June-Wha Rhee, MD

In her approach to patient care, cardio-oncologist June-Wha Rhee, M.D., puts listening first. She aims to understand patients' desires, priorities, concerns and experiences. Fascinated with the heart, she has dedicated her career to finding new ways to prevent or minimize cardiovascular complications from cancer treatment.

Dr. Rhee earned a bachelor’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a medical degree from Harvard. During her postgraduate training at Stanford, she was a resident in internal medicine, a fellow in cardiovascular medicine — including a stint as chief fellow — and a postdoctoral researcher studying heart diseases using patient-specific stem cells stem cells: Cells in the body that develop into other cells. There are two main sources of stem cells. Embryonic stem cells come from human embryos and are used in medical research. Adult stem cells in the body repair and maintain the organ or tissue in which they are found. Blood-forming (hemapoietic) stem… . Her current research, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association, delves into the mechanisms behind drug-induced cardiovascular complications. She also actively participates in various clinical and research committees including the American Heart Association Cardio-Oncology Committee.

Fluent in Korean, Dr. Rhee spends her time outside of work with her family, exploring local parks, dining out and enjoying playdates with friends.