Thomas J. Gernon, M.D.
Thomas J. Gernon, M.D., is an associate clinical professor in the Department of Surgery, specializing in head and neck surgery. Dr. Gernon came to City of Hope from the University of Arizona College of Medicine, where he was an assistant professor in the department of surgery, division of otolaryngology.
Board-certified in otolaryngology, Dr. Gernon is active in outreach. During his time at the University of Arizona Medical Center, he essentially built the Head & Neck Oncology Program from the ground up, serving as co-director of the program, as well as medial director of the Outpatient Surgical Specialty Clinics. He developed one of the largest referral centers in Southern Arizona for patients with complex tumors of the head and neck. His clinical expertise encompasses evaluation and treatment of patients with tumors of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx and salivary glands. He has special interest in treatment of patients with HPV-related head and neck malignancies. Dr. Gernon has published in the peer-reviewed literature and has been invited to present his work both locally and nationally.
Dr. Gernon trained with an internship in general surgery at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he also pursued a residency in head and neck surgery. In 2011, he completed a fellowship in head and neck surgery and microvascular reconstruction from the University of Washington, Seattle.
Dr. Gernon graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Washington in Seattle prior to receiving his medical doctorate from UW School of Medicine. While in medical school, he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society.
American Board of Otolaryngology
American College of Surgeons
2005, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, M.D.
1999, University of Washington, Seattle, B.S. in Zoology
2010-2011, Fellowship in Head and Neck Surgery and Microvascular Reconstruction, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Washington, Seattle
2005-2010, Head and Neck Surgery Resident, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI
2005 -200g, General Surgery Intern, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
2016-present, Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
2011-2016, Assistant Professor, Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ
2005, Alpha Omega Alpha, University of Washington School of Medicine
1999, Phi Beta Kappa, University of Washington
1997, Cardinal Honors Society, Oregon State University
- Amini A, Verma V, Li R, Vora N, Kang R, Gernon TJ, Chang S, Karam S, Massarelli E, Maghami EG, Glaser S. Factors predicting for patient refusal of head and neck cancer therapy. Head Neck. 2020 Jan;42(1);33-42. Doi: 10. 1002/hed.25966. Epub 2019 Oct 4.
- Amini A, Stokes WA, Jones BL, Sampath S, Kang RS, Gernon TJ, Maghami EG, Massarelli E, Bradley CJ, Karam SD. Postoperative radiation performed at the same surgical facility associated with improved overall survival in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma, Head and Neck. (2019).
- Miller C, Hanley JC, Gernon TJ, Erman A, Jacob A. The submental island flap for reconstruction of temporal bone defects. Otol Neurotol. 2015 Jun;36(5):879-85. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000000715.
- Chinn SB, Spector ME, Bellile EL, McHugh JB, Gernon TJ, Wolf GT, Eisbruch A, Chepeha DB. Impact of Perineural Invasion in the Pathologically N0 Neck in Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. 2013 Dec; 149(6):893-9.
- Nelson ME, Gernon TJ, Taylor JC, McHugh JB, Thorne MC. Pathological Evaluation of Routine Pediatric Tonsillectomy Specimens: Analysis of Cost Effectiveness. Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery Accepted Nov 19, 2010.
- Gernon TJ, McHugh J, Thorne MC. Nasal Lobular Capillary Hemangioma. Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2010 Sep 136 (9):930, 932-933.
- Li H, Liu N, Rajendran GK, Gernon TJ, Rockhill JK, Schwarts JL, Gu Y. A role for endogenous and radiation-induced DNA double-strang breaks in P53-dependent apoptosis during cortical neurogenesis. Radiation Research 2008 May; 169(5):513-22.
PRESENTATIONS
- Pharaon RR, Young HJ, Bonjoc KC, Ally F, Yin H, Kang R, Gernon T, Chaudhry A, Maghami E. Upregulation of genes linked to epithelial-mesenchymal transition in anaplastic thyroid cancer [abstract]. AACR Annual Meeting; 2020 Apr 24-29; San Diego, California (CA).
- Atish Mohanty, Michelle Afkhami, Rebecca Pharaon, Holly Yin, Jonathan Sun, Arin Nam, Sue Chang, Thomas Gernon, Robert Kang, Arya Amini, Sagus Sampath, Naya Vora, Raju Pillaj, Ravi Salgia, Ellie Maghami, Erminia Massarelli. Inhibition of BRAF induces PD-L1 expression in BRAF-mutated papillary thyroid carcinoma. Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium, Scottsdale, AZ, February 27-29, 2020.
- Ashwin Shinde, MD1, Bernard L Jones, PhD2, Richard Li, MD1, Scott Glaser, MD1, Sana Karam, MD, PhD2, Erminia Massarelli, MD, PhD1, Morganna L. Freeman, DO1, Thomas J Gernon, MD1, Ellie Maghami, MD1, Robert Kang, MD1, Zachary S Zumsteg, MD3, Arya Amini, MD1. Factors predictive of 90-day mortality after surgical resection for oral cavity cancer: development of a recursive partitioning analysis for risk stratification. COSM/AHNS 2019, Austin TX, May 2, 2019.
- E.G. Maghami M.D., R. Pharaon, A. Amini M.D., A. Mohanty M.D., L. Vora M.D., N. Vora M.D., S. Chang M.D., T. Gernon M.D., R. Kang M.D., S. Chung M.D., S. Sampath M.D., E. Massarelli M.D., Analysis and comparison of survival and functional outcomes in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients within City of Hope Cancer Center sites, AACR-AHNS Head and Neck Cancer Conference, Austin, TX. April 29-30, 2019.