Dr. Ana Maria Lopez, MD, MPH, MACP

Media Releases

Get to know Medical Oncologist Dr. Ana Maria Lopez, who serves patients in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Lopez is Professor and Vice Chair of Medical Oncology & Chief of Cancer Services at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She brings her expertise in breast and gynecologic cancers, integrative medicine, telehealth, and cancer disparities with her to her work at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University.

Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an oncologist. An oncologist is a doctor who treats cancer and provides medical care for a person diagnosed with cancer. They lead a cancer treatment team of various healthcare professionals, treat patients with medical approaches to care, coordinate treatment plans and prescribe various types of treatment, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, as well as assist patients with pain management.

The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center is committed to person-focused, multidisciplinary cancer care where nationally renowned cancer experts provide care for patients with all types of cancers, including cancers of the lung, colon and rectum, breast, pancreas, stomach, esophagus, prostate, bladder and head and neck, as well as melanoma, leukemia, lymphoma and multiple and uveal myeloma. The Center also performs autologous and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for selected forms of cancer.

Dr. Lopez sees herself as an ameliorist, one who seeks to make things better. Her career trajectory demonstrates this commitment to care and to making better care accessible to more people. Following undergraduate studies in Philosophy at Bryn Mawr College, she earned her medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. She then trained in internal medicine and hematology-oncology, completed a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Administration, and was awarded a Cancer Prevention and Etiology Fellowship (T32, NCI) at the University of Arizona and the Arizona Cancer Center.

Subsequently, she joined the faculty of the University of Arizona College of Medicine and earned tenure and the academic rank of professor. She also served as medical director of the Women’s Health Initiative, founding medical director of the Arizona Telemedicine Program, and associate dean of outreach and multicultural affairs.

In 2015, Dr. Lopez moved to University of Utah Health Sciences, where she served as a professor of medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine, director of cancer health equity at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and associate vice president for health equity and inclusion at University of Utah Health Sciences. 

Dr. Lopez was recruited to the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in 2018 where she joined the faculty of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College and is affiliated with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Jefferson Health New Jersey, and Jefferson Methodist Hospital.

With a commitment to excellence, Dr. Lopez is board-certified in medical oncology and hematology/oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world.

Among her professional affiliations, Dr. Lopez is President Emeritus and Master of the American College of Physicians; member of the Education Committee and of the Telemedicine Standards Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology; and member of the Steering Committee, Group on Women In Medicine and Science, Association of American Medical Colleges. Dr. Lopez formerly served on the Board of the National Hispanic Medical Association, and is past-Chair of the Cancer Health Disparities Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Recognized for her expertise in cancer prevention and telemedicine, Dr. Lopez has approximately 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and multiple book chapters. She has dedicated her career to addressing health inequities through community-based participatory research and through clinical trials that assess telecommunications technology to facilitate access to clinical care and education. She served as a member of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Advisory Panel, Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research from August 2016 to August 2019.

Recommended Articles

• Lymphoma GoFundMe Success Stories

  When a community or group of friends bands together to help one another, miracles happen. There is nothing more humbling than seeing a community take time of their own to help a friend or community member in need. The more people there are, the bigger difference they can make. There are hundreds of...

• Can Ovarian Cancer Affect Women of All Ages?

  Ovarian cancer is the most common type of cancer (besides breast cancer) among the female population. Sometimes, ovarian cancer comes together with many other diseases, such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, irregular periods, and after hormone replacement therapies.This disease is most...

• Radiation Therapy vs Chemotherapy

  Radiation TherapyIn this method, the doctors will use gamma rays, x-rays, and charged particles that will be directed at, implanted, or introduced directly into the blood stream. In this form of treatment, you will find the three types of therapy that will all be described according to way they...

• What are the Effects of Marijuana?

  Marijuana or pot is one of the most commonly abused illegal drugs in the country. About one in 300 people are addicted to this drug. Marijuana is actually a mix of shredded leaves, seeds, flowers, and stems of the plant Cannabis sativa. It is also available in a concentrated form called hashish....

• Tumor DNA in Blood Used to Spot Ovarian Cancer

  The longer that a cancerous tumor lies undetected in the body, the greater the risk of severe or irreversible complications. That being said, detecting cancer early can be difficult, especially if the cancer shares symptoms with other, more common diseases. Many cancers have high survival rates in...

• New Clinical Trial: Genetically Enhanced Immune Cells for Lymphoma Treatment

  B-cell cancers, or cancers that target B-lymphocytes, have been particularly hard to treat in recent years. Recent breakthroughs have led to the conclusion that B-cell cancer can be effectively combated with the use of programmed immune cells.How it WorksThe immune system creates cells that are able...