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

Biography

Todd Aguilera, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in treating gastrointestinal cancer with radiation therapy.

Dr. Aguilera attended graduate school at UC San Diego School of Medicine and 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.

Certified by the American Board of Radiology, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2017 through the CPRIT First-Time Tenure Track Faculty recruitment award. This enabled him to start his independent research group which has led to recognition in laboratory and clinical research including the Damon Runyon Clinical investigator award in 2020.

Dr. Aguilera 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’s clinical interests include radiotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers with a specific focus in pancreatic cancer and upper abdominal ablative radiation. He is co-director of the pancreatic cancer group where he helps lead interdisciplinary efforts to deliver patient-centered care. In 2020 and 2021, Dr. Aguilera was named a Texas Monthly Super Doctor Rising Star.

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.

In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Aguilera was principal investigator or site principal investigator for multiple pancreatic and rectal cancer trials. These studies focused on his interest in ablative radiotherapy, the combination of radiation with experimental therapeutics, and coupling translational science with clinical trials to maximize discovery. His research lab is focused on studying immunosuppressive factors in the tumor microenvironment.

“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.”

Personal Note

Dr. Aguilera, while missing the breathtaking mountains and calming ocean of California, has found a new home in Texas. He and his family have embraced the Texan lifestyle, immersing themselves in its culture, warm community, and unique charm. Though his heart holds a place for the landscapes of his home state, he appreciates the wide-open spaces, vibrant traditions, and undeniable spirit of Texas.