Vincent Bernard Pagan, MD, PHD
Department of GU Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology
About Dr. Vincent Bernard Pagan
Dr. Bernard is an Assistant Professor in the Gastrointestinal (GI) Radiation Oncology Section at MD Anderson.
The MD Anderson Department of GI Radiation Oncology represents decades of GI cancer expertise by nine radiation oncology doctors, and a specialized team of GI radiotherapy physician assistants, nurses, physicists, therapists, and dosimetrists. We treat cancers of the stomach, liver, bile duct, pancreas, rectum, and anus. We offer every type of radiotherapy technology including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), and proton therapy, always selected and personalized for each patient. We are constantly working to improve radiotherapy for GI cancers, and offer many clinical trials designed to make radiotherapy more effective with fewer side effects.
Present Title & Affiliation
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of GI Radiation Oncology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2020 | University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico, US, Doctor of Medicine (MD |
| 2020 | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, US, PhD in Cancer Biology & Molecular genetics |
| 2010 | Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, US, Master of Science (Biotechnology) |
| 2009 | Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, US, Bachelor of Science (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) |
Postgraduate Training
| 2021-2025 | Resident, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2020-2021 | Resident, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
Honors & Awards
| 2024 | Ann Eastland Spears Fellowship in Pancreatic Cancer Research, MD Anderson Cancer Center Recognizes a single GME trainee within MDACC annually for meritorious research in pancreatic cancer |
| 2024 | Trainee Peer-to Peer Clinical Mentor Award, MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2024 | AACR Let’s Win Pancreatic Cancer Scholar-in-Training Award, Boston, MA |
| 2024 | Annual Meeting Travel Award, Biology Section, ASTRO Annual Meeting, Washington, DC |
| 2024 | Scholar-In-Training Travel Award, Radiation Research Society Annual Meeting, Tucson, AZ |
| 2024 | Harter Prize, MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2023 | AACR-Doreen J. Putrah Cancer Research Foundation Scholar-in-Training Award, AACR Annual Meeting; Orlando, FL |
| 2023 | ASCO/AACR Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop, San Diego, CA |
| 2023 | Holman Research Pathway Fellow, MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2022 | Ann Eastland Spears Fellowship in Pancreatic Cancer Research, MD Anderson Cancer Center Recognizes a single GME trainee within MDACC annually for meritorious research in pancreatic cancer |
| 2019 | AACR Minority Scholar in Cancer Research Award, Atlanta, GA |
| 2019 | The Harold C. and Mary L. Daily Endowment Fellowship, MD Anderson Cancer Center Recognizes a single postdoctoral trainee within MDACC annual for meritorious cancer research |
| 2018 | Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Travel Award, Xiamen, China |
| 2018 | AACR Minority Scholar in Cancer Research Awar, Chicago, IL |
| 2017 | American Radium Society: Young Oncologist Essay Award, Colorado Springs, CO |
| 2017 | President’s Research Scholarship, MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School |
| 2017 | American Legion Auxiliary Fellowship, MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School |
| 2016 | Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship, Gordon Research Conference |
| 2016 | Sylvan Rodriguez Foundation Scholarship honoring George M. Stancel, Ph.D, MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School |
| 2014 | Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine |
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2024. Characterizing Radiation Induced Subclonal Kinetics in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. ASTRO. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Deciphering the subclonal kinetics and molecular responses to stereotactic body radiation therapy in pancreatic cancer. RRS. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Radiomodulation of pancreatic cancer. MD Anderson Research Town Hal. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2018. Rare Cells in Circulation as Biomarkers of Chemorefractory Status in Pancreatic Cancer. Gordon Research Symposium: Liquid Biopsy for Cancer. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2018. Near real-time tumor monitoring of pancreatic cancers through liquid biopsies. 10th Annual Cullen MD/PhD Colloquium & Workshop. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2017. Heterogeneity in treatment response of spine metastases to spine stereotactic radiosurgery within “radiosensitive” subtypes. American Radium Society 99th Annual Meeting. Houston, Texas, US.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2025 - 2028 |
| Title: | Lustgarten-AACR Career Development Award |
| Funding Source: | Lustgarten-AACR |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2024 |
| Title: | Harter Prize |
| Funding Source: | Harter |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2023 |
| Title: | Conquer Cancer ASCO Young Investigator Award |
| Funding Source: | ASCO |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | 2023YIA-9884975893 |
| Date: | 2023 |
| Title: | MDACC SPORE in GI Cancer Career Enhancement Program |
| Funding Source: | MDACC SPOR |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2022 |
| Title: | MD Anderson – QIAC Partnership in Research (QPR) Grants |
| Funding Source: | QPR |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2018 - 2019 |
| Title: | NIH T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellow |
| Funding Source: | NIH |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | CA217789-01A1 |
| Date: | 2015 - 2018 |
| Title: | Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Scholar Training Grant |
| Funding Source: | CPRIT |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | RP140106 |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Pei G, Min J, Rajapakshe KI, Branchi V, Liu Y, Selvanesan BC, Thege F, Sadeghian D, Zhang D, Cho KS, Chu Y, Dai E, Han G, Li M, Yee C, Takahashi K, Garg B, Tiriac H, Bernard V, Semaan A, Grem JL, Caffrey TC, Burks JK, Lowy AM, Aguirre AJ, Grandgenett PM, Hollingsworth MA, Guerrero PA, Wang L, Maitra A. Spatial mapping of transcriptomic plasticity in metastatic pancreatic cancer. Nature 642(8066):212-221, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40269162.
- Beckham TH, Rooney MK, Cifter G, Bernard V, McAleer MF, De BS, Tom MC, Perni S, Wang C, Swanson T, Tatsui CE, Alvarez-Breckenridge C, North R, Rhines LD, Tang C, Logothetis C, Amini B, Li J, Yeboa DN, Ghia AJ. Stereotactic radiosurgery for prostate cancer spine metastases: local control and fracture risk using a simultaneous integrated boost approach. J Neurosurg Spine 41(3):436-444, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38875722.
- Taniguchi CM, Frakes JM, Aguilera TA, Palta M, Czito B, Bhutani MS, Colbert LE, Abi Jaoude J, Bernard V, Pant S, Tzeng CD, Kim DW, Malafa M, Costello J, Mathew G, Rebueno N, Koay EJ, Das P, Ludmir EB, Katz MHG, Wolff RA, Beddar S, Sawakuchi GO, Moningi S, Slack Tidwell RS, Yuan Y, Thall PF, Beardsley RA, Holmlund J, Herman JM, Hoffe SE. Stereotactic body radiotherapy with or without selective dismutase mimetic in pancreatic adenocarcinoma: an adaptive, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1b/2 trial. Lancet Oncol 24(12):1387-1398, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 38039992.
- Kolbinger FR, Bernard V, Lee JJ, Stephens BM, Branchi V, Raghav KPS, Maitra A, Guerrero PA, Semaan A. Significance of Distinct Liquid Biopsy Compartments in Evaluating Somatic Mutations for Targeted Therapy Selection in Cancer of Unknown Primary. J Gastrointest Cancer 54(4):1276-1285, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36862364.
- Semaan A, Bernard V, Wong J, Makino Y, Swartzlander DB, Rajapakshe KI, Lee JJ, Officer A, Schmidt CM, Wu HH, Scaife CL, Affolter KE, Nachmanson D, Firpo MA, Yip-Schneider M, Lowy AM, Harismendy O, Sen S, Maitra A, Jakubek YA, Guerrero PA. Integrated Molecular Characterization of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms: An NCI Cancer Moonshot Precancer Atlas Pilot Project. Cancer Res Commun 3(10):2062-2073, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37721516.
- De B, Upadhyay R, Liao K, Kumala T, Shi C, Dodoo G, Abi Jaoude J, Corrigan KL, Manzar GS, Marqueen KE, Bernard V, Lee SS, Raghav KPS, Vauthey JN, Tzeng CD, Tran Cao HS, Lee G, Wo JY, Hong TS, Crane CH, Minsky BD, Smith GL, Holliday EB, Taniguchi CM, Koong AC, Das P, Javle M, Ludmir EB, Koay EJ. Definitive Liver Radiotherapy for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma with Extrahepatic Metastases. Liver Cancer 12(3):198-208, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37593365.
- Hill CS, Rosati L, Wang H, Tsai HL, He J, Hacker-Prietz A, Laheru DA, Zheng L, Sehgal S, Bernard V, Le DT, Pawlik TM, Weiss MJ, Narang AK, Herman JM. Multiagent Chemotherapy and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Patients with Unresectable Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Prospective Nonrandomized Controlled Trial. Pract Radiat Oncol 12(6):511-523, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35306231.
- Monberg ME, Geiger H, Lee JJ, Sharma R, Semaan A, Bernard V, Wong J, Wang F, Liang S, Swartzlander DB, Stephens BM, Katz MHG, Chen K, Robine N, Guerrero PA, Maitra A. Occult polyclonality of preclinical pancreatic cancer models drives in vitro evolution. Nat Commun 13(1):3652, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35752636.
- Garcia Garcia CJ, Huang Y, Fuentes NR, Turner MC, Monberg ME, Lin D, Nguyen ND, Fujimoto TN, Zhao J, Lee JJ, Bernard V, Yu M, Delahoussaye AM, Jimenez Sacarello I, Caggiano EG, Phan JL, Deorukhkar A, Molkentine JM, Saur D, Maitra A, Taniguchi CM. Stromal HIF2 Regulates Immune Suppression in the Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment. Gastroenterology 162(7):2018-2031, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35216965.
- Lee JJ, Bernard V, Semaan A, Monberg ME, Huang J, Stephens BM, Lin D, Rajapakshe KI, Weston BR, Bhutani MS, Haymaker CL, Bernatchez C, Taniguchi CM, Maitra A, Guerrero PA. Elucidation of Tumor-Stromal Heterogeneity and the Ligand-Receptor Interactome by Single-Cell Transcriptomics in Real-world Pancreatic Cancer Biopsies. Clin Cancer Res 27(21):5912-5921, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34426439.
- Semaan A, Bernard V, Kim DU, Lee JJ, Huang J, Kamyabi N, Stephens BM, Qiao W, Varadhachary GR, Katz MH, Shen Y, San Lucas FA, Gascoyne P, Alvarez HA, Maitra A, Guerrero PA. Characterisation of circulating tumour cell phenotypes identifies a partial-EMT sub-population for clinical stratification of pancreatic cancer. Br J Cancer 124(12):1970-1977, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33785875.
- Semaan A, Bernard V, Lee JJ, Wong JW, Huang J, Swartzlander DB, Stephens BM, Monberg ME, Weston BR, Bhutani MS, Chang K, Scheet PA, Maitra A, Jakubek YA, Guerrero PA. Defining the Comprehensive Genomic Landscapes of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Using Real-World Endoscopic Aspiration Samples. Clin Cancer Res 27(4):1082-1093, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33188144.
- Dey P, Li J, Zhang J, Chaurasiya S, Strom A, Wang H, Liao WT, Cavallaro F, Denz P, Bernard V, Yen EY, Genovese G, Gulhati P, Liu J, Chakravarti D, Deng P, Zhang T, Carbone F, Chang Q, Ying H, Shang X, Spring DJ, Ghosh B, Putluri N, Maitra A, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Oncogenic KRAS-Driven Metabolic Reprogramming in Pancreatic Cancer Cells Utilizes Cytokines from the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancer Discov 10(4):608-625, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32046984.
- Kamyabi N, Huang J, Lee JJ, Bernard V, Semaan A, Stephens B, Hurd MW, Vanapalli SA, Maitra A, Guerrero PA. A microfluidic device for label-free isolation of tumor cell clusters from unprocessed blood samples. Biomicrofluidics 13(4):044111, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31462955.
- Bernard V, Semaan A, Huang J, San Lucas FA, Mulu FC, Stephens BM, Guerrero PA, Huang Y, Zhao J, Kamyabi N, Sen S, Scheet PA, Taniguchi CM, Kim MP, Tzeng CW, Katz MH, Singhi AD, Maitra A, Alvarez HA. Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Pancreatic Cancer Precursors Demonstrates Epithelial and Microenvironmental Heterogeneity as an Early Event in Neoplastic Progression. Clin Cancer Res 25(7):2194-2205, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30385653.
- Capello M, Vykoukal JV, Katayama H, Bantis LE, Wang H, Kundnani DL, Aguilar-Bonavides C, Aguilar M, Tripathi SC, Dhillon DS, Momin AA, Peters H, Katz MH, Alvarez H, Bernard V, Ferri-Borgogno S, Brand R, Adler DG, Firpo MA, Mulvihill SJ, Molldrem JJ, Feng Z, Taguchi A, Maitra A, Hanash SM. Exosomes harbor B cell targets in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and exert decoy function against complement-mediated cytotoxicity. Nat Commun 10(1):254, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30651550.
- Bernard V, Kim DU, San Lucas FA, Castillo J, Allenson K, Mulu FC, Stephens BM, Huang J, Semaan A, Guerrero PA, Kamyabi N, Zhao J, Hurd MW, Koay EJ, Taniguchi CM, Herman JM, Javle M, Wolff R, Katz M, Varadhachary G, Maitra A, Alvarez HA. Circulating Nucleic Acids Are Associated With Outcomes of Patients With Pancreatic Cancer. Gastroenterology 156(1):108-118.e4, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30240661.
- Wolff RA, Wang-Gillam A, Alvarez H, Tiriac H, Engle D, Hou S, Groff AF, San Lucas A, Bernard V, Allenson K, Castillo J, Kim D, Mulu F, Huang J, Stephens B, Wistuba II, Katz M, Varadhachary G, Park Y, Hicks J, Chinnaiyan A, Scampavia L, Spicer T, Gerhardinger C, Maitra A, Tuveson D, Rinn J, Lizee G, Yee C, Levine AJ. Dynamic changes during the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Oncotarget 9(19):14764-14790, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29599906.
- Castillo J, Bernard V, San Lucas FA, Allenson K, Capello M, Kim DU, Gascoyne P, Mulu FC, Stephens BM, Huang J, Wang H, Momin AA, Jacamo RO, Katz M, Wolff R, Javle M, Varadhachary G, Wistuba II, Hanash S, Maitra A, Alvarez H. Surfaceome profiling enables isolation of cancer-specific exosomal cargo in liquid biopsies from pancreatic cancer patients. Ann Oncol 29(1):223-229, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29045505.
- Sakellariou-Thompson D, Forget MA, Creasy C, Bernard V, Zhao L, Kim YU, Hurd MW, Uraoka N, Parra ER, Kang Y, Bristow CA, Rodriguez-Canales J, Fleming JB, Varadhachary G, Javle M, Overman MJ, Alvarez HA, Heffernan TP, Zhang J, Hwu P, Maitra A, Haymaker C, Bernatchez C. 4-1BB Agonist Focuses CD8(+) Tumor-Infiltrating T-Cell Growth into a Distinct Repertoire Capable of Tumor Recognition in Pancreatic Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 23(23):7263-7275, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28947567.
- Bernard V, Bishop AJ, Allen PK, Amini B, Wang XA, Li J, Tatsui CE, Rhines LD, Brown PD, Ghia AJ. Heterogeneity in Treatment Response of Spine Metastases to Spine Stereotactic Radiosurgery Within "Radiosensitive" Subtypes. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 99(5):1207-1215, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29029886.
- Allenson K, Castillo J, San Lucas FA, Scelo G, Kim DU, Bernard V, Davis G, Kumar T, Katz M, Overman MJ, Foretova L, Fabianova E, Holcatova I, Janout V, Meric-Bernstam F, Gascoyne P, Wistuba I, Varadhachary G, Brennan P, Hanash S, Li D, Maitra A, Alvarez H. High prevalence of mutant KRAS in circulating exosome-derived DNA from early-stage pancreatic cancer patients. Ann Oncol 28(4):741-747, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28104621.
- San Lucas FA, Allenson K, Bernard V, Castillo J, Kim DU, Ellis K, Ehli EA, Davies GE, Petersen JL, Li D, Wolff R, Katz M, Varadhachary G, Wistuba I, Maitra A, Alvarez H. Minimally invasive genomic and transcriptomic profiling of visceral cancers by next-generation sequencing of circulating exosomes. Ann Oncol 27(4):635-41, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26681674.
- Zhao H, Yang L, Baddour J, Achreja A, Bernard V, Moss T, Marini JC, Tudawe T, Seviour EG, San Lucas FA, Alvarez H, Gupta S, Maiti SN, Cooper L, Peehl D, Ram PT, Maitra A, Nagrath D. Tumor microenvironment derived exosomes pleiotropically modulate cancer cell metabolism. Elife 5:e10250, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26920219.
- Kang J, Huang J, Gailloud P, Rigamonti D, Lim M, Bernard V, Ehtiati T, Ford EC. Planning evaluation of C-arm cone beam CT angiography for target delineation in stereotactic radiation surgery of brain arteriovenous malformations. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 90(2):430-7, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25015197.
- Echeverria AE, McCurdy M, Castillo R, Bernard V, Ramos NV, Buckley W, Castillo E, Liu P, Martinez J, Guerrero T. Proton therapy radiation pneumonitis local dose-response in esophagus cancer patients. Radiother Oncol 106(1):124-9, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23127772.
- Barnett BP, Hwang Y, Taylor MS, Kirchner H, Pfluger PT, Bernard V, Lin YY, Bowers EM, Mukherjee C, Song WJ, Longo PA, Leahy DJ, Hussain MA, Tschop MH, Boeke JD, Cole PA. Glucose and weight control in mice with a designed ghrelin O-acyltransferase inhibitor. Science 330(6011):1689-92, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 21097901.
Review Articles
- Rooney MK, Andring LM, Corrigan KL, Bernard V, Williamson TD, Fuller CD, Garden AS, Gunn B, Lee A, Moreno AC, Morrison WH, Phan J, Rosenthal DI, Spiotto M, Frank SJ. Hypothyroidism following Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Opportunities to Improve the Therapeutic Ratio. Cancers (Basel) 15(17), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37686597.
- Kamyabi N, Bernard V, Maitra A. Liquid biopsies in pancreatic cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 19(10):869-878, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31533487.
- Bernard V, Fleming J, Maitra A. Molecular and Genetic Basis of Pancreatic Carcinogenesis: Which Concepts May be Clinically Relevant?. Surg Oncol Clin N Am 25(2):227-38, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27013361.
Editorials
- Sherry AD, Rooney MK, Bernard V, Seo A, Marqueen KE, Schrank BR. Residency Interviews in Radiation Oncology After COVID-19: Perspectives From Recently Matched Applicants. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 108(2):452-454, 2020. PMID: 32890530.
- Bernard V, Herman JM. Pancreas SBRT: Who, What, When, Where, and How.... Pract Radiat Oncol 10(3):183-185, 2020. PMID: 31760165.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified August 21, 2025