Emina Huang, M.D., M.B.A.

Early Influences

Dr. Huang was inspired to pursue medicine by many individuals. It started with her father, who “did low-temperature physics research, obtaining his Ph.D. from Nicolaas Bloembergen, Ph.D., who won a Nobel Prize (in Physics) in 1981 on laser spectroscopy at Harvard.” Throughout her educational years she was impacted by many other mentors.

“My pediatrician was kind and reflective. A woman psychiatrist at Case Western Reserve University saw patients and did research while raising a family, which was an inspirational model for ‘having it all.’”

Dr. Huang recalled, “The environment at Stanford Medical School in the Department of Pathology, under Edgar Engleman, M.D., was profound in the discovery of flow cytometry, and examination of HIV and cancer immunology.”

Contributions to STEMM

Dr. Huang built off this foundation to become a colorectal surgeon and scientist. She is internationally known for her research that was recently described in Nature Communications and Nature Biotechnology. In the Huang lab, she focuses on growing “riskier but potentially high-impact and collaborative research in the areas of cancer, inflammation, the use of novel models, and high-resolution molecular techniques.” Specifically, “in my role, I study colorectal surgical diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer,” she said. “In my leadership role, I assist with every level of research in our department as feasible.”

Taking Risks

She advises the next generation of women in STEMM to “do what your heart says.” She practiced this advice herself when she “pivoted from a college/conservatory of music opportunity at Oberlin College and Conservatory in piano to medicine.”

The UT Southwestern Difference

“It’s always about the people – at every level.”

Dr. Huang said of her roles at UT Southwestern. Her inclusion in the Celebrating Breakthroughs Together Project signifies the importance of “learning, growing, and touching more lives.”