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Wen T. Shen, M.D., M.A.

Wen T. Shen, M.D., M.A.

  • Professor of Surgery
  • Division of Surgical Oncology
  • Director, Department of Surgery Grand Rounds Education Series
  • Program Director, Endocrine Surgery Fellowship

Contact Information

Mt. Zion Medical Center
1600 Divisadero St, Room B611 (Campus Box 1932)
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-885-3755 (Academic Office)
415-353-7687 (Clinic)
415-885-7617 (Fax)
[email protected]
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Education

  • 1990-94, Harvard University, B.A., History and Science
  • 1994-99, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, M.D. with thesis
  • 2007-2009, University of California, San Francisco, M.A., History of Medicine

Residencies

  • 1999-02 University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, Resident, Surgery
  • 2005-06 University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, Resident, Surgery
  • 2006-07 University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, Chief Resident, Surgery

Fellowships

  • 2002-05 University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, Research Fellow in Endocrine Surgical Oncology

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Surgery

Program Affiliations

Clinical Expertise

Research Interests

  • Biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in primary hyperparathyroidism
  • Genetic profiles of adrenal metastases from solid organ and skin cancers
  • History of surgery
  • Minimally invasive endocrine surgery
  • Role of matrix metalloproteinases in thyroid cancer
  • Use of novel anti-neoplastic agents to treat thyroid cancer, including direct MMP inhibitors, histone deacetylase inhibitors, PPAR-gamma agonists, and demethylating agents.

Biography

Dr. Wen T. Shen is a surgeon specializing in operations of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. He treats patients primarily at the UCSF/Mt. Zion Medical Center and the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Shen has academic interests in surgical education, medical humanities, and the history of surgery. He is Fellowship Program Director of the UCSF Endocrine Surgery Fellowship; Site Director for the UCSF General Surgery Residency Training Program at the UCSF/Mt. Zion campus; and Director of Endocrine Surgery University, the Fellows' education program of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons. He serves on the Executive Councils of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and the Pacific Coast Surgical Association; is the current Membership Chair for the Northern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons; and has been selected to be the next Historian of the Pacific Coast Surgical Association.

Shen earned a bachelor's degree in history and science from Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude. He earned his medical degree at UCSF, where he also completed his surgical residency, research fellowship in endocrine surgery, and Master's degree in History of Medicine. He started his faculty career at UCSF in 2007.

Shen has received the Fred H. and Esther E. Nusz Achievement Award from the UCSF Department of Surgery, Resident's Prize from the Pacific Coast Surgical Association, William Osler Medal from the American Association for the History of Medicine, and Robert and Maurine Rothschild Prize from the Harvard University Department of History and Science. He has also been the recipient of multiple teaching awards from the UCSF Department of Surgery and the UCSF School of Medicine. He has been invited speaker at numerous institutions, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Northwestern University Medical Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the University of Toronto.

Research Overview

Dr. Shen's main research interests are in surgical education, medical humanities, and the history of surgery. He holds a Master's degree in History of Medicine. He has designed and taught a novel course in narrative nonfiction for surgical residents, using a variety of current and historical sources to allow residents to reflect upon and address the multiple challenges of surgical training and practice. He has written and lectured on a multitude of topics in the history of medicine, including the use and misuse of diethylstilbestrol (DES) for the prevention of miscarriage in the 1950s; the 1942 Cocoanut Grove Fire and its impact on burn therapy in World War II; the history of incidentally discovered adrenal tumors and their implications for surgical practice and public health; and the history and evolution of stereotypes of the "surgical personality".

Shen also maintains an active interest in the science and treatment of endocrine surgical disorders. He has previously studied the molecular biology and genetic underpinnings of thyroid cancer, including the redifferentiation and growth inhibitory effects of novel anti-tumor agents PPAR-gamma agonists and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, as well as the modulation of matrix metalloproteinase activity as a treatment strategy for thyroid cancer. He has also studied the genetic profiles of adrenal metastases from solid organ and skin cancers, predictors of lymph node metastases in papillary thyroid cancer, the development of minimally invasive endocrine surgical techniques, and the impact of primary hyperparathyroidism on cardiovascular health and aging. Dr. Shen's research has been generously funded by grants from the American College of Surgeons, the James Ewing Foundation through the Society of Surgical Oncology, the University of California Cancer Research Coordinating Committee, and the UCSF Resource Allocation Program.

Publications

Data provided by UCSF Profiles, powered by CTSI
  1. Orlo H. Clark, MD (1941-2022). Thyroid. 2023 Apr; 33(4):395-401. View in PubMed
  2. Shen WT, Sosa JA. Gratitude and Good Outcomes: Rediscovering Positivity and Perspective in an Uncertain Time. World J Surg. 2020 09; 44(9):2848-2849. View in PubMed
  3. Campbell MJ, Seib CD, Candell L, Gosnell JE, Duh QY, Clark OH, Shen WT. The underestimated risk of cancer in patients with multinodular goiters after a benign fine needle aspiration. World J Surg. 2015 Mar; 39(3):695-700. View in PubMed

In the News

  • New Associate Residency Program Directors Appointed for General Surgery Residency Program

    UCSF Department of Surgery - Richard Barg - October 01, 2020
    We are pleased to announce the appointment of three new Associate Residency Program Directors for our general surgery residency program: Rita Mukhtar, MD as Associate Residency Program Director for Curriculum; Wen Shen, MD, MA as Associate Residency Program Director for Resident Professional Development; and Lan Vu, MD as Associate Residency Program Director for Assessment. All three appointments will be effective January 1, 2021. As the Associate Residency Program Director for Curriculum, Dr. [...]

  • Dr. Wen Shen Named Director of the Grand Rounds Education Series

    UCSF General Surgery Residency Program - Alexi Callen - January 28, 2020
    The Department of Surgery is pleased to announce that Wen T. Shen, M.D., M.A. has been named Director of the UCSF Surgery Grand Rounds Education Series. Dr. Shen is an endocrine surgeon and a Professor of Clinical Surgery. In his new role, Dr. Shen will assess the ongoing educational needs of faculty and learners, and will oversee the content and scheduling of Department of Surgery Grand Rounds. Dr. Shen will work closely with Lygia Stewart, who led Grand Rounds for many years, during a time [...]

  • UCSF Department of Surgery Faculty Honored with Excellence in Teaching Awards

    UCSF Department of Surgery - Richard Barg - October 02, 2017
    The Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators presented seven Department of Surgery faculty with the Excellence in Teaching Award for 2017 at a ceremony on September 11th at the UCSF School of Nursing, held in conjunction with the Academy's induction of new members. The Academy's Excellence in Teaching Awards are peer-nominated, and honor outstanding front-line teachers of medical students, residents, and fellows who often go unrecognized. These teachers create and encourage an intellectually [...]

 

 
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