Biography

Prasanna Alluri, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in the treatment of breast cancer.

He earned his medical degree at the University of Minnesota Medical School, and received a Ph.D. in chemical biology from UT Southwestern Medical Center. He then completed a research fellowship in translational oncology and a residency in radiation oncology at the University of Michigan Medical School, where he was also a chief resident. 

Dr. Alluri has received many recognitions for both his research contributions and clinical care, including Conquer Cancer Foundation/Breast Cancer Research Foundation Young Investigator Award, Department of Defense's Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award, DocStar Award, and METAvivor Translational Breast Cancer Research Award. He has also been named a Top Doctor in Radiation Oncology by Castle Connolly. 

He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society for Radiation Oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Association for Cancer Research.

His work has been published in major journals, including Cell ResearchBreast Cancer Research, and Journal of the American Chemical Society.​

Areas of clinical focus include:

  • Radiation therapy for breast cancer
  • Advanced, inflammatory, metastatic or recurrent breast cancers
  • Accelerated partial breast irradiation
  • Stereotactic partial breast irradiation
  • Pre-operative breast radiotherapy
  • Personalized breast radiotherapy
  • Immunotherapy for breast cancer
  • Cardiac-sparing breast radiotherapy
  • Advanced imaging techniques to detect effects of radiation on the heart

Meet Dr. Alluri

As a physician and scientist, Prasanna Alluri, M.D., Ph.D., brings a unique combination of skills to his patients and colleagues. 

His clinical focus is on breast cancer where he sees the entire spectrum of breast cancer patients – from newly diagnosed early stage breast cancer patients seeking curative treatments to metastatic breast cancer patients looking for innovative clinical trials.

Dr. Alluri also directs a research laboratory that's focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of
treatment resistance in breast cancer.

“Through my research I focus on patients with the most aggressive forms of breast cancer who have progressed on several lines of treatments,” Dr. Alluri says. “Our goal is to develop new targeted therapies based on a more intricate understanding on what’s driving these cancers.”

Targeted therapies, unlike chemotherapy, are less toxic and more effective. Dr. Alluri’s team is also studying if combining targeted therapies with radiation improves the efficacy of the treatment.

While traditional radiation treatments for breast cancer last six to seven weeks, there are ongoing efforts to shorten the length of treatment.

“With the newer technologies we have, we're investigating how we can significantly shorten treatment duration, while not causing any extra side effects or reducing the treatment’s efficacy,” Dr. Alluri says. “We have many ongoing trials to address this question, and we're one of the leaders in defining new treatment paradigms for breast cancer.”

UT Southwestern's multidisciplinary efforts to treat breast cancer and the breadth of its research expertise are just a few of the reasons why UT Southwestern is an exceptional and unique place to work, according to Dr. Alluri.

“We have to keep pushing the boundaries to improve patient care,” Dr. Alluri says. “The opportunities to work with colleagues who are leaders in clinical care and basic/translational research are truly unmatched. I can’t think of a better place to work.”

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Education & Training
  • Residency - University of Michigan Health System (2014-2017), Radiation Oncology
  • Research Fellowship - University of Michigan Medical School (2012-2014), Translational Oncology
  • Residency - University of Michigan Health System (2009-2012), General Surgery
  • Medical School - University of Minnesota (2006-2009)
  • Other Post Graduate Training - UT Southwestern Medical Center (1999-2006)
  • Graduate School - UT Southwestern Medical Center (1999-2006), Chemical Biology
Professional Associations & Affiliations
  • American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
  • American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Honors & Awards
  • Synergy Grant for Collaborative Research Award from the Office of the Dean at UT Southwestern Medical School 2024
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctor in Radiation Oncology 2024
  • Travel Award from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group - American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ECOG-ACRIN) 2024
  • Nominated to Leaders in Clinical Excellence Award from UT Southwestern Medical Center 2023
  • METAvivor Breast Cancer Translational Research Award 2023
  • Translational Pilot Program Award from UT Southwestern Clinical Translational Science Award Program 2023
  • Team Science Award from UT Southwestern Clinical Translational Science Award Program 2023
  • Collaborative Biomedical Research Award from University of Texas at Dallas 2023
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctor in Radiation Oncology 2023
  • Charles Y.C. Pak Foundation Breast Cancer - Bone Initiative Research Award 2022
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctor in Radiation Oncology 2022
  • Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award from Department of Defense 2021
  • METAVivor Early Career Investigator Award 2020
  • Conquer Cancer Foundation Research Award, top abstract at the Annual Conquer Cancer Scientific and Career Development Retreat 2019
  • DocStar Award from Cary Council of Southwestern Medical Foundation 2018
  • Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO/Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Young Investigator Award 2017
  • American College of Surgeons Resident Research Scholar 2012
  • Making a Difference Award, Outstanding Clinical Care 2012
  • Making a Difference Award, Outstanding Clinical Care 2011
  • University of Minnesota Medical School Chapter of Gold Humanism Honor Society 2008
  • Meritorious Research in Biomedical Sciences Award, UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences 2004
  • Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society 2004
Books & Publications
Research
  • Using bedside-to-bench-approaches, including next generation clinical sequencing of patient tumors, to develop clinically relevant models of treatment resistance in breast cancer
  • Elucidating mechanisms of treatment resistance in breast cancer
  • High throughput screening approaches, including large-scale CRISPR and small molecule screens, to identify synthetic lethal drug targets in treatment-refractory breast cancer
  • Metabolic imaging approaches to study radiation-induced cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients

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