Roshni Rao, MD

Dr. Roshni Rao, a renowned expert in breast care, is the chief of the Breast Surgery Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. A skilled surgeon who is passionate in her commitment to breast health and her patients, Dr. Rao has expertise in the treatment of breast cancer that has spread to the areas surrounding the breast, known as locally advanced breast cancer; in addition to breast cancer that has spread further to other parts of the body, metastatic breast cancer. Her groundbreaking research includes the positive effects of exercise for patients with breast cancer who are preparing for surgery, and the impact of ethnicity on the risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer (when the three receptors known to fuel most breast cancers; estrogen, progesterone, and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; are not present in the cancer tumor). Dr. Rao oversees the breast cancer surgery program at the Comprehensive Breast Center of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, a multi-site, multi-disciplinary entity that incorporates the legacy of innovation and trust associated with the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She collaborates closely with its team of specialists across every discipline, including radiologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, plastic surgeons and other breast cancer support staff. Dr. Rao was repeatedly recognized with awards for her leadership at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, where she served as the director of the George N. Peters Center for Breast Surgery prior to joining NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. She was elected by her peers to be a "Best Doctor" in breast surgery every year from 2009 to 2017. Dr. Rao received her medical degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. She completed a general surgery residency at Baystate Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in breast surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology. She is currently the chair of the Patient Safety and Quality Committee for the American Society of Breast Surgeons. Dr. Rao serves as a reviewer for the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Annals of Surgical Oncology, and has served as a reviewer for Cancer and other journals. Her work has been published in these journals and many other surgical and oncology publications.