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Ruta D. Rao, MD

Associate Professor
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Cell Therapy, RUSH Medical College
Director, Coleman Foundation Comprehensive Breast Cancer Clinic
Medical Director, Rush University Cancer Center
Education

MD, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Residency, University of Illinois College of Medicine-Chicago, Internal Medicine
Fellowship, Rush University Medical Center, Hematology/Medical Oncology

Areas of Expertise

Breast Cancer

Contact Info:

1725 W. Harrison St.
Suite 809
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone: (312) 942-5904
Fax: (312) 563-0715
ruta_rao@rush.edu
Links:
Biography

Ruta Rao, MD, received her BA from Northwestern University and her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed her internship at the University of Southern California and her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Rao began at Rush in 2002 as a fellow in Hematology and Oncology, and joined the faculty immediately after completion of her fellowship. She served as the Program Director for the Fellowship Program from 2012 - 2018. She is currently the Director of the Coleman Comprehensive Breast Clinic. Dr. Rao is also the Medical Director of the Rush University Cancer Center. In this role, she oversees the clinical and administrative operations of the cancer center and partners with the faculty and administrative team to optimize the patient experience.

Her clinical and research focus is breast cancer. She is the Principal Investigator on multiple clinical trials. In addition, she has published articles and book chapters on various topics in breast cancer. Rao is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, and has served on the Chicago Downtown Regional Leadership Board of the American Cancer Society and Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force.

 

Publications

Ruta Rao PubMed Profile

Grants

2005 Bears Care Grant for Research in Breast Cancer

2006 Rush University Grant for Research in Women’s Cancers.

OSI-TAR-721: A Phase II Open-Label Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Toxicity of Tarceva® (Erlotinib) in Women with Metastatic, Hormone Receptor Negative and Her 2-Negative Breast Cancer.

2007 Bears Care Grant for Research in Breast Cancer

2007 – 2012 PKC Alpha as a Marker for Logical Therapeutic Approaches to Breast Cancer NIH/NCI R01grant  R01CA122914-07A1 PI: Debra Tonetti.             

2015 Segal Grant, Women’s Cancer Research Fund. Evaluating Mammography Outcomes at Rush: Defining Strategies to Overcome Disparities.

Invited Presentations

2020 Invited Presentations:

“Targeted Oncology: HER2 Positive Breast Cancer” Virtual Tumor Board, Moderator. August 5, 2020. Virtual Format.

“OncLive Scientific Interchange and Workshop: Advanced, HER2+ Expressing Breast Cancer.” Expert Tumor Board Panelist. July 27, 2020. Virtual Format.

“Overview of Breast Cancer” for the Advanced Nutrition Care II Course. Rush University Medical Center. June 25, 2020. Chicago IL. 

“Breast Cancer Treatment in the Era of COVID”. Rush University Cancer Center Webinar. April 29, 2020.

“Advances in HER2 Positive Breast Cancer”. Hematology/Oncology Grand Rounds, Medical College of Wisconsin. March 12, 2020. Milwaukee, WI.

“Evolving Strategies For Using CDK 4/6 Inhibitors in the Treatment of Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer”. Hematology/Oncology Grand Rounds, Lenox Hill Hospital. March 3, 2020. New York, NY. 

“Evolving Strategies For Using CDK 4/6 Inhibitors in the Treatment of Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer”. Hematology/Oncology Grand Rounds, Cancer Treatment Centers of America. February 4, 2020. Philadelphia, PA.

“Best of Breast 2020” Expert Tumor Board Panelist. January 18-19, 2020. West Palm Beach, FL.

“Evolving Strategies For Using CDK 4/6 Inhibitors in the Treatment of Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer”. Hematology/Oncology Grand Rounds, St. Louis University. January 14, 2020. St. Louis, MO.