Marilene B. Wang, MD
- Otolaryngology|
- Head and Neck Surgery
About
Marilene B. Wang is a head and neck surgeon who is currently a Professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA School of Medicine and has been a faculty member here since 1992.
Dr. Wang earned her B.A. in Mathematics with highest honors at La Sierra University, Riverside, CA in 1982. She earned her M.D. at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA in 1986 and graduated first in her class of 134. She completed her residency in Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA in 1992.
She won the First Place Award in Resident Clinical Research from the American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery in 1991. She was a recipient of a Research Training Award from the American Triological Society in 1993. Dr. Wang was given an Honor Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery in 2001 and a Distinguished Service Award in 2013. She was named a Cochrane Scholar by the American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery in 2014. She was a member of the Faculty Executive Committee at the School of Medicine from 1998-2001 and from 2021-2024. She has been a member of the Advisory Board for the College of Applied Anatomy for the School of Medicine, a Well-being Advisor, and a member of the Council of Advisors for UCLA Faculty Diversity and Development. She currently serves as Chair of the ClinCAP committee for UCLA's Academic Senate. She served as Vice President for the Western Section of the Triological Society 2020-2022.
She is committed to medical student and resident education both in the clinical setting and in the laboratory. She has mentored many students and residents in her head and neck cancer research laboratory, and several have won prestigious awards for their projects in the laboratory, including the Shirley Baron Award from the Western Section of the Triological Society, a Basic Science Award for resident research from the American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, and a First Place Award for the Poster Session of the Triological Society.
She specializes in treatment of nasal and sinus diseases, skull base tumors, head and neck cancer, thyroid/parathyroid disease, and snoring/sleep apnea.
She utilizes minimally invasive endoscopic techniques for sinus surgery and removal of sinonasal tumors, including endoscopic removal of skull base tumors, juvenile nasal angiofibromas, inverting papillomas, and selected malignancies. She also is active in the Pituitary Tumor and Endoscopic Neurosurgery Programs.
Professional Memberships
- The American College of Surgeons
- The American Rhinologic Society
- The American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery
- The American Board of Otolaryngology
- The North American Skull Base Society
- American Head and Neck Society
- The Triological Society
Academic and Medical Staff Appointments
- Professor-in-Residence, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Languages
Education
Residency
Internship
Degree
Recognitions
- Otolaryngology, the Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, Inc.Research Training Award, 1993, The American Triological Society, Inc.The American Academy of Otolaryngology Resident Research Grant, 1994 (Co-investigator/preceptor to Kathleen R.Billings, M.D.)The Shirley Baron Award, 1999, (Preceptor to Ali Namazie, M.D.), given for the best resident paper by the Western Section of the Triological Society.Third Place, Resident Basic Science Research, The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2000 (Preceptor to Steven J. Wang, M.D.)Honor Award, The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2001Special Contribution Award, Department of Veterans Affairs, VAGLAHS, January 15, 2002First Place Award, Poster Session of the Annual Meeting of the Triological Society, 2004Los Angeles Super Doctors 2010-presentBest Doctors in America 2010-presentHonored Alumnus, La Sierra University College of Arts and Sciences, 2012Vice President’s Award, Western Section of the Triological Society, 2012 (Preceptor to Dr. Darshni Vira, resident)Best Resident Clinical Paper Award, 2013 North American Skull Base Society Annual Meeting (preceptor to Dr. Christopher Thompson)Distinguished Service Award, The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2013Cochrane Scholar, The American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, 2014Vice President’s Award, Western Section of the Triological Society, 2015 (Preceptor to Dr. Aaron Feinstein, resident)Presidential Citation, The Triological Society, 2015
- Research Training Award, 1993, The American Triological Society, Inc.
- The American Academy of Otolaryngology Resident Research Grant, 1994 (Co-investigator/preceptor to Kathleen R.Billings, M.D.)
- See More
Related Clinical Trials
Locations
Westwood Head & Neck Surgery
Medical Services
Areas of Focus
Videos
Research
Interests
Dr. Wang has a research laboratory whose focus is to explore the molecular basis for the development and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Advanced head and neck cancer carries a poor prognosis, and a goal of this lab is to search for more effective and less toxic treatments for this devastating disease. Curcumin, also known as turmeric, is a naturally occurring plant phenol that is a commonly used spice. Dr. Wang's laboratory has found that curcumin treatment of HNSCC both in vitro and in vivo results in significant suppression of cancer growth.
Current Projects:
Project 1: An exploratory study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of APG-157 as an adjuvant therapy for patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) of the oral cavity. Funding: Aveta Biomics, Inc.
Phase II has been completed, the FDA has approved our Phase III multi-center trial, where we will enroll oral/oropharyngeal cancer patients who are scheduled to undergo surgery. They will receive APG-157 (200 mg) TID for a 4-week course prior to their surgery. Blood and saliva are collected prior to and each week during treatment, as well as one week after treatment. At the time of surgery, tumor specimen is harvested. Blood, saliva, and tumor tissue will be analyzed for cytokines (GM-CSF, TNFα, interferons, and interleukins) to look for changes after APG-157 treatment.
Project 2: Detection of HPV in saliva and plasma of patients with oropharyngeal cancer
Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the leading cause of oropharyngeal cancer. While these cancers can be treated effectively with combinations of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, prognosis is poor for advanced or recurrent disease. In this project we will perform quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect HPV type and protein expression in saliva and plasma samples of patients with oropharyngeal cancer to correlate with development of recurrent disease after treatment. Early detection of HPV in saliva and plasma may allow initiation of prompt treatment of recurrent cancer, with potential improvement in outcomes.
Project 3: Outcomes research in endoscopic skull base surgery
We have been performing anterior endoscopic skull base surgery with the neurosurgery department for over 16 years and have accumulated a database of over 1500 patients. Previous projects using this database have analyzed outcomes, complications, quality of life issues, and cost of care, resulting in numerous publications which have had a positive impact on algorithms for clinical care. We continue to analyze information as the database grows, and this will yield valuable information for future treatment and quality improvement.
Dr. Wang has had funding from the National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health and private foundations for her research.
Publications
Selected from >260 publications:
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Fleseriu CM, Wang EW, Beswick DM, Maoz SL, Hwang PH, Kuan EC, Adappa ND, Geltzeiler M, Abuzeid WM, Pinheiro-Neto CD, Getz AE, Humphries IM, Le CH, Chang EH, Jafari A, Kingdom TT, Kohanski MA, Lee JK, Nayak JV, Palmer JN, Patel AM, Smith TL, Snyderman CH, St. John MA, Suh JD, Wang MB, Choby G. Correlation of the Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 with the University of Washington Quality of Life in Assessing Quality of Life in Sinonasal Malignancy Utilizing a Multicenter Prospective Observational Cohort Registry. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol, 06 January 2025 https://doi.org/10.1002/alr.23522
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Abiri A, Nguyen TV, Chen H, Krippaehne E, Lerner DK, Rahman AS, Roozdar P, Rosvall BR, Sabbaj M, Workman AD, Wu S, Adappa ND, Beswick DM, Chang EH, Chang MT, Choby G, Eide JG, Douglas JE, Geltzeiler M, Kohanski MA, Hwang PH, Le CH, Lee JT, Nayak JV, Palmer JN, Patel ZM, Pinheiro-Neto CD, Resnick AC, Smith TL, Snyderman CH, John MAS, Storm PB, Suh JD, Wang MB, Wang EW, Kuan EC. Unilateral versus Bilateral Endoscopic Resection of Olfactory Neuroblastoma: Pooled Analysis from Prospective and Retrospective Multicenter Data. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol, 2025 Jan 15. doi: 10.1002/alr.23531.
3. Salcedo-Sifuentes JE, Shih R, Heaney AP, Bergsneider M, Wang MB, Donangelo I, Lee J, Delery W, Karsy M, Kshettry VR, Yuen KCJ, Evans JJ, Barkhoudarian G, Pacione DR, Gardner PA, Fernandez-Miranda JC, Benjamin C, Zada G, Rennert RC, Silverstein JM, Chicoine MR, Kim J, Li G, Little AS, Kim W. Cushing’s Disease Clinical Phenotype and Tumor Behavior Vary with Age: Diagnostic and Perioperative Implications. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2025 Jan 2:dgae904. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgae904.
4. Gudis DA, Grayson J, Illing E, McKinney K, Klatt-Cromwell C, Geltzeiler M, Loftus P, Kuan E, Lee J, London N, Nyquist G, Rabinowitz M, Rangarajan S, Rodriguez K, Rowan N, Sreenath S, Tang D, Thorp B, Wang E, Wang MB, Woodworth B, Choby G. June 4: International Skull Base Surgery Day. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol, 2025 May;15(5):481-482. doi: 10.1002/alr.23545. Epub 2025 Mar 26.PMID: 40135775 .
5. Cheng MY, Paul KC, Fischer JL, Cockburn MG, Thompson LK, Yang HH, Suh JD, Wang MB, Lee JT. Associations of Historic Residential Pesticide Proximity with Proinflammatory Cytokine Levels in a Patient Population with and without Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS). Int Forum Allergy Rhinol, 2025; 15:788–791. doi: 10.1002/alr.23547. PMID: 40083186
6. Fischer JL, Kosaraju N, Lucarelli KM, Wells CR, Sears CM, Karmouta R, Shirriff, AS, Weng M, Suh JD, Lee JT, Beswick DM, Rootman DB, Wang MB. Outcomes of Acute Invasive Fungal Rhinosinusitis Patients Treated with Retrobulbar Amphotericin B Injections versus Orbital Exenteration. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol, 2025 Mar 21:e3573. doi: 10.1002/alr.23573. Online ahead of print.PMID: 40116130
7. Liu CM, Fischer JL, Lee MJ, Mace JC, Kimple AJ, Markarian K, Alt JA, Bodner TE, Chowdhury NI, Chung SY, Eshaghian PH, Gao YA, Getz AE, Hwang PH, Khanwalkar A, Lee JT, Li DA, Norris M, Nayak JV, Overdevest JB, Owens C, Patel ZM, Pappas LE, Poch K, Schlosser RJ, Smith KA, Smith TL, Soler ZM, Suh JD, Turner GA, Wang MB, Taylor-Cousar JL, Saavedra MT, Beswick DM. Olfaction, Eating Preference, and Quality of Life in Cystic Fibrosis Chronic Rhinosinusitis. Laryngoscope. 2025 Mar 29. doi: 10.1002/lary.32155. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40156369
8. Chen H, Fischer JL, Tibbe TD, Sedaghat AR, Han EJ, Mace JC, Alt JA, Bodner TE, Chowdhury NI, Gao YA, Hwang PH, Khanwalkar A, Kimple AJ, Lee JT, Li DA, Norris M, Nayak JV, Collins C, Patel ZM, Phillips K, Poch K, Schlosser RJ, Smith KA, Soler ZM, Suh JD, Turner GA, Wang MB, Getz A, Halderman A, Chung S, Tervo JP, Overdevest JB, Cotter RA, Saavedra MT, Taylor-Cousar JL, Sim MS, Beswick DM. Abridging the 22-Item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) in People With Cystic Fibrosis: Limiting Survey Burden. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2025: 15:865–868: doi: 10.1002/alr.23591. PMID: 40371719.
9. Zhang D, Tsai K, Santana C, Javaherian K, Lee M, Bergsneider M, Kim W, Wang MB, Vinters HV, Yan W, Heaney AP. Genetic Profiling of Synchronous Pituitary Corticotroph Adenomas. Pituitary, 2025 Jun 22;28(4):77. doi: 10.1007/s11102-025-01549-6.
10. Miller JE, Fischer JL, Wang MB. Use of a Septal Stapler to Secure a Septal Free Mucosal Graft to the Nasoseptal Flap Donor Site Following Endoscopic Endonasal Resection of a Pituitary Adenoma. J Neurol Surg Rep. 2025 Apr 23;86(2):e98. doi: 10.1055/a-2531-6140. PMID: 40463444; PMCID: PMC12132704.
In the News
- Turmeric, the Potential Cure for Cancer Found in Indian Food
- Dr. Wang's research on curcumin featured in NIH News - UCLA study finds primary component of turmeric kicks off cancer-killing mechanisms in human saliva
Insurance
- Aetna
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Shield of California
- Centivo
- Cigna
- First Health
- Health Net of California
- Interplan (part of HealthSmart)
- Medicare Advantage
- MultiPlan
- UFCM Health System
- Prime Health Services
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- TRICARE
- UnitedHealthcare
The list of health care plans above may not be comprehensive and could change.
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Recognitions
- Otolaryngology, the Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, Inc.
- Research Training Award, 1993, The American Triological Society, Inc.
- The American Academy of Otolaryngology Resident Research Grant, 1994 (Co-investigator/preceptor to Kathleen R.Billings, M.D.)
- The Shirley Baron Award, 1999, (Preceptor to Ali Namazie, M.D.), given for the best resident paper by the Western Section of the Triological Society.
- Third Place, Resident Basic Science Research, The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2000 (Preceptor to Steven J. Wang, M.D.)
- Honor Award, The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2001
- Special Contribution Award, Department of Veterans Affairs, VAGLAHS, January 15, 2002
- First Place Award, Poster Session of the Annual Meeting of the Triological Society, 2004
- Los Angeles Super Doctors 2010-present
- Best Doctors in America 2010-present
- Honored Alumnus, La Sierra University College of Arts and Sciences, 2012
- Vice President’s Award, Western Section of the Triological Society, 2012 (Preceptor to Dr. Darshni Vira, resident)
- Best Resident Clinical Paper Award, 2013 North American Skull Base Society Annual Meeting (preceptor to Dr. Christopher Thompson)
- Distinguished Service Award, The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2013
- Cochrane Scholar, The American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, 2014
- Vice President’s Award, Western Section of the Triological Society, 2015 (Preceptor to Dr. Aaron Feinstein, resident)
- Presidential Citation, The Triological Society, 2015