Meet Dr. Jennifer M. Suga

About Dr. Suga

Medical oncologist Dr. Jennifer Suga is devoting her work to uncovering new treatment approaches for patients with asbestos cancer. At Kaiser Permanente in Vallejo, California, she uses the latest techniques and clinical advances to treat multiple cancers, including malignant pleural mesothelioma.

After graduating from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Suga completed her residency at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. She then pursued her fellowship at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California. She is board certified in oncology and hematology.

Suga is chair of the Kaiser Permanente National Lung Cancer Program. In her role there, she has developed and led National Cancer Institute-sponsored oncology clinical trials for more than a decade. 

One of her notable publications includes a recent study of a comprehensive genomic profiling test optimized for small tumor samples published in 2021 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology’s Precision Oncology. An additional study she published in 2021 focused on olaparib for patients with BRCA1- or BRCA2-mutated breast cancer in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Suga is a leader of the National Cancer Institute’s Thoracic Malignancy Steering Committee, which addresses the design, prioritization, and evaluation of clinical studies for chest cancers. She also leads the NCI’s Community Oncology Research Program.

She has years of experience identifying genetic mutations in mesothelioma across tumor cell types. Her work allows oncologists to personalize treatment for cancer patients based on genetic factors. Suga remains committed to providing best-in-class care for all her patients.