Message from the Chief
Mark Ratcliffe, M.D.
Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Surgery,
UCSF
Chief of Surgery, San Francisco VA Medical Center
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Wen T. Shen, M.D., M.A.
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Contact Information
University Of California San Francisco
Mt. Zion Medical Center
Hellman Bldg. Room C-349
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-885-3755 (Academic Office)
415-353-7687 (Clinic)
415-885-7617 (Fax)
Wen.Shen@ucsfmedctr.org
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 Certification
- American Board of Surgery
Program Affiliations
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
- San Francisco Veterans' Affairs Medical Center
Clinical Expertise
- Adrenal Tumors
- Adrenocortical Cancer
- Conn's Syndrome
- Cushing's Syndrome
- Goiter
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy
- Pheochromocytoma
- Thyroid Cancer
- Thyroid Nodules
Research Interests
- Use of novel anti-neoplastic agents to treat thyroid cancer, including direct MMP inhibitors, histone deacetylase inhibitors, PPAR-gamma agonists, and demethylating agents.
- Role of matrix metalloproteinases in thyroid cancer
- Minimally invasive endocrine surgery
- History of Surgery
Biography
Wen T. Shen, M.D. is an Assistant Professor in Residence in the UCSF Department of Surgery, specializing in endocrine surgery of the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands. His surgical practice is based at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCSF/Mt. Zion and he is also a staff surgeon at the San Francisco Veterans' Affairs Medical Center, where he practices endocrine and general surgery.
Dr. Shen graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in History and Science from Harvard University. He obtained his M.D. with thesis from UCSF and also completed his surgical residency and research fellowship in endocrine surgery at UCSF.
Dr. Shen has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Esther Nusz Achievement Award from the UCSF Department of Surgery, the Residents' Prize from the Pacific Coast Surgical Association, the William Osler Medal from the American Association for the History of Medicine, and the Rothschild Prize from the Department of the History of Science at Harvard.
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.
Research Summary
Dr. Shen's basic science research is focused on the molecular biology and genetic underpinnings of thyroid cancer. He is particularly interested in the redifferentiatiion and growth inhibitory effects of novel anti-tumor agents such as PPAR-gamma agonists and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors in thyroid cancer. Dr. Shen is also investigating the effects of modulating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity as a strategy for treating thyroid cancer.
Dr. Shen's current clinical research interests include 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.
In addition to his basic and clinical research, Dr. Shen maintains a strong interest in the history of surgery. Topics of his historical research have included the use of DES and other hormonal therapies in the 1950s, the 1942 Cocoanut Grove Fire in Boston and its impact on burn care, and the history of adrenal incidentaloma. He holds a masters' degree in the History of Medicine from the UCSF Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine.
Selected Publications
- Siperstein AE, Shen W, Chan AK, Duh QY, Clark OH. Normocalcemic hyperparathyroidism: biochemical and symptom profiles before and after surgery. Arch Surg, 10/1992;127:1157-63.
- Tezelman S, Shen W, Shaver JK, Siperstein AE, Duh QY, Klein H, Clark OH. Double parathyroid ademonas: clinical and biochemical characteristics before and after parathyroidectomy. Ann Surg, 09/1993;218:300-9.
- Tezelman S, Rodriguez JM, Shen W, Siperstein AE, Duh Qy, Clark OH. Primary hyperparathyroidism in patients who have received radiation therapy and in patients who have not received radiation therapy. J Am Coll Surg, 01/1995;180:81-87.
- Tezelman S, Shen W, Siperstein AE, Duh Qy, Clark OH. Persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism in patients with double adenomas. Surgery, 12/1995;118:1115-24.
- Shen W, Duren M, Morita ET, Higgins C, Duh QY, Siperstein AE, Clark OH. Reoperation for persistent or recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism. Arch Surg, 08/1996;131:861-9.
In the News
Endocrine Surgeons Leading Efforts to Identify Molecular Markers as Thyroid Cancers Rise
UCSF Today, CA - Feb 05, 2008Orlo H. Clark, M.D., former Chief of Surgery at UCSF Mount Zion, and his surgical colleagues Quan-Yang Duh, M.D., Wen T. Shen, M.D., and Jessica Gosnell, M.D. are leading efforts to identify molecular markers in biopsy tissue as the number of thyroid cases continue rise in the U.S.
