Benjamin D. Medina, MD
About Benjamin D. Medina, MD:
Dr. Medina received his undergraduate training at the University of Virginia, graduating with distinction with a B.A. in economics. He received his medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed his residency in general surgery at New York University, serving as administrative chief resident. During this time, he also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in tumor immunology and immunotherapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He subsequently completed his thoracic surgery residency at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which included advanced training in benign esophageal surgery and lung transplantation at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia and Weill Cornell.
Dr. Medina performs procedures across the full spectrum of general thoracic surgery. He is an expert in the diagnosis and management of benign and malignant diseases of the lungs, esophagus, mediastinum, diaphragm, chest wall, and thoracic outlet, with a focus on minimally invasive and advanced surgical techniques.
His research has focused on immunotherapy and targeted molecular therapy, and he has authored or co-authored publications in leading journals including Nature, The Journal of Experimental Medicine, The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Clinical Cancer Research, and The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
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Expertise:
Honors:
2021: Graham Foundation Surgical Robotics Fellowship, American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS)
2013: Alpha Omega Alpha, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
2009-2013: Dean’s Scholarship, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
2008: Graduate with Distinction, University of Virginia
2004-2008: Dean’s List, University of Virginia
Appointments:
Education:
New Patients:
Publications:
Lee S, Medina B, McCormack A, Lazzaro R. Identification of Parenchymal Resection Margins: Left S9, S10, How I Do It. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. Accepted for Publication.
Lee S, Medina B, Lazzaro R. Tracheobronchomalacia v Excessive Dynamic Airway Collapse. Thoracic Surgery Clinics. 2025 Feb; 35(1):123-129.
Bott MJ, Toumbacaris N, Tan KS, Husta BC, Medina BD, Adusumilli PS, Beattie JA, Lee RP, Park BJ, Dycoco J, Jones DR, Chawla M, Rocco G, Kalchiem-Dekel O. Characterizing a learning curve for robotic-assisted bronchoscopy: Analayis of skills acquisition in a high-volume academic center. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2025 Jan;169(1):269-278.
Etherington M, Hanna A, Medina BD, Liu M, Tieniber A, Levin L, Do K, Rossi F, DeMatteo RP. Oncogene inhibition activates anti-tumoral IL-17A+ T cells in the gastrointestinal stromal tumor microenvironment.Cancer Immunology Research. 2024 Jan3;12/(1):107-119.
Lazzaro R, Kontopidis I, Medina BD. Just breath: 12-step robotic tracheobronchoplasty. JTCVS Techniques. 2023 Jun20:21:239-243.
Hambrecht A, Krowsoski L, DiMaggio C, Hong C, Medina B, McDevitt J, McRae M, Mukherjee V, Uppal A, Bukur M. A novel COVID-19 severity score is associated with survival in percutaneous dilational tracheostomy. Journal of Surgical Research. 2023 Mar, 283:1026-1032.
Tieniber AD, Hanna AN, Medina BD, Vitiello GA, Mengyuan L, Do KJ, Rossi F, DeMatteo RP. Tyrosine kinase inhibition alters intratumoral CD8 T cell subtype composition and activity. Cancer Immunology Research. 2022 Oct, 4;10(10):1210-1223.
Harrington C, Hsu M, Tan K, Medina B, Boerner T, Adusumilli P, Bains M, Bott M, Isbell J, Park B, Sihag S, Rusch V, Jones D, Rocco G, Molena D. Translating Telemedicine to Thoracic Surgical Oncological Care: Performance Analysis and Patient Perceptions During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Annals of Surgery. 2023 Jul 1;278(1):e179-e183.
Medina B, Molena D. Commentary: One size does not fit all. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2022 Mar 5:S0022-5223 (22).
Medina B, Molena D. Reflux, Barrett’s Esophagus, and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma After Bariatric Surgery. Foregut. 2021;1(4):393-400.
Krosowski L, Medina B, DiMaggio C, Hong C, Moore S, Straznitskas A, Rogers C, Mukherjee V, Uppa A, Frangos S, Bukur M. Percutaneous dilational tracheostomy at the epicenter of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Impact on critical care resource utilization and early outcomes. Am Surg. 2021 Nov; 87(11):1775-1782.
Liu M, Etherington M, Hanna A, Medina BD, Vitiello GA, Bowler TG, Param NJ, Levin L, Rossi F, DeMatteo RP. Oncogenic Kit modulates type I interferon tumor immunity in GIST. Cancer Immunology Research. 2021 May; 9(5):542-553.
Zhang JQ, Bosbach B, Loo JK, Vitiello GA, Zeng S, Seifert AM, Medina BD, Param NJ, Maltbaek JH, Rossi F, Antonescu CR, Besmer P, DeMatteo RP. The V654A second-site KIT mutation increases tumor oncogenesis and STAT activation in a mouse model of gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Oncogene. 2020 Dec; 39(49):7153-7165.
Medina BD, Choi BH, Rodogiannis KG, Moran U, Shapiro RL, Pavlick A, Osman I, Berman RS, Lee AY. Metastasectomy for melanoma is associated with improved overall survival in responders to targeted molecular or immunotherapy. Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2020 Sep 122(3);555-561.
Medina BD, Miller G. Rethinking T Cells in Pancreas Cancer. Clinical Cancer Research. 2019 Jul 1;25(13):3747-3749.
Medina BD, Liu M, Vitiello GA, Seifert AM, Zeng S, Bowler T, Zhang JQ, Cavnar MJ, Loo JK, Param NJ, Maltbaek JH, Rossi F, Balachandran VP, DeMatteo RP. Oncogenic kinase inhibition limits Batf3-dependent dendritic cell development and anti-tumor immunity. Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2019 Jun 3;216(6):1359-1376.
Vitiello GA, Bowler TG, Liu M, Medina BD, Zhang JQ, Param NJ, Loo JK, Goldfeder RL, Chibon F, Rossi F, Zeng S, DeMatteo RP. Differential immune profiles distinguish the mutational subtypes of gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2019 May 1;129(5):1863-1877.
Zhang JQ, Zeng S, Vitiello GA, Seifert AM, Medina BD, Beckman MJ, Loo JK, Santamaria-Barria J, Maltbaek JH, Param NJ, Moral JA, Zhao JN, Balachandran V, Rossi F, Antonescu CR, DeMatteo RP. Macrophages and CD8+ T Cells Mediate the Antitumor Efficacy of Combined CD40 Ligation and Imatinib Therapy in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors. Cancer Immunology Research. 2018 Apr, 6(4): 434-447
Vitiello GA, Medina BD, Zeng S, Bowler TG, Zhang JQ, Loo JK, Param NJ, Liu M, Moral AJ, Zhao JN, Rossi F, Antonescu CR, Balachandran VP, Cross JR, DeMatteo RP. Mitochondrial Inhibition Augments the Efficacy of Imatinib by Resetting the Metabolic Phenotype of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor. Clinical Cancer Research. 2018 Feb, 15;24(4): 972-984
Zeng S, Seifert AM, Zhang JQ, Kim TS, Bowler TG, Cavnar MJ, Medina BD, Vitiello GA, Rossi F, Loo JK, Param NJ, DeMatteo RP. ETV4 collaborates with Wnt/β-catenin signaling to alter cell cycle activity and promote tumor aggressiveness in gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Oncotarget. 2017 Dec, 11;8(69): 114195-114209
Balachandran VP, Tuksza M, Zhao JN, Makarov V, Moral JA, Remark R, Herbst B, Askan G, Bhanot U, Senbabaoglu Y, Wells DK, Cary CIO, Grbovic-Huezo O, Attiyeh M, Medina B, Zhang J, Loo J, Saglimbeni J, Abu-Akeel M, Zappasodi R, Riaz N, Smoragiewicz M, Kelley ZL, Basturk O; Australian Pancreatic Cancer Genome Initiative; Garvan Institute of Medical Research; Prince of Wales Hospital; Royal North Shore Hospital; University of Glasgow; St Vincent’s Hospital; QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute; University of Melbourne, Centre for Cancer Research; University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience; Bankstown Hospital; Liverpool Hospital; Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse; Westmead Hospital; Fremantle Hospital; St John of God Healthcare; Royal Adelaide Hospital; Flinders Medical Centre; Envoi Pathology; Princess Alexandria Hospital; Austin Hospital; Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes; ARC-Net Centre for Applied Research on Cancer, Gönen M, Levine AJ, Allen PJ, Fearon DT, Merad M, Gnjatic S, Iacobuzio-Donahue CA, Wolchok JD, DeMatteo RP, Chan TA, Greenbaum BD, Merghoub T, Leach SD. Identification of unique neoantigen qualities in long-term survivors of pancreatic cancer. Nature. 2017 Nov, 23;551(7681): 512-516
Burgoyne AM, De Siena M, Alkhuziem M, Tang CM, Medina B, Fanta PT, Belinsky MG, von Mehren M, Thorson JA, Madlensky L, Bowler T, D'Angelo F, Stupack DG, Harismendy O, DeMatteo RP, Sicklick JK. Duodenal-Jejunal Flexure GI Stromal Tumor Frequently Heralds Somatic NF1 and Notch Pathway Mutations. Journal of Precision Oncology. 2017 Aug, Epub.
Zeng S, Seifert AM, Zhang JQ, Cavnar MJ, Kim TS, Balachandran CP, Santamaria-Barria JA, Cohen NA, Beckman MJ, Medina BD, Rossi F, Crawley MH, Loo JK, Maltbaek JK, Besmer P, Antonescu CR, DeMatteo RP. Wnt/β-catenin signaling contributes to tumor malignancy and is targetable in gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. 2017, 16(9): 1954-1966
Seifert AM, Zeng S, Zhang JQ, Kim TS, Cohen NA, Beckman MJ, Medina BD, Maltbaek JH, Loo JK, Crawley MH, Rossi F, Besmer P, Antonescu CR, DeMatteo, RP. PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade Enhances T-cell Activity and Antitumor Efficacy of Imatinib in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors. Clinical Cancer Research 2017 Jan, 23(2): 454-465
Nayak NV, Medina B, Patel K, Homnick AT, Mohr AM, Livingston DH, Prestigiacomo CJ, Sifri ZC. Neurologic outcome of minimal head injury (MHI) patients managed with and without a routine repeat head computed tomography (RHCT). Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. 2013 Aug, 75(2): 273-278