SUMMARY
Oluwadamilola T. Oladeru, M.D., M.B.A., is a radiation oncologist and physician-scientist. Her research integrates breast radiation oncology, translational tumor immunology and access to care to improve outcomes for patients with high-risk and locally advanced breast cancer. Her scientific goal is to reposition radiotherapy as an early immune-modulating component of total neoadjuvant therapy, using biomarker-rich trial designs that link radiation delivery to systemic response and pathologic outcomes.
Dr. Oladeru's studies also address challenges in access to care that influence cancer detection, treatment quality and survivorship. This includes incarceration as a determinant of cancer outcomes and access to guideline-concordant care. In parallel, she examines global access to radiotherapy through scalable education and training models that support the safe adoption of advanced techniques in settings with limited resources, connecting implementation strategies to measurable impacts on the workforce and clinical practice. In addition to her clinical research, Dr. Oladeru has mentored many undergraduate students, medical students, residents and junior faculty members who have gone on to have successful academic careers.
Focus areas
- Total neoadjuvant breast platforms. Dr. Oladeru develops investigator-initiated trials that evaluate radiotherapy earlier in the treatment course for locally advanced breast cancer. She compares photon therapy with proton therapy and carbon ion therapy while embedding correlative biospecimen collection to link radiation timing and modality with pathologic response and systemic disease control.
- Radiation-immune response biomarkers. Dr. Oladeru investigates radiation-induced tumor immunology using immune and molecular correlates to explain response heterogeneity. She incorporates tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, circulating tumor DNA kinetics, cytokine profiling and T-cell receptor repertoire dynamics into clinical studies to identify actionable predictors of benefit.
- Access challenges in oncology care. Dr. Oladeru examines how incarceration and related disruptions affect cancer screening, stage at diagnosis, treatment quality and mortality. She uses population-based, policy-relevant approaches to define care gaps and inform interventions that expand access to timely, guideline-concordant oncology services.
- Global radiotherapy education models. Dr. Oladeru studies cloud-based training strategies to expand access to radiotherapy expertise in low- and middle-income settings. She studies how longitudinal tele-education and practice-focused curricula can support the safe implementation of advanced planning, quality assurance and complex treatment techniques across diverse regions.
Significance to patient care
Patients with aggressive or locally advanced breast cancer often need strong treatment. But it is not always clear when to use radiation or which type may work best. Dr. Oladeru's research explores whether giving radiation earlier can help activate the immune system and improve how well radiation therapy works in different patients, so care can be better tailored to each person. She also studies real-life challenges that can affect cancer outcomes, such as missed screenings or differences in care quality. Her goal is to help make cancer care more effective and more personalized while expanding access to more patients.
Professional highlights
- Co-chair, Workforce Development Subcommittee, National Cancer Control Plan Technical Working Group (Nigeria), 2026-present.
- Mayo Clinic:
- Associate chair, Mayo Clinic Platform, 2025-present.
- Member, Mayo Clinical Institutional Review Board Committee, 2024-present.
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science Career Development Award, 2026-2028.
- Gerstner Scholar Program in AI Translation, 2026-2028.
- Member, Breast Subcommitee, Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group, 2024-present.
- NRG Oncology:
- Chair, Health Equity, Cognitive Training for Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Multi-Center Randomized Double-Blinded Controlled Trial, 2024-present.
- Co-chair, Protocol, Healthcare Access Committee, 2023-present.
- Member, Breast Cancer Core Committee, 2026-2029.
- Member, Cancer Prevention and Control Committee, 2026-2029.
- Member, Breast Committee, Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, 2023-present.
- Member, Breast Committee, Proton Collaborative Group, 2021-present.
- Associate editor, JCO Oncology Practice, 2020-present.
- American Society of Clinical Oncology:
- Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Clinical Investigator Leadership Award, Conquer Cancer Foundation, 2024-2026.
- Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Award, Conquer Cancer Foundation, 2021-2024.
- Equitable Care of Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients, Competitive Grant Award, 2021.