Elizabeth Ren Zhang-Velten, MD, PhD, is a radiation oncologist with Keck Medicine of USC’s Orange County locations (Newport Beach and Buena Park) who treats all adult cancers.

Dr. Zhang-Velten completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She then worked as a research technician for the Center for Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, with a focus on molecular imaging. Following this, she completed her MD and PhD at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; her PhD thesis focused on the use of quantitative image analysis to study MAP kinase signaling in cell migration. Dr. Zhang-Velten stayed at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center for her residency in Radiation Oncology, training with the pioneer of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), Dr. Robert Timmerman. During her residency years, Dr. Zhang-Velten won an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Young Investigator Award and American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Research Award for her research on molecular imaging for evaluation of radiation-related toxicities.

Dr. Zhang-Velten’s role includes helping to train future physicians as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She has published first-author and co-first author papers in leading oncology journals such as JAMA Oncology and Advances in Radiation Oncology. She is excited to combine her passion for molecular imaging and radiation oncology in the form of biology-guided radiation therapy at USC Newport Beach, which houses the ninth installation in the country and the world of the Reflexion PET-guided linear accelerator. Above all, Dr. Zhang-Velten appreciates the honor and privilege of caring for each patient, and she makes it a priority to educate her patients about their conditions and treatments options, so that they feel empowered to take active roles in their health care.