Please join us in welcoming Steven B. Chinn, MD, MPH, FACS, to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, effective July 21, 2025. Dr. Chinn is Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh and will clinically focus on Head and Neck Surgical Oncology. He will serve as Head and Neck Surgery co-leader for the UPMC Hillman Head and Neck Cancer Program, as well as Cancer Center Research Lead at the Computational Pathology & AI Center of Excellence (CPACE) in the Department of Pathology.
He joined us from the University of Michigan, where he was Associate Professor of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology/Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery, Director of the Rogel Cancer Center Head & Neck Oncology Program, Director of the Head & Neck Oncology Translational Research Program, and Associate Program Director of the Head & Neck Surgical Oncology Fellowship.
His research interests are based on translational application of novel modalities to improve cancer care. His focus is on understanding the spatial and cellular interactions of the tumor microenvironment (TME), cancer stemness and plasticity, and resistance to therapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). His work integrates multi-modal approaches—including digital pathology, artificial intelligence (AI), single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, and bulk RNA and exome sequencing to develop novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers. A key aim is to use computational spatial analysis and deep learning to deconstruct immune ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ niches within tumors and identify mechanisms of immune suppression and evasion. Dr. Chinn’s research has a strong translational focus, aiming to inform therapeutic strategies and guide response-adapted treatment in clinical trials.
Dr. Chinn is an active member of the scientific community. He has published more than 100 journal articles and 10 book chapters and has presented abstracts, posters, presentations, and invited speeches nationally and internationally. He also serves as reviewer for several journals, on steering committees, as a member in professional organizations, and teaches and mentors the next generation of oncologists. Dr. Chinn has earned research support from NIH, as well as through pharmaceutical-sponsored clinical trials.
Dr. Chinn is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. He completed an internship in the Department of General Surgery and residency and T32 research fellowship in the Department of Otolaryngology in head and neck surgery at the University of Michigan. He completed clinical fellowships in head and neck surgical oncology in the Department of Otolaryngology and in reconstructive microsurgery in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Chinn earned his MD from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
