Biography
Dr. Wen T. Shen is a surgeon specializing in operations of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. He treats patients primarily at the UCSF/Mt. Zion Medical Center and the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Shen has academic interests in surgical education, medical humanities, and the history of surgery. He is Fellowship Program Director of the UCSF Endocrine Surgery Fellowship; Site Director for the UCSF General Surgery Residency Training Program at the UCSF/Mt. Zion campus; and Director of Endocrine Surgery University, the Fellows’ education program of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons. He serves on the Executive Councils of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and the Pacific Coast Surgical Association; is the current Membership Chair for the Northern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons; and has been selected to be the next Historian of the Pacific Coast Surgical Association.
Shen earned a bachelor's degree in history and science from Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude. He earned his medical degree at UCSF, where he also completed his surgical residency, research fellowship in endocrine surgery, and Masters’ degree in History of Medicine. He started his faculty career at UCSF in 2007.
Shen has received the Fred H. and Esther E. Nusz Achievement Award from the UCSF Department of Surgery, Resident's Prize from the Pacific Coast Surgical Association, William Osler Medal from the American Association for the History of Medicine, and Robert and Maurine Rothschild Prize from the Harvard University Department of History and Science. He has also been the recipient of multiple teaching awards from the UCSF Department of Surgery and the UCSF School of Medicine. He has been invited speaker at numerous institutions, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Northwestern University Medical Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the University of Toronto.
Education
| Institution | Degree | Dept or School | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, San Francisco | M.A. | Graduate Division (History of Health Science) | 2009 |
| University of California, San Francisco | M.D. | Medicine | 1999 |
Board Certifications
- American Board of Surgery
Clinical Expertise
Adrenal Tumors
Adrenocortical Carcinoma
Conn's Syndrome
Cushing's Syndrome
Hyperparathyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy
Parathyroidectomy
Thyroidectomy
Multinodular Goiter
Neuroendocrine (Islet Cell) Tumors
Pheochromocytoma
Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid Nodules
Program Affiliations
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
- San Francisco Veterans' Affairs Medical Center
- UCSF Center for Mindfulness in Surgery
In the News
Research Narrative
Dr. Shen’s main research interests are in surgical education, medical humanities, and the history of surgery. He holds a Masters’ degree in History of Medicine. He has designed and taught a novel course in narrative nonfiction for surgical residents, using a variety of current and historical sources to allow residents to reflect upon and address the multiple challenges of surgical training and practice. He has written and lectured on a multitude of topics in the history of medicine, including the use and misuse of diethylstilbestrol (DES) for the prevention of miscarriage in the 1950s; the 1942 Cocoanut Grove Fire and its impact on burn therapy in World War II; the history of incidentally discovered adrenal tumors and their implications for surgical practice and public health; and the history and evolution of stereotypes of the “surgical personality”.
Shen also maintains an active interest in the science and treatment of endocrine surgical disorders. He has previously studied the molecular biology and genetic underpinnings of thyroid cancer, including the redifferentiation and growth inhibitory effects of novel anti-tumor agents PPAR-gamma agonists and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, as well as the modulation of matrix metalloproteinase activity as a treatment strategy for thyroid cancer. He has also studied the genetic profiles of adrenal metastases from solid organ and skin cancers, 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. 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 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
- Genetic profiles of adrenal metastases from solid organ and skin cancers
- Biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in primary hyperparathyroidism
- Minimally invasive endocrine surgery
- History of surgery