Tom K. Hei

Tom K. Hei, Ph.D., D.Sc is Professor Emeritus of Radiation Oncology and Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Prior to his retirement in July 2023, Dr. Hei had been on the faculty of Columbia University for 40 years where he was the Vice-Chair of Radiation Oncology and the Associate Director of the Center for Radiological Research.

Dr. Hei is an internationally recognized leader in radiation biology and environmental toxicology. His research focuses on understanding the basic mechanisms of radiation and environmental cancer. His laboratory made seminal contributions towards our understanding of the extra-nuclear (cytoplasmic) and extracellular (non-targeted) effects of ionizing radiation. Using both in vitro (human bronchial and mammary epithelial cells) and in vivo (transgenic mouse) models, his laboratory identified the tumor suppressor function of the TGFβ1 gene in radiation carcinogenesis. Dr. Hei served and chaired numerous NIH grant review panels and other government advisory panels over his distinguished career at Columbia University. He was a panel member of the National Academy of Sciences in reviewing the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Mineral Fibers as well as being a team leader in writing the position paper on the genotoxic mechanism of asbestos fibers commissioned by the NIEHS / EPA. He was a team leader of the National Academy of Sciences task force in evaluating the NASA evidence report on space radiation carcinogenesis.

Dr. Hei was elected Educator of the Year by the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology in 2012 and was the past president of the Radiation Research Society. Dr. Hei received many awards and recognitions including the Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Development from his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Amity University in India, the Dynamic Career Achievement Award from the Association of Chinese American and was elected a member of the Oversea Expert Panel, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Dr. Hei is currently the President of the Radiation Research Foundation and has many years of experience in mentoring doctoral, medical, clinical radiation oncology residents and postdoctoral research fellows, many of whom are now leaders in their own fields around the world.

See also: https://www.crr.columbia.edu/profile/tom-k-hei-phd

Updated August 8, 2025