ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Indian American cancer surgeon Puram elected to ASCI
WashU physician-scientist recognized for head and neck cancer research and advances in tumor treatment studies.
-
Pranavi Sharma - Fri, 08, May 2026
- 00:44 EDT
- 16
Sidharth (Sid) V. Puram / Washington University
Sidharth (Sid) V. Puram, an Indian American physician-scientist and cancer surgeon at WashU Medicine in St. Louis, has been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation, one of the country’s oldest medical honor societies recognizing physician-scientists.
Puram, MD, PhD, serves as co-director of ‘The Robert Ebert and Greg Stubblefield Head and Neck Tumor Center’ at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine. He also is the Lindburg Professor and chair of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.
Founded in 1908, the American Society for Clinical Investigation recognizes early- to mid-career physician-scientists for contributions to translational and clinical research. Election to the society honors sustained scholarly work that advances the understanding, diagnosis or treatment of human disease.
Sid Puram, MD, PhD, Lindburg Professor and head of the Department of Otolaryngology, is one of three physician-scientists that have been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation, which is one of the nation's most respected medical honor societies.
— WashUMedENT (@WashUMedENT) May 7, 2026
Congrats! pic.twitter.com/fyqUHxqg8D
Puram’s research has focused on head and neck cancers, particularly tumor growth, treatment resistance and metastasis. His work examines how different cells within tumors interact and communicate using single-cell and spatial analyses. The research has helped scientists better understand the cellular and molecular diversity of head and neck cancers, informed clinical trials and identified potential therapeutic targets aimed at improving patient outcomes.
Puram was one of three WashU Medicine physicians elected to the society this year. The others were Suzanne E. Schindler, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurology, and Christopher D. Smyser, MD, the A. Ernest & Jane G. Stein Professor of Developmental Neurology and chief of the Division of Pediatric & Developmental Neurology.
The three physicians were formally inducted during the 2026 joint annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians and the American Physician Scientists Association in Chicago.
WashU Medicine said the elections reflect the institution’s support for physician-scientists working across laboratory research and patient care. Since 2012, seven WashU Medicine physicians have been elected to the society.
Four of those physicians are affiliated with Siteman Cancer Center or Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital: Puram, Jorge A. Di Paola, MD, Patricia Dickson, MD, and Angela Hirbe, MD, PhD.
Puram was born in Minnesota to immigrant parents from India. He said his father moved to the United States after choosing the University of Minnesota based on a summer photograph of its business school campus.
“My parents immigrated from India in search of better opportunities,” Puram said.
He described growing up in the Midwest with his younger brother, Rishi, playing ice hockey, skiing, soccer and participating in debate and extemporaneous speaking competitions. He also said a close-knit Indian community in Minnesota helped support his family after they arrived in the United States.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login