LSU Health New Orleans has stood up its first-ever academic Department of Radiation Oncology, tapping physician-scientist Puneeth Iyengar to lead an effort that spans patient care, cancer research, clinical trials and the training of future doctors. Iyengar joins from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he directed the metastatic service within that institution's radiation oncology department before making the move to Louisiana.
The new department was approved by both the LSU Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Board of Regents, according to New Orleans CityBusiness, which reported the launch. The department is built to include patient care, clinical research and medical education under one academic structure, giving LSU Health New Orleans a dedicated home for radiation oncology that didn't previously exist on campus.
A Physician-Scientist With a Lung Cancer Focus
Iyengar's clinical and research work has centered on lung cancer, metastatic disease, precision radiation therapy, and treatments that combine radiation with systemic therapies. That focus traces back to his training: he completed radiation oncology residency at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, following MD and PhD degrees earned at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he previously held leadership roles.
At UT Southwestern, Iyengar held several leadership positions. His research credentials carry national weight: he serves on the National Cancer Institute's Thoracic Malignancy Steering Committee and holds the role of translational vice chair of the NCI NRG Lung Committee.
Building Out Clinical Trials and Faculty
At LSU Health New Orleans, Iyengar will recruit faculty, develop clinical trials, expand multidisciplinary cancer programs, and oversee education and training for medical students and physicians. He will treat patients with lung and other thoracic cancers, metastatic disease, and complex cancers requiring specialized radiation treatment, with work that includes combining radiation with immunotherapy and other targeted therapies. He will practice at University Medical Center New Orleans.
Iyengar has also been named associate director for intercampus research for the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, a role in which he plans to oversee development of a statewide digital early-phase clinical trial network meant to connect cancer physicians and patients across Louisiana. He is also planning a research group spanning the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, Pennington Biomedical Research Center and LSU Health Shreveport that will study how metabolic health and nutrition affect cancer care and outcomes.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to build something with the potential to make a lasting difference,” Iyengar said of his decision to join LSU Health New Orleans and the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, according to the CityBusiness report. LSU Health New Orleans Senior Vice Chancellor David Guzick said Iyengar brings “the experience, vision and scientific leadership needed to build an exceptional department,” adding that his work will help educate future physicians and expand access to highly specialized cancer care.
Part of a Broader Push Toward NCI Designation
The new department does not stand alone — it plugs into an existing push by the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center to earn National Cancer Institute designation, a status the center is actively pursuing but has not yet achieved. The center already runs clinical trials focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and operates a Virtual Research Nurse Program that connects trained nurses with physicians and clinicians across both urban and rural Louisiana communities, according to LSU Health New Orleans. The National Cancer Institute defines the center's catchment area as the entire state of Louisiana, the health system notes on its site detailing the designation effort.
Radiation therapy is used to treat more than half of cancer patients, according to LSU Health. That statistic underscores why a dedicated academic department — rather than radiation services folded into another division — matters for a state cancer program trying to build out comprehensive, specialized care.
The investment behind this expansion has been building for years. LCMC Health announced a $75 million commitment to LSU in February 2022 for cancer research, treatment and STEM education, including an initial $50 million commitment specifically aimed at developing multidisciplinary cancer care and clinical research programs driven toward NCI designation, according to LCMC Health. That cancer-center partnership among LCMC Health, LSU and Our Lady of the Lake totals $245 million and is described by LCMC Health as the largest investment in LSU's history. More recently, the LSU Board of Supervisors authorized $4.5 million in legacy funds for cancer research at a June 27 meeting, according to Citizen Portal.
LSU and LCMC Health's longstanding partnership now anchors this work, and the February 2022 investment built on that relationship, aligning academic research, clinical care and community engagement under one umbrella, per LSU Health New Orleans's account of its NCI designation journey. The new radiation oncology department is designed to strengthen collaboration among oncologists, surgeons and scientists within that broader structure, giving Louisiana patients greater access to specialized, research-driven radiation treatment.
