetrating peptides targeting thrombin activity.
  Olson ES, Whitney MA, Friedman B, Aguilera TA, Crisp JL, Baik FM, Jiang T, Baird SM, Tsimikas S, Tsien RY, Nguyen QT Integrative biology : quantitative biosciences from nano to macro 2012 Jun 4 6 595-605
- Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Quantitative Imaging Characteristics of (18)F Fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT Allow Prediction of Distant Metastasis.
  Wu J, Aguilera T, Shultz D, Gudur M, Rubin DL, Loo BW, Diehn M, Li R Radiology 2016 Apr 151829
- A 3-D Riesz-Covariance Texture Model for Prediction of Nodule Recurrence in Lung CT.
  Cirujeda P, Dicente Cid Y, Muller H, Rubin D, Aguilera TA, Loo BW, Diehn M, Binefa X, Depeursinge A IEEE transactions on medical imaging 2016 Dec 35 12 2620-2630
- Reprogramming the immunological microenvironment through radiation and targeting Axl.
  Aguilera TA, Rafat M, Castellini L, Shehade H, Kariolis MS, Hui AB, Stehr H, von Eyben R, Jiang D, Ellies LG, Koong AC, Diehn M, Rankin EB, Graves EE, Giaccia AJ Nature communications 2016 Dec 7 13898
- Molecular Pathways: Oncologic Pathways and Their Role in T-cell Exclusion and Immune Evasion-A New Role for the AXL Receptor Tyrosine Kinase.
  Aguilera TA, Giaccia AJ Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research 2017 Jun 23 12 2928-2933
- Sociodemographic Disparities in the Receipt of Adjuvant Chemotherapy Among Patients With Resected Stage I-III Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.
  Sanford NN, Aguilera TA, Folkert MR, Ahn C, Mahal BA, Zeh H, Beg MS, Mansour J, Sher DJ, Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN 2019 Nov 17 11 1292-1300
- Stage-specific Conditional Survival Among Young (Age Below 50?y) Versus Older (Age 50?y and Above) Adults With Colorectal Cancer in the United States.
  Sanford NN, Ahn C, Beg MS, Sanjeevaiah A, Kazmi SA, Folkert MR, Aguilera TA, Sher DJ, American journal of clinical oncology 2020 07 43 7 526-530
- Induced Tumor Heterogeneity Reveals Factors Informing Radiation and Immunotherapy Combinations.
  Aguilera TA, Elghonaimy EA, Shehade H, Rafat M, Castellini L, Jiang D, Kariolis M, Koong AC, Le QT, Ellies LG, Rankin EB, Graves EE, Giaccia AJ, Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020 Jun 26 12 2972-2985
- Distinct Clinical Characteristics in Young-Onset Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor.
  Goksu SY, Ozer M, Kazmi SMA, Sanford NN, Aguilera TA, Ahn C, Hsiehchen D, Sanjeevaiah A, Khosama L, Bleeker J, Atiq M, Beg MS, Cancers 2020 Sep 12 9
- Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Versatile Players in the Tumor Microenvironment.
  Ganguly D, Chandra R, Karalis J, Teke M, Aguilera T, Maddipati R, Wachsmann MB, Ghersi D, Siravegna G, Zeh HJ, Brekken R, Ting DT, Ligorio M, Cancers 2020 Sep 12 9
- Trends and Factors Associated With Receipt of Upfront Surgery for Stage II to III Rectal Adenocarcinoma in the United States, 2006 to 2016.
  Hein DM, Ahn C, Aguilera TA, Folkert MR, Sanford NN, American journal of clinical oncology 2021 05 44 5 187-194
- Patterns of Dose Escalation Among Patients With Esophageal Cancer Undergoing Definitive Radiation Therapy: 2006-2016.
  Zhang-Velten ER, Eraj SA, Hein DM, Aguilera TA, Folkert MR, Sanford NN, Advances in radiation oncology 2021 Mar-Apr 6 2 100580
- Disparities in Characteristics, Access to Care, and Oncologic Outcomes in Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer at a Safety-Net Hospital.
  Fangman BD, Goksu SY, Chowattukunnel N, Beg MS, Sanford NN, Sanjeevaiah A, Cox J, Folkert MR, Aguilera TA, Mathews J, Pogacnik JS, Khatri G, Olson C, Polanco PM, Verma U, Hsiehchen D, Jones A, Kainthla R, Kazmi SM, JCO oncology practice 2021 May 17 5 e614-e622
- A 3-D Riesz-Covariance Texture Model for Prediction of Nodule Recurrence in Lung CT.
  Cirujeda P, Dicente Cid Y, Muller H, Rubin D, Aguilera TA, Loo BW, Diehn M, Binefa X, Depeursinge A IEEE transactions on medical imaging 2016 Jul
- Long-Term Results of a Phase 1 Dose-Escalation Trial and Subsequent Institutional Experience of Single-Fraction Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy for Liver Metastases.
  Folkert MR, Meyer JJ, Aguilera TA, Yokoo T, Sanford NN, Rule WG, Mansour J, Yopp A, Polanco P, Hannan R, Nedzi LA, Timmerman RD, International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics 2021 Apr 109 5 1387-1395
- Racial Disparities in Time to Treatment Initiation and Outcomes for Early Stage Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
  Goksu SY, Ozer M, Kazmi SMA, Aguilera TA, Ahn C, Hsiehchen D, Sanjeevaiah A, Maxwell MC, Beg MS, Sanford NN, American journal of clinical oncology 2020 11 43 11 762-769
- 3D Riesz-wavelet based Covariance descriptors for texture classification of lung nodule tissue in CT.
  Cirujeda P, Muller H, Rubin D, Aguilera TA, Loo BW, Diehn M, Binefa X, Depeursinge A Conference proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference 2015 2015 7909-12
- Patterns of Care for Stage II-III Rectosigmoid Cancers in the United States, 2004-2015.
  Sanford NN, Aguilera TA, Beg MS, Sanjeevaiah A, Hong TS, Wo JY, Folkert MR, American journal of clinical oncology 2020 05 43 5 311-318
- Ablative radiotherapy in oligometastatic pancreatic cancer to delay polyprogression, limit chemotherapy, and improve outcomes.
  Elamir AM, Karalis JD, Sanford NN, Polanco PM, Folkert MR, Porembka MR, Kazmi SA, Maddipati R, Zeh HJ, Timmerman RD, Zhang S, Ligorio M, Beg MS, Aguilera TA, International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics 2022 Jul
- Recent Trends and Overall Survival of Young Versus Older Adults With Stage II to III Rectal Cancer Treated With and Without Surgery in the United States, 2010-2015.
  Sanford NN, Dee EC, Ahn C, Kazmi SA, Beg MS, Folkert MR, Aguilera TA, Polanco PM, Pogacnik JS, Sher DJ, American journal of clinical oncology 2020 10 43 10 694-700
- Feasibility and Outcome of Routine Use of Concurrent Chemoradiation in HIV-positive Patients With Squamous Cell Anal Cancer.
  Leiker AJ, Wang CJ, Sanford NN, Aguilera TA, Karri S, Beg MS, Kazmi SA, Olson C, Matthews JA, Abdelnaby A, Meyer JJ, Folkert MR, American journal of clinical oncology 2020 10 43 10 701-708
- Autofluorescent proteins with excitation in the optical window for intravital imaging in mammals.
  Lin MZ, McKeown MR, Ng HL, Aguilera TA, Shaner NC, Campbell RE, Adams SR, Gross LA, Ma W, Alber T, Tsien RY Chemistry & biology 2009 Nov 16 11 1169-79
- Surgery with molecular fluorescence imaging using activatable cell-penetrating peptides decreases residual cancer and improves survival.
  Nguyen QT, Olson ES, Aguilera TA, Jiang T, Scadeng M, Ellies LG, Tsien RY Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2010 Mar 107 9 4317-22
- Personalized Ultrafractionated Stereotactic Adaptive Radiotherapy (PULSAR) in Preclinical Models Enhances Single-Agent Immune Checkpoint Blockade.
  Moore C, Hsu CC, Chen WM, Chen BPC, Han C, Story M, Aguilera T, Pop LM, Hannan R, Fu YX, Saha D, Timmerman R, International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics 2021 Aug 110 5 1306-1316
- Targeting TAM to Tame Pancreatic Cancer.
  von Itzstein MS, Burke MC, Brekken RA, Aguilera TA, Zeh HJ, Beg MS, Targeted oncology 2020 10 15 5 579-588
- Macrophages Promote Circulating Tumor Cell-Mediated Local Recurrence Following Radiation Therapy in Immunosuppressed Patients.
  Rafat M, Aguilera TA, Vilalta M, Bronsart LL, Soto LA, von Eyben R, Golla MA, Ahrari Y, Melemenidis S, Afghahi A, Jenkins MJ, Kurian AW, Horst K, Giaccia AJ, Graves EE Cancer research 2018 Jun
- The end of the hypoxic EPOch.
  Aguilera TA, Giaccia AJ International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics 2015 Apr 91 5 895-7
- The use of texture-based radiomics CT analysis to predict outcomes in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy.
  Starkov P, Aguilera TA, Golden DI, Shultz DB, Trakul N, Maxim PG, Le QT, Loo BW, Diehn M, Depeursinge A, Rubin DL The British journal of radiology 2019 Feb 92 1094 20180228
- Induction of LIFR confers a dormancy phenotype in breast cancer cells disseminated to the bone marrow.
  Johnson RW, Finger EC, Olcina MM, Vilalta M, Aguilera T, Miao Y, Merkel AR, Johnson JR, Sterling JA, Wu JY, Giaccia AJ Nature cell biology 2016 Sep 18 10 1078-1089
- Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-controlled Multicenter Adaptive Phase 1-2 Trial of GC 4419, a Dismutase Mimetic, in Combination with High Dose Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer (PC).
  Hoffe S, Frakes JM, Aguilera TA, Czito B, Palta M, Brookes M, Schweizer C, Colbert L, Moningi S, Bhutani MS, Pant S, Tzeng CW, Tidwell RS, Thall P, Yuan Y, Moser EC, Holmlund J, Herman J, Taniguchi CM, International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics 2020 12 108 5 1399-1400
- Parallel in vivo and in vitro selection using phage display identifies protease-dependent tumor-targeting peptides.
  Whitney M, Crisp JL, Olson ES, Aguilera TA, Gross LA, Ellies LG, Tsien RY The Journal of biological chemistry 2010 Jul 285 29 22532-41
- Fast 18F labeling of a near-infrared fluorophore enables positron emission tomography and optical imaging of sentinel lymph nodes.
  Ting R, Aguilera TA, Crisp JL, Hall DJ, Eckelman WC, Vera DR, Tsien RY Bioconjugate chemistry 2010 Oct 21 10 1811-9
- Mammalian expression of infrared fluorescent proteins engineered from a bacterial phytochrome.
  Shu X, Royant A, Lin MZ, Aguilera TA, Lev-Ram V, Steinbach PA, Tsien RY Science (New York, N.Y.) 2009 May 324 5928 804-7
- Spiers Memorial Lecture. Breeding and building molecular spies.
  Shu X, Lev-Ram V, Olson ES, Aguilera TA, Jiang T, Whitney M, Crisp JL, Steinbach P, Deerinck T, Ellisman MH, Ellies LG, Nguyen QT, Tsien RY Faraday discussions 2011 149 9; discussion 63-77
- Galectin-1-driven T cell exclusion in the tumor endothelium promotes immunotherapy resistance.
  Nambiar DK, Aguilera T, Cao H, Kwok S, Kong C, Bloomstein J, Wang Z, Rangan VS, Jiang D, von Eyben R, Liang R, Agarwal S, Colevas AD, Korman A, Allen CT, Uppaluri R, Koong AC, Giaccia A, Le QT, The Journal of clinical investigation 2019 Nov

Clinical Focus

Radiation Therapy for Cancer
Radiation Therapy for Gastrointestinal Cancer
Radiation Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer
Rectal Cancer
Radiation Therapy for Colorectal Cancer
Radiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer
Gastrointestinal Cancers
Radiation Therapy for Liver Cancer
Anal Cancer
Gallbladder/Bile Duct (Cholangiocarcinoma) Cancer
Radiation Therapy for Stomach Cancer