Kaysia Ludford, M.D.
Department of General Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of General Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal (GI) Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2014 | Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA, MD, Medicine |
| 2009 | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, MS, Chemistry |
| 2007 | Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA, BA, Chemistry |
Postgraduate Training
| 2017-2020 | Clinical Fellowship, Medical Oncology/Hematology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
| 2014-2017 | Clinical Residency, Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2020 | American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology |
| 2020 | American Board of Internal Medicine, Hematology |
| 2017 | American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) |
Experience & Service
Other Professional Positions
Faculty Liaison, Department liaison (General Oncology) to Harris Health Department of Radiation Oncology, Houston, TX, 2022 - Present
Reviewer, Quality Control Review for the Harris Health Committee on Cancer Registry, Houston, TX, 2021 - Present
Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Education Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2019 - 2020
Institutional Committee Activities
Guest Speaker, Hightower Medical Science Academy, 2023
Member, Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Prevention Committee, 2023 - Present
Guest Presenter, Combined Modality of Cancer Tumor Board, 2022 - Present
Faculty Liaison, General Oncology (LBJ) to Harris Health Department of Radiation Oncology, 2022 - Present
Member, Division of Cancer Medicine Division Chief Advisory Committee, 2022 - 2022
Member, Hematology Oncology Fellowship Interview Panel, 2021 - Present
Founder and director, LBJ Faculty Consensus Meetings, 2021 - Present
Reviewer, Committee on Cancer Registry Quality Control, 2021 - Present
Co-Chair, Colorectal Conference, 2021 - Present
Co-chair, Breast Multidisciplinary Conference, 2021 - Present
Applicant Interveiwer, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, 2021 - Present
Member, Division of Cancer Medicine Faculty Awards Review Committee, 2020 - Present
Co-chair, Gastrointestinal Tumor Board, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - Lyndon B Johnson Hospital, 2020 - Present
Member, Education Committee, 2019 - 2020
Member, Global Oncology Interest Group, 2019 - 2020
Member, Health Disparities, 2018 - Present
Member, MD Anderson Health Disparities Interest Group, 2018 - 2021
Member, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, 2016 - 2017
Member, Wellness Committee, 2016 - 2017
Member, Partners in Health, 2016 - Present
Member, Student National Medical Association, 2011 - 2012
Member, Yale Health Professionals Christian Fellowship, 2010 - 2014
Member, Haven Free Clinic, 2010 - 2011
Honors & Awards
| 2022 | Special Projects Grant within the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Cancer Control Program |
| 2020 | AACR Gertrude B. Elion Cancer Research Award |
| 2016 | Partners’ Center of Expertise Global and Humanitarian Health Award |
| 2013 | Yale University Lowe Funds Award for International Conference Travel |
| 2011 | Yale University Downs International Health Student Travel Fellowship |
| 2011 | The Infectious Disease Society of America Education and Research Foundation National Medical Scholars Award, |
| 2010 - 2014 | Vassar College HB and JS Nicholas Fellowship |
| 2008 | University of Michigan Rackham International Graduate Students Award |
| 2007 | Elected Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society |
| 2007 | Elected Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society |
| 2007 | Olive Lammert Prize for Excellence in Chemistry |
| 2007 | American Chemical Society Award in Analytic Chemistry |
| 2004 | Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scholar |
Professional Memberships
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2022 - 2024 |
| Title: | Implementation of universal germline testing in underserved patients with young onset colorectal cancer |
| Funding Source: | Alliance NCTN Foundation |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| ID: | AWD00008192 |
| Date: | 2020 - 2024 |
| Title: | Interplay between ethnicity & biology in response to checkpoint inhibition |
| Funding Source: | American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Simmons K, Thomas JV, Ludford K, Willis JA, Higbie VS, Raghav KPS, Johnson B, Dasari A, Kee BK, Parseghian CM, Lee MS, Le PH, Morelli MP, Shen JP, Bent A, Vilar E, Wolff RA, Kopetz S, Overman MJ, Morris VK. Sustained Disease Control in Immune Checkpoint Blockade Responders with Microsatellite Instability-high Colorectal Cancer after Treatment Termination. Cancer Res Commun 3(12):2510-2517, 2023. PMID: 38085001.
- Fox DA, Bhamidipati D, Konishi T, Kaur H, You N, Raghav KPS, Ge PS, Messick C, Johnson B, Morris VK, Thomas JV, Shah P, Bednarski BK, Kopetz S, Chang GJ, Ludford K, Higbie VS, Overman MJ. Endoscopic and imaging outcomes of PD-1 therapy in localised dMMR colorectal cancer. Eur J Cancer 194:113356. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37827065.
- Fa'ak F, Buni M, Falohun A, Lu H, Song J, Johnson DH, Zobniw CM, Trinh VA, Awiwi MO, Tahon NH, Elsayes KM, Ludford K, Montazari EJ, Chernis J, Dimitrova M, Sandigursky S, Sparks JA, Abu-Shawer O, Rahma O, Thanarajasingam U, Zeman AM, Talukder R, Singh N, Chung SH, Grivas P, Daher M, Abudayyeh A, Osman I, Weber J, Tayar JH, Suarez-Almazor ME, Abdel-Wahab N, Diab A. Selective immune suppression using interleukin-6 receptor inhibitors for management of immune-related adverse events. J Immunother Cancer 11(6), 2023. PMID: 37328287.
- Ludford K, Ho WJ, Thomas JV, Raghav KPS, Murphy MB, Fleming ND, Lee MS, Smaglo BG, You YN, Tillman MM, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Thirumurthi S, Messick C, Johnson B, Vilar E, Dasari A, Shin S, Hernandez A, Yuan X, Yang H, Foo WC, Qiao W, Maru D, Kopetz S, Overman MJ. Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab in Localized Microsatellite Instability High/Deficient Mismatch Repair Solid Tumors. J Clin Oncol:JCO2201351. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36623241.
- Ludford K, Cohen R, Svrcek M, Foo WC, Colle R, Parc Y, Thomas JV, Morris VK, Kopetz S, Chang GJ, Overman M, Andre T. Pathological tumor response following immune checkpoint blockade for deficient mismatch repair advanced colorectal cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 113(2):208-211, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32294214.
- Saberian C, Abdel-Wahab N, Abudayyeh A, Rafei H, Joseph J, Rondon G, Whited L, Gruschkus S, Fa'ak F, Daher M, Knape C, Safa H, Shoukier M, Suarez-Almazor ME, Marcotulli M, Ludford K, Gulbis AM, Konopleva M, Ohanian M, Ravandi F, Garcia-Manero G, Oran B, Popat UR, Mehta R, Alousi AM, Daver N, Champlin R, Diab A, Al-Atrash G. Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide reduces the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease in patients with acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndromes who receive immune checkpoint inhibitors after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. J Immunother Cancer 9(2), 2021. PMID: 33637601.
- Vagenas P, Lama JR, Ludford KT, Gonzales P, Sanchez J, Altice FL. A systematic review of alcohol use and sexual risk-taking in Latin America. Revista Panamericana de Salud Publica/Pan American Journal of Public Health 34(4):267 - 274, 2013. PMID: 24301738.
- Ludford KT, Vagenas P, Lama JR, Peinado J, Gonzalez P, et al. Screening for drug and alcohol use disorders and their association with HIV-related sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men in Peru. PLoS One, 2013.
- Vagenas P, Ludford KT, Gonzalez P, et al. Being unaware of being HIV-infected is associated with alcohol use disorders and high risk sexual behaviors among men who have sex with men in Peru. AIDS and Behavior:1-8, 2013.
- MacMillan SN, Ludford KT, Tanski JM. Synthesis and optical activity analysis of chiral titanium (IV) sec-butoxide and its group IV analogues. Tetrahedron: Asymmetry 19(5):543-458, 2008.
Abstracts
- Ludford K, Awad E, Lankford AR, Ma HY, You YN. Implementation of universal germline testing in underserved patients with young onset gastrointestinal cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology 42(16), 2024.
- LaPelusa MB, San Lucas FA, Iorgulescu B, Patel KP, You YN, Foo WC, Maru DM, Scott K, Ludford K, Morris II VK, Overman MJ. Circulating tumor DNA as a predictive biomarker for pathologic response after treatment with neoadjuvant immunotherapy for localized dMMR/MSI-H colorectal cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology 42(16), 2024.
- Ragav KP, Xiao L, Lewis C, Zeller B, Overman MJ, Huey RW, Dasari A, Chang K, Quinn K, Shen JP, Parseghian CM, Willis J, Ludford K, Morriss II VK, Wolff RA, Wang XS, Drubosky L, Kopetz S. A randomized study evaluating tailoring of advanced/metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) therapy using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA): TACT-D. Journal of Clinical Oncology 42(17), 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Fox DA, Tsuyoshi K, Kaur H, You N, Raghav KP, Ge PS, Messick C, Johnson B, Morris VK, Thomas JV, Shah P, Bednarski BK, Kopetz S, Chang GJ, Ludford K, Higbie V, Overman M, Bhamidipati D. Immunotherapy for localized MSI-H colorectal cancer: Characterizing endoscopic and imaging response. American Society of Clinical Oncology 41(16), 2023.
- Kriedieh FY, Simien R, John I, Rodgers T, Abdel-Wahab R, Diab A, Ludford K. Dissecting the relationship between ethnicity and response to checkpoint inhibitors in patients with acral melanoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology 41(16), 2023.
- Simmons K, Kee BK, Raghav KP, Johnson BJ, Kopetz S, Willis J, Dasari A, Sanchez EV, Ludford K, Parseghian CM, Lee MS, Le P, Shen JP, Overman MJ, Morris VK. Clinical outcomes following termination of immunotherapy due to long-term benefit in MSI-H colorectal cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology 40(16), 2022.
- Bhamidipati D, Raghav KP, Morris KP, Kopetz S, Kee BK, Johnson B, Willis J, Dasari A, Morelli MP, Parseghian CM, Lee MS, Le P, Shen JP, Ludford K, Overman MJ,. Prognostic role of systemic inflammatory markers in patients with metastatic MSI-h/dMMR colorectal cancer receiving immunotherapy. Journal of Clinical Oncology 40(16), 2022.
- Ludford K, Raghav KP, Murphy M, Fleming ND, Nelson DA, Lee MS, Smaglo BG, You YN, Tillman MM, Kamiya-Matsouka C, Thirumurthi S, Messick C, Johnson B, Sanchez E, Dasari A, Thomas JV, Foo WC, Qiao W, Kopetz S, Overman MJ. Safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in mismatch repair deficient localized/locally advanced solid tumors. Journal of Clinical Oncology 39(15), 2021.
- Ludford K, Saberian C, Nabhan S, Gruschkus S, Bernatchez C, Jackson N, Haymaker C, Hwu P, Diab A. Abstract D075: Investigating the immuno-biology underlying differential response to immunotherapy in White and non-White patients with metastatic acral melanoma. American Association for Cancer Research(29):6, 2020.
- Ludford, K, Cohen R, Foo WC, Thomas JV, Parc Y, Syrcek M, Kopetz S, Andre T, Overman M. Evaluation of complete pathological remission rates in surgically resected MSI-high metastatic colorectal cancers (mCRC). Journal of Clinical Oncology 37(15), 2019.
- Ludford, K, Johnson DH, Hennegan T, Gruschkus SK, Haymaker CL, Bernatchez C, Jackson N, Hwu P, Diab A. Phase II trial of nab-paclitaxel (ABI) and ipilimumab (ipi) in patients with treatment naïve metastatic melanoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology 37(15), 2019.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 23, 2024