Ezra Cohen, is a board-certified oncologist and an internationally renowned cancer researcher. He cares for patients with all types of head and neck cancers, including esophageal, thyroid and salivary gland cancers. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Cohen also leads a laboratory that studies novel cancer treatments, including immunotherapy, and has made major contributions in understanding how targeted cancer therapies work. Much of his work has focused on squamous cell carcinomas and cancers of the thyroid, salivary gland, and HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers. He is especially interested in understanding mechanisms of sensitivity or resistance; cancer screening; and using medication and other agents to delay or prevent cancer (chemoprevention).


Dr. Cohen serves as co-director of UC San Diego Health's Precision Immunotherapy Clinic, which offers the most promising investigational immunotherapy treatments for many types of cancer, including head and neck cancers. At UC San Diego Health's Moores Cancer Center, he is associate director for translational science and the leader of the Solid Tumor Therapeutics research program.