Sze Kiat (Owen) Tan, MD, PhD

Owen grew up in Miri, Malaysia and has always known that he wanted to be a neurosurgeon-scientist. Having completed pre-clinical studies at International Medical University (IMU), Malaysia, Owen continued his education at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine where he graduated with Research Distinction and was elected into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. For his Ph.D. in Cancer Biology, he joined the lab of Dr. Scott M. Welford, and took the lead on a project focused on unraveling the intricate interplay between genetics and lipid metabolism in hypoxic tumors. Owen’s new position at Stanford follows a year-long research fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine under the mentorship of Drs. Chetan Bettegowda, Bert Vogelstein and Ken Kinzler, where his efforts centered on T cell engineering to develop novel treatment of glioblastoma. Outside neurosurgery, Owen enjoys traveling and exploring new places, cooking, watching dramas, and playing tennis.

Research Interests:

Neuro-oncology, immunotherapy, cancer metabolism, skull base surgery, cerebrovascular.

Education:

2023 - Present
Stanford University – Palo Alto, CA
Department of Neurosurgery
Resident Physician

2022 - 2023
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine – Baltimore, MD
Department of Neurosurgery
Postdoctoral Research Fellow

2016 - 2022
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine – Miami, FL
M.D.

2017 - 2020
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine – Miami, FL
Ph.D., Cancer Biology

2013 - 2015
International Medical University – Bukit Jalil, Malaysia
Pre-Clinical Studies

2018
Arizona State University – Tempe, AZ
B.A., Global Health, summa cum laude

Program completion year:

2030

Honors & Awards:

2022 Research Distinction, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
2021 The Arnold P. Gold Foundation Gold Humanism Honor Society
2021 Second Place, Medical Faculty Association’s Best Research Awards
2021 Golden Key International Honor Society
2020 Dr. Louis J. Elsas Research Award in Biochemical Genetics
2020 GSA Academic Excellence, Leadership, and Service (AELS) Award
2020 Third Place, Sylvester Cancer Research Zubrod Poster Session (Translational Category)
2020 APSA/AAP/ASCI Joint Meeting Travel Award
2020 University of Miami Graduate Student Travel Scholarship
2020 Runner-Up, Second Annual Graduate and Postdoctoral Research Symposium Poster Presentation
2020 Office of Graduate Studies, UMMSOM Travel Award
2020 First Place, ESRF Outstanding Basic Science Oral Presentation
2019 Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (SCCC) Trainee Travel Award
2019 Early Career Investigator Travel Award
2019 Student Representative at CABTRAC
2018 Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Carolyn L. Kuckein Research Fellowship Travel Award
2018 First Place, 5th Annual 2018 Pediatric Medical Student Research Forum Oral Presentation
2018 Medical Student Award, Eighteenth Hubert L. Rosomoff Research Day
2018 Summa Cum Laude Honors and Dean’s List
2017 Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Carolyn L. Kuckein Research Fellowship
2017 St. Baldrick’s Summer Fellowship
2017 Third Place, 2017 FMA David A. Paulus, M.D. Poster Symposium
2017 Honorable Mention, ESRF Outstanding Basic Science Oral Presentation
2015 Champion, Intervarsity Medic Olympiad, Malaysia