Michelle Mierzwa, MD

 Michelle L. Mierzwa
Associate Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology
Clinical Professor of Radiation Oncology
Service Chief, FGP Operations, Medical School
Michigan Medicine
Radiation Oncology
1500 E Medical Center Dr
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
[email protected]
Available to mentor
Michelle Mierzwa, MD
Michelle L. Mierzwa
Clinical Professor
  • About
  • Links
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Recent Publications

  • Manage Your Profile

    • About

    Dr. Mierzwa has 13 years of clinical experience in treatment of head and neck cancer. Her clinical research interests have included novel chemoradiation regimens for head and neck cancers, as well as imaging markers and biomarkers of tumor response to radiation and toxicity. Specifically, she collaborates with the Departments of Otolaryngology and Medical Oncology to develop clinical trials to identify for oropharynx cancer patients who may be eligible for de-escalation of chemoradiation or may require intensified therapy. She is also the PI of an ongoing novel oropharynx cancer surveillance and survivorship protocol.

    Administrative Assistant: Rebecca Roulo, [email protected]

    Links
    • RadOnc Bio

    Qualifications
    • Residency
      University of Cincinnati, Division of Radiology, Cincinnati, United States
      2004 - 2008
      Residency
    • Internship
      Christ Hospital, Internal Medicine, Cincinnati, United States
      2003 - 2004
      Internship
    • MD
      University of Cincinnati - College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45267, United States
      1999 - 2003
    • MS
      Vanderbilt Universtiy, 2201 West End Ave, Nashville, TN, 37240, United States
      1997 - 1999
    • BS
      Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
      1993 - 1997

    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Rogel Cancer Center

    Research Overview

    - Advanced imaging techniques and imaging markers of response to radiotherapy in head and neck cancer
    - Development of prognostic and predictive biomarkers in head and neck cancer
    - Outcome modelling for tumor control and toxicity in head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy Clinical trial development to de-escalate radiotherapy in oropharynx cancer
    - Clinical trial development using imaging markers to improve tumor control in high-risk head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy
    - Head and neck cancer

    Recent Publications

     See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Accuracy and Safety of Patient-Facing GenAI Platforms in Post-Laryngectomy Care
      Casper J, Prince A, Knill C, Lyden T, Hardenbergh A, Ambrose M, Mierzwa ML, Buchakjian M, Dave F, Prince ME, Heft-Neal ME, Yalamanchi P. International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics, 2026 Apr 18; 125 (1): e40 - e41. DOI:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2026.02.080
    • Journal Article
      Impact of Smoking on Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Human Papillomavirus-Related Oropharyngeal Cancer
      Kwan M, Bazzi L, Sun Z, Rand D, Park A, Asthana S, Larson A, Yadav P, Mittal B, Akthar A, Kramer S, Lorch J, Samant S, Patel U, Mierzwa M, Mady L, Stepan K, Gharzai L. Head and Neck, 2026 May 4;
    • Additional Scholarship
      Data from FDG-PET–Based Selective Deescalation of Chemoradiation in Human Papillomavirus–Related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter Phase II Trial
      Mierzwa M, Rosen B, Suresh K, Dinesh A, Regan S, Brummel C, Wong K, Casper K, Prince M, Malloy K, Shuman A, Chinn S, Cao Y, Aryal M, Heft-Neal M, Stucken C, Buchakjian M, Forner D, Yalamanchi P, Swiecicki P, Lawrence TS, Akhdar R, Tewari M, Bhambhani C, Walline H, Brenner JC, Shah J, Worden F. 2026 Feb 17; DOI:10.1158/1078-0432.c.8313715
    • Journal Article
      FDG-PET-Based Selective Deescalation of Chemoradiation in Human Papillomavirus-Related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter Phase II Trial
      Mierzwa M, Rosen B, Suresh K, Dinesh A, Regan S, Brummel C, Wong K, Casper K, Prince M, Malloy K, Shuman A, Chinn S, Cao Y, Aryal M, Heft-Neal M, Stucken C, Buchakjian M, Forner D, Yalamanchi P, Swiecicki P, Lawrence TS, Akhdar R, Tewari M, Bhambhani C, Walline H, Brenner JC, Shah J, Worden F. Clinical Cancer Research an Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, 2026 Feb 17; 32 (4): 684 - 693. DOI:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-25-2820
      PMID: 41385605
    • Additional Scholarship
      Supplementary Data 1 from FDG-PET–Based Selective Deescalation of Chemoradiation in Human Papillomavirus–Related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter Phase II Trial
      Mierzwa M, Rosen B, Suresh K, Dinesh A, Regan S, Brummel C, Wong K, Casper K, Prince M, Malloy K, Shuman A, Chinn S, Cao Y, Aryal M, Heft-Neal M, Stucken C, Buchakjian M, Forner D, Yalamanchi P, Swiecicki P, Lawrence TS, Akhdar R, Tewari M, Bhambhani C, Walline H, Brenner JC, Shah J, Worden F. 2026 Feb 17; DOI:10.1158/1078-0432.31353226
    • Additional Scholarship
      Supplementary Figure 1 from FDG-PET–Based Selective Deescalation of Chemoradiation in Human Papillomavirus–Related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter Phase II Trial
      Mierzwa M, Rosen B, Suresh K, Dinesh A, Regan S, Brummel C, Wong K, Casper K, Prince M, Malloy K, Shuman A, Chinn S, Cao Y, Aryal M, Heft-Neal M, Stucken C, Buchakjian M, Forner D, Yalamanchi P, Swiecicki P, Lawrence TS, Akhdar R, Tewari M, Bhambhani C, Walline H, Brenner JC, Shah J, Worden F. 2026 Feb 17; DOI:10.1158/1078-0432.31353223
    • Additional Scholarship
      Supplementary Figure 2 from FDG-PET–Based Selective Deescalation of Chemoradiation in Human Papillomavirus–Related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter Phase II Trial
      Mierzwa M, Rosen B, Suresh K, Dinesh A, Regan S, Brummel C, Wong K, Casper K, Prince M, Malloy K, Shuman A, Chinn S, Cao Y, Aryal M, Heft-Neal M, Stucken C, Buchakjian M, Forner D, Yalamanchi P, Swiecicki P, Lawrence TS, Akhdar R, Tewari M, Bhambhani C, Walline H, Brenner JC, Shah J, Worden F. 2026 Feb 17; DOI:10.1158/1078-0432.31353220
    • Additional Scholarship
      Supplementary Figure 3 from FDG-PET–Based Selective Deescalation of Chemoradiation in Human Papillomavirus–Related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter Phase II Trial
      Mierzwa M, Rosen B, Suresh K, Dinesh A, Regan S, Brummel C, Wong K, Casper K, Prince M, Malloy K, Shuman A, Chinn S, Cao Y, Aryal M, Heft-Neal M, Stucken C, Buchakjian M, Forner D, Yalamanchi P, Swiecicki P, Lawrence TS, Akhdar R, Tewari M, Bhambhani C, Walline H, Brenner JC, Shah J, Worden F. 2026 Feb 17; DOI:10.1158/1078-0432.31353217