Lauren E. Colbert, MD, MSCR
Department of Rad Onc Dept., Division of Radiation Oncology
About Dr. Lauren E. Colbert
Dr. Colbert is a Radiation Oncologist who specializes in the treatment of gynecologic cancers, including cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancers, and also in the palliative treatment of other cancers that have spread to the bone in our Rapid Access Bone Metastasis Clinic. Similarly, her clinical research focuses on both new approaches to treatment of cervical cancers and clinical workflows that can improve patients’ experiences with palliative radiation and decrease resource utilization, so needed radiotherapy can be delivered in low resource settings. She also has a translational research laboratory that focuses on understanding why and how human papillomavirus (HPV) related cancers (such as cervical, anal and oropharyngeal cancers) respond to radiation. The goal of this research is to improve survival and decrease side effects from these cancers through finding markers in the tumor or blood.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas (UT) MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2014 | Emory University Laney Graduate School, Atlanta, GA, USA, MSCR, Master of Science in Clinical Research |
| 2014 | Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA, MD, Medicine |
Postgraduate Training
| 2015-2019 | Clinical Residency, Radiation Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
| 2014-2015 | Clinical Residency, Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY |
Experience & Service
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Co-Director, Brachytherapy Clinical Operations, Department of Radiation Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2024 - Present
Director of Innovation in Interventional Radiation Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2024 - Present
Education Director (Department level), Department of Gynecologic Section, Department of Radiation Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2019 - 2024
Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Institutional Review Board, 2022 - 2024
Member, Academic Review Committee for the Division of Education & Training, 2020 - 2024
Member, Radiation Oncology Clinical Competency Committee, 2019 - 2024
Honors & Awards
| 2024 - 2025 | Andrew Sabin Family Fellows Award, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (Andrew Sabin Family Fellows Program) |
| 2024 - 2025 | Faculty Scholar Award, MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2024 | Excellence in Science, MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2019 | Thomas H. and Mayme P. Scott Endowed Fellowship in Cancer Research, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2018 | Conquer Cancer Foundation Merit Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) |
| 2018 | ASTRO Travel Award, ASTRO Annual Meeting |
| 2018 | Best of ASTRO Award, ASTRO Annual Meeting |
| 2018 | 1st Place Clinical Abstract, Trainee Research Day, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2018 | AACR/ASCO Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop |
| 2018 | Gilbert Fletcher Award for Most Outstanding Presentation, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (Gilbert Fletcher Society Residents/Fellow Research Forum) |
| 2018 | Dr. Mary Fletcher Memorial Award for the Heart of Caring, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2018 | Jesse H. Jones Endowed Fellowship in Cancer Education, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2018 | Resident/Fellow Institutional Excellence Award for Teaching, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2013 - 2014 | Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation Scholarship for Academic Merit, Emory University School of Medicine |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Karpinets TV, Mitani Y, Chang CC, Wu X, Song X, Flores II, McDaniel LK, Hoballah YM, Veguilla FJ, Ferrarotto R, Colbert LE, Ajami NJ, Jenq RR, Zhang J, Futreal AP, El-Naggar AK. Intratumoral microbiome of adenoid cystic carcinomas and comparison with other head and neck cancers. Sci Rep 14(1):16300, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39009605.
- Kim M, Maldonado JA, Pandey P, El Alam MB, Kouzy R, Christopherson K, Minsky BD, Nugyen QN, Grosshans D, Lin LL, Mitchell MP, Klopp AH, Lee PP, Bird J, Satcher R, Lewis VO, Lin PP, Tang C, Koong AC, Moon B, Colbert LE. Single-fraction radiation retreatment for bone metastases: role of a rapid access clinic. BMJ Support Palliat Care. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38843933.
- Yoder AK, Lakomy DS, Wu J, Andring LM, Fellman B, Colbert LE, Jhingran A, Klopp AH, Soliman P, Peterson SK, Lin LL. Impact of Treatment Modality on Quality of Life Among Uterine Cancer Survivors. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 35(2):e215-e226, 2023. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36494250.
- Elnaggar JH, Huynh VO, Lin D, Hillman RT, Abana CO, El Alam MB, Tomasic KC, Karpinets TV, Kouzy R, Phan JL, Wargo J, Holliday EB, Das P, Mezzari MP, Ajami NJ, Lynn EJ, Minsky BD, Morris VK, Milbourne A, Messick CA, Klopp AH, Futreal PA, Taniguchi CM, Schmeler KM, Colbert LE. HPV-related anal cancer is associated with changes in the anorectal microbiome during cancer development. Front Immunol 14:1051431, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37063829.
- Yoshida-Court K, Karpinets TV, Mitra A, Solley TN, Dorta-Estremera S, Sims TT, Delgado Medrano AY, El Alam MB, Ahmed-Kaddar M, Lynn EJ, Sastry KJ, Zhang J, Futreal A, Nick A, Lu K, Colbert LE, Klopp AH. Immune environment and antigen specificity of the T cell receptor repertoire of malignant ascites in ovarian cancer. PLoS One 18(1):e0279590, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36607962.
- Biegert G, El Alam MB, Karpinets T, Wu X, Sims TT, Yoshida-Court K, Lynn EJ, Yue J, Medrano AD, Petrosino J, Mezzari MP, Ajami NJ, Solley T, Ahmed-Kaddar M, Klopp AH, Colbert LE. Diversity and composition of gut microbiome of cervical cancer patients: Do results of 16S rRNA sequencing and whole genome sequencing approaches align?. J Microbiol Methods 185:106213, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33785357.
- Grant SR, Smith BD, Colbert LE, Nguyen QN, Yu JB, Lin SH, Chen AB. National Quality Measure Compliance for Palliative Bone Radiation Among Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. J Natl Compr Canc Netw:1-6. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34044365.
- Grant SR, Smith BD, Pandey P, Maldonado JA, Kim M, Moon BS, Colbert LE. Does a Custom Electronic Health Record Alert System Improve Physician Compliance With National Quality Measures for Palliative Bone Metastasis Radiotherapy?. JCO Clin Cancer Inform 5:36-44, 2021. PMID: 33411621.
- Bahig H, Fuller CD, Mitra A, Yoshida-Court K, Solley T, Ping Ng S, Abu-Gheida I, Elgohari B, Delgado A, Rosenthal DI, Garden AS, Frank SJ, Reddy JP, Colbert L, Klopp A. Longitudinal characterization of the tumoral microbiome during radiotherapy in HPV-associated oropharynx cancer. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol 26:98-103, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33367119.
- Karpinets TV, Solley TN, Mikkelson MD, Dorta-Estremera S, Nookala SS, Medrano AYD, Petrosino JF, Mezzari MP, Zhang J, Futreal PA, Sastry KJ, Colbert LE, Klopp A. Effect of Antibiotics on Gut and Vaginal Microbiomes Associated with Cervical Cancer Development in Mice. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 13(12):997-1006, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32917644.
- Kouzy R, Abi Jaoude J, Lin D, El Alam MB, Minsky BD, Koay EJ, Das P, Holliday EB, Klopp AH, Colbert LE, Taniguchi CM. Patient-Reported GI Outcomes in Patients With Anal Cancer Receiving Modern Chemoradiation. JCO Oncol Pract 16(12):OP2000122, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32609585.
- Epstein AS, Yang A, Colbert LE, Voigt LP, Meadows J, Goldberg JI, Saltz LB. Outcomes of ICU Admission of Patients With Progressive Metastatic Gastrointestinal Cancer. J Intensive Care Med 35(3):885066617748874, 2020. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29262748.
- Kahn J, Goodman CR, Albert A, Agarwal A, Jeans E, Tye K, Campbell SR, Marcrom S, Colbert LE. Top Concerns of Radiation Oncology Trainees in 2019: Job Market, Board Examinations, and Residency Expansion. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 106(1):19-25, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31648872.
- Colbert LE, Jhingran A. Immunotherapy and Radiation. Adv Exp Med Biol 1244:205-213, 2020. PMID: 32301016.
- Sims TT, Colbert LE, Zheng J, Delgado Medrano AY, Hoffman KL, Ramondetta L, Jazaeri A, Jhingran A, Schmeler KM, Daniel CR, Klopp A. Gut microbial diversity and genus-level differences identified in cervical cancer patients versus healthy controls. Gynecol Oncol 155(2):237-244, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31500892.
- Osborn VW, Doke K, Griffith KA, Jones R, Lee A, Maquilan G, Masters AH, Albert AA, Dover LL, Puckett LL, Hentz C, Kahn JM, Colbert LE, Barry PN, Jagsi R. A Survey Study of Female Radiation Oncology Residents' Experiences to Inform Change. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 104(5):999-1008, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31108141.
- Fujimoto TN, Colbert LE*, Huang Y, Molkentine JM, Deorukhkar A, Baseler L, de la Cruz Bonilla , Yu M, Lin D, Gupta S, Cabeceiras PK, Kingsley CV, Tailor RC, Sawakuchi GO, Koay EJ, Piwnica-Worms H, Maitra A, Taniguchi CM *Co-first authorship. Selective EGLN Inhibition Enables Ablative Radiotherapy and Improves Survival in Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer Res 79(9):2327-2338, 2019. PMID: 31043430.
- Marcrom SR, Kahn JM, Colbert LE, Freese CM, Doke KN, Yang JC, Yashar CM, Luu M, Kamrava M. Brachytherapy Training Survey of Radiation Oncology Residents. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 103(3):557-560, 2019. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30612963.
- Dorta-Estremera S, Colbert LE, Nookala SS, Yanamandra AV, Yang G, Delgado A, Mikkelson M, Eifel P, Jhingran A, Lilie LL, Welsh J, Schmeler K, Sastry JK, Klopp A. Kinetics of Intratumoral Immune Cell Activation During Chemoradiation for Cervical Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 102(3):593-600, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30017792.
- Colbert LE, Rebueno N, Moningi S, Beddar S, Sawakuchi GO, Herman JM, Koong AC, Das P, Holliday EB, Koay EJ, Taniguchi CM. Dose escalation for locally advanced pancreatic cancer: How high can we go?. Adv Radiat Oncol 3(4):693-700, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30370371.
- Dharmarajan KV, Rich SE, Johnstone CA, Hertan LM, Wei R, Colbert LE, Jones JA, Kamal AH, Jones CA. Top 10 Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Radiation Oncology. J Palliat Med 21(3):383-388, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29431573.
- Desai AV, Epstein AS, Colbert LE, Saltz LB. Author's Response. J Pain Symptom Manage 55(1):e2-e3, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29146195.
- Desai AV, Epstein AS, Colbert LE, Saltz LB. Discharge to Subacute Rehabilitation Facilities Does Not Benefit Patients Hospitalized With Progressive Gastrointestinal Cancer. J Pain Symptom Manage 54(2):e4-e7, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28438586.
- Colbert LE, Moningi S, Chadha A, Amer A, Lee Y, Wolff RA, Varadhachary G, Fleming J, Katz M, Das P, Krishnan S, Koay EJ, Park P, Crane CH, Taniguchi CM. Dose escalation with an IMRT technique in 15 to 28 fractions is better tolerated than standard doses of 3DCRT for LAPC. Adv Radiat Oncol 2(3):403-415, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29114609.
- Wei RL, Colbert LE, Jones J, Racsa M, Kane G, Lutz S, Vapiwala N, Dharmarajan KV. Palliative care and palliative radiation therapy education in radiation oncology: A survey of US radiation oncology program directors. Pract Radiat Oncol 7(4):234-240, 2017. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 28222994.
- Colbert LE, Cloyd JM, Koay EJ, Crane CH, Vauthey JN. Proton beam radiation as salvage therapy for bilateral colorectal liver metastases not amenable to second-stage hepatectomy. Surgery 161(6):1543-1548, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28081954.
- Tanenbaum DG, Hall WA, Colbert LE, Bastien AJ, Brat DJ, Kong J, Kim S, Dwivedi B, Kowalski J, Landry JC, Yu DS. TNFRSF10C copy number variation is associated with metastatic colorectal cancer. J Gastrointest Oncol 7(3):306-14, 2016. PMID: 27284460.
- Tanenbaum DG, Hall WA, Mittal P, Nickleach DC, Mikell JL, Colbert LE, Moreno CC, Squires MH, Fisher SB, Yu DS, Kooby DA, Maithel SK, Landry JC. Cholangiocarcinoma size on magnetic resonance imaging versus pathologic specimen: Implications for radiation treatment planning. Pract Radiat Oncol 6(3):201-206, 2016. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26979545.
- Seldon CS, Colbert LE , Hall WA, Fisher SB, Yu DS, Landry JC. Chromodomain-helicase-DNA binding protein 5, 7 and pronecrotic mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein serve as potential prognostic biomarkers in patients with resected pancreatic adenocarcinomas. World J Gastrointest Oncol 8(4):358-65, 2016. PMID: 27096031.
- Cheng J, Squires MH, Mikell JL, Fisher SB, Staley CA, Kooby DA, El-Rayes BF, Curran WJ, Hall WA, Colbert LE, Shelton JW, Maithel SK, Landry J, Yu DS. Radiotherapy patterns of care in gastric adenocarcinoma: a single institution experience. J Gastrointest Oncol 6(3):247-53, 2015. PMID: 26029450.
- Colbert LE, Fisher SB, Balci S, Saka B, Chen Z, Kim S, El-Rayes BF, Adsay NV, Maithel SK, Landry JC, Curran WJ. High nuclear hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha expression is a predictor of distant recurrence in patients with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 91(3):631-9, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25596110.
- Colbert LE, Petrova AV, Fisher SB, Pantazides BG, Madden MZ, Hardy CW, Warren MD, Pan Y, Nagaraju GP, Liu EA, Saka B, Hall WA, Shelton JW, Gandhi K, Pauly R, Kowalski J, Kooby DA, El-Rayes BF, Staley CA, Adsay NV, Curran WJ, Landry JC, Maithel SK, Yu DS. CHD7 expression predicts survival outcomes in patients with resected pancreatic cancer. Cancer Res 74(10):2677-87, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24626090.
- Hall WA, Colbert LE, Nickleach D, Switchenko J, Liu Y, Gillespie T, Lipscomb J, Hardy C, Kooby DA, Prabhu RS, Kauh J, Landry JC. The influence of radiation therapy dose escalation on overall survival in unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. J Gastrointest Oncol 5(2):77-85, 2014. PMID: 24772334.
- Colbert LE, Hall WA, Nickleach D, Switchenko J, Kooby DA, Liu Y, Gillespie T, Lipscomb J, Kauh J, Landry JC. Chemoradiation therapy sequencing for resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma in the National Cancer Data Base. Cancer 120(4):499-506, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24390739.
- Hall WA, Colbert L, Nickleach D, Shelton J, Marcus DM, Switchenko J, Rossi PJ, Godette K, Cooper S, Jani AB. Reduced acute toxicity associated with the use of volumetric modulated arc therapy for the treatment of adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Pract Radiat Oncol 3(4):e157-64, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24674413.
- Colbert LE, Fisher SB, Hardy CW, Hall WA, Saka B, Shelton JW, Petrova AV, Warren MD, Pantazides BG, Gandhi K, Kowalski J, Kooby DA, El-Rayes BF, Staley CA, Adsay NV, Curran WJ, Landry JC, Maithel SK, Yu DS. Pronecrotic mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein expression is a prognostic biomarker in patients with early-stage resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Cancer 119(17):3148-55, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23720157.
- Hall WA, Colbert LE, Liu Y, Gillespie T, Lipscomb J, Hardy C, Kooby DA, Prabhu RS, Kauh J, Landry JC. The influence of adjuvant radiotherapy dose on overall survival in patients with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Cancer 119(12):2350-7, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23625519.
- Hall WA, Mikell JL, Mittal P, Colbert L, Prabhu RS, Kooby DA, Nickleach D, Hanley K, Sarmiento JM, Ali AN, Landry JC. Tumor size on abdominal MRI versus pathologic specimen in resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma: implications for radiation treatment planning. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 86(1):102-7, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23290442.
Book Chapters
- Colbert LE. Early Stage Lung Cancer. In: Radiation Oncology: A Question-Based Review, 3rd edition. LWW, 2018.
- Colbert LE. Early Stage Breast Cancer. In: Radiation Oncology: A Question-Based Review, 3rd edition. 3 rd. LWW, 2018.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2024 - 2031 |
| Title: | Targeting tumoral Lactobacillus iners to improve outcomes in cervical cancers |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| ID: | 1R37CA285794 |
| Date: | 2023 - 2024 |
| Title: | Targeting tumoral Lactobacillus iners to improve outcomes in cervical cancers (Bridge Funding) |
| Funding Source: | MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Date: | 2023 - 2024 |
| Title: | VICTORY Houston: Targeting Lactobacillus iners to overcome cervical cancer treatment resistance |
| Funding Source: | American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Date: | 2022 - 2024 |
| Title: | Immune and microbial signatures for treatment response in Hispanics with cervical cancer |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator-MDACC |
| ID: | U54-CA96300 PP |
| Date: | 2020 - 2025 |
| Title: | Look-alike Bugs: How do Vaginal Bacteria Improve Antigen-specific Remodeling after Chemoradiation for HPV-related Cervical Cancer? (Startup Funding) |
| Funding Source: | MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified August 26, 2024