Kekoa Taparra

Dr. Kekoa Taparra is a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and the Department of Radiation Oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine. As a physician-scientist with multidisciplinary training across basic science, clinical medicine, and public health, Dr. Taparra conducts research at the intersection of molecular oncology, survivorship, health services, and cancer disparities.

He earned his PhD in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he studied the molecular mechanisms of oncogene-induced senescence and reprogramming in lung cancer through a novel sugar metabolism pathway. He was funded by a NIH NCI F31 Award under the mentorship of Dr. Phuoc Tran. He then pursued his MD at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, graduating with a certification in the Science of Health Care Delivery. During his medical training, he focused on identifying strategies to reduce cardiotoxicity from cancer therapies and quantifying bleomycin-induced pulmonary toxicity in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. To further integrate population health perspectives into his research, he completed his MPH at Hawaiʻi Pacific University as a Graduate Merit Scholar. His thesis applied complex survey analysis methods to nationally representative datasets from the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Taparra completed his clinical residency and postdoctoral medical fellowship at Stanford University in the Department of Radiation Oncology. He trained under nationally recognized leaders in the field, gaining comprehensive experience in treating a broad range of cancers using advanced technologies in radiation therapy. His current research spans prostate cancer survivorship, comorbidity burden in cancer, the role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in oncology, climate health, and Pacific Islander health. He is particularly interested in bridging molecular and clinical research with population-level data to improve cancer health equity.

Dr. Taparra has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters, with work published in leading journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and JAMA. His research has received support from ASTRO, ASCO, AACR, ASH, AHA, NIH, Stanford, Mayo Clinic, and the National Medical Fellowships, among others - including the inaugural ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation Endowed Dr. Judith and Alan Kaur Young Investigator Award as well as a Robert A. Winn Career Development Award.

As a Native Hawaiian born and raised on Oʻahu and as a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools, Dr. Taparra is committed to improving health equity for underserved communities, with a particular interest in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander health. At UCLA, he leads a diverse research team that contextualizes cancer disparities through cultural, clinical, and policy lenses. He is passionate about mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists, working with over 20 undergraduate, graduate, and medical trainees in his lab. As a member of the inaugural cohort of the Obama Foundation Leaders USA program, he is equally dedicated to leadership, community engagement, and advocacy in academic medicine and public health. He holds a steadfast mission to make advancements across the cancer care continuum for all patients, so they can live healthier and longer lives.

Selected Publications

• Taparra K, Wang H, Malek R, Barbhuiya MA, Simons BW, Ballew M, Nugent KM, Groves J, Williams JD, Shiraishi T, Verdone J, Yildirir G, Henry R, Zhang B, Wong J, Wang K, Nelkin BD, Pienta KJ, Felsher D, Zachara NE, Tran PT. O-GlcNAcylation is required for mutant KRAS-induced lung tumorigenesis. J Clinical Investigation 2018 Nov 1; 128(11):4924-4937. PMID: 30130254.
• Taparra K, Lester SC, Hunzeker A, Funk RK, Blanchard MJ, Young P, Herrmann J, Tasson A, Leng S, Martenson JA, Whitaker TJ, Williamson E, Laack NN. Reducing Heart Dose with Protons and Cardiac Substructure Sparing for Mediastinal Lymphoma Treatment. International Journal of Particle Therapy 2020 Sep 4; 4;7(1):1-12. PMID: 33094130.
• Taparra K, Miller RC, Deville C. Navigating Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Cancer Disparities from a Cultural and Historical Perspective. Journal of Clinical Oncology - Oncology Practice 2021 Jan 6; (3):130-134. PMID: 33497251.
• Taparra K. Pacific Islanders Searching for Inclusion in Medicine. JAMA Health Forum [Insights]. 2021 Feb 24. 2 (2), e210153-e210153. PMID: 36218798.
• Taparra K, Fukui J, Killeen J, Sumida K, Loo LMW, Hernandez BY. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in rates of Invasive Secondary Breast Cancer among women with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ in Hawaiʻi. JAMA Network Open 2021 Oct 1. PMID: 34668945.
• Taparra K, Harding M, Deville C. Healing and Health Equity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Populations. JAMA 2021 Dec 21; 7(1):100842. PMID: 34932087.
• Taparra K, Pellegrin K. Data aggregation hides Pacific Islander health disparities. The Lancet 2022 June 16; 400(10345):2-3. PMID: 35717993.
• Taparra K, Que V, Pollom E. Disparities in Survival and Comorbidity Burden Between Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Patients with Cancer. JAMA Network Open 2022 Aug 1; 5(8):e2226327. PMID: 35960520.
• Taparra K, Qu V, Lau B, Pollom E. A National Cancer Disparities Analysis of Predictors for Radiation Therapy Refusal by Race. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2023 Feb 8; 116(1):96-102. PMID: 36764491.
• Taparra K, Purdy M, Raphael K. From Ashes to Action - Indigenous Health Perspectives on the Lāhainā Fires. NEJM. 2023 Oct 26;389(17):1543-1546. PMID: 37733295.
• Taparra K, Benavente R, Shih J, Gimmen MY, Tominez P, Kekumano K, Pineda E, Sherman R, Deville C, Peppercorn J, Gomez S, Bosserman L, Chino F, Patel M, Shah C. Patient Inclusion and Reporting by US Federally Defined Race/Ethnicity in High-Impact Phase 2/3 Oncology Clinical Trial Publications. JAMA Health Forum. 2024 Jun 7;5(6):e241388. PMID: 38848090.
• Taparra K*, Kekumano K*, Benavente R, Roberto L, Gimmen M, Shontell R, Cakobau H, Deo N, Kinslow CJ, Warner AB, Deville C, Shing JZ, Vo JB, Patel MI, Pollom E. Racial Disparities in Cancer Stage at Diagnosis and Survival for Adolescent and Young Adults. JAMA Network Open. 2024 Aug 1;7(8):e2430975. PMID: 39212989.