Dr. Ishwaria Subbiah, an Indian American oncologist, has joined NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center to enhance cancer care through innovative symptom management and quality of life initiatives.
Dr. Ishwaria Subbiah, a prominent Indian American physician specializing in supportive and palliative care, has recently been appointed as the director of the Symptom Management Program for hematology and medical oncology at NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.
In her new role, Dr. Subbiah will focus on improving the quality of life for cancer patients while expanding access to new treatment options. She will also serve as an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
As an integrative oncology specialist, Dr. Subbiah employs evidence-based approaches to help patients manage the side effects of cancer treatments. This includes a combination of medications, behavioral interventions, and lifestyle modifications aimed at optimizing patient well-being.
“Ishwaria’s deep experience in clinical trials and symptom management is valuable to the work we’re doing at Perlmutter Cancer Center to translate scientific discoveries into individualized patient care,” said Anirban Maitra, director of Perlmutter Cancer Center. “As more people are living with cancer than ever before, ensuring that they have the highest quality of life is our utmost priority.”
Dr. Subbiah’s leadership will be crucial in advancing research initiatives that evaluate innovative strategies to alleviate the burden of treatment-related side effects, enabling patients to lead fuller lives.
Her responsibilities will include the development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of evidence-based clinical pathways addressing common side effects such as pain, fatigue, nausea, and neuropathy. The goal is to inform practices that minimize these effects and enhance patients’ ability to receive and continue treatment.
“NYU Langone’s commitment to getting things done at a steady pace allows it to turn innovation into action and pair cutting-edge treatments with holistic supportive care,” Dr. Subbiah stated. “This approach delivers a truly person-centered cancer care experience.”
Bringing over 16 years of experience in direct patient care, Dr. Subbiah has held progressive scientific and leadership roles, focusing on building comprehensive programs for managing treatment toxicity and optimizing patient symptoms. Before her tenure at NYU Langone, she was an associate professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she provided extensive symptom management for cancer patients.
During her time at MD Anderson, Dr. Subbiah led research initiatives that explored barriers to clinical trial participation among older adults and examined the physical and psychosocial burdens of symptoms experienced by patients. She was instrumental in launching an electronic health record-integrated remote symptom monitoring program, which currently manages over 50,000 patient interactions each month.
Dr. Subbiah has also gained significant experience in community oncology, where she operationalized evidence-based programs and improved patient access in real-world settings. Her achievements include developing a clinical trial access strategy and creating a supportive and palliative care implementation roadmap for a national network serving over 1.4 million patients through more than 2,700 providers.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Subbiah chairs the Health Services Research Committee for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and serves on ASCO’s Supportive Care Guidelines Advisory Group and the European Society for Medical Oncology’s Digital Education Committee. She is also a past chair of ASCO’s State of Cancer Care in America initiative.
Dr. Subbiah has designed and secured funding for prospective trials that study the impact of technology-enabled programs on patient symptom burden and clinical trial participation. She has served as principal investigator, co-investigator, or collaborator on over 50 clinical trials and has authored or co-authored 78 publications, including 73 peer-reviewed original research articles focusing on treatment, patient outcomes, and well-being.
Her leadership in securing multiyear, peer-reviewed funding from organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation, the Hope Foundation, and Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation underscores her commitment to advancing cancer care and research.
Dr. Ishwaria Subbiah’s appointment at NYU Langone Health marks a significant step forward in enhancing cancer treatment and patient care, reflecting a dedication to improving the lives of those affected by cancer.
According to a university release, Dr. Subbiah’s expertise and innovative approach will play a vital role in shaping the future of cancer care at the Perlmutter Cancer Center.