Oncologist Near Me – Rana McKay: A Rising Force in Genitourinary Cancer Research and Care

Welcome to OncoDaily‘s special section, “Oncologist Near Me,” where we introduce prominent oncologists worldwide.

Here, you can get to know the leading cancer specialists in your area, including personal and professional details you won’t find in their research articles.

Interested solely in research? We’ve got that covered too! Discover top research articles by the author, learn about their academic achievements, awards, and honors, watch their interviews, and memorize some quotes for much-needed inspiration!

Rana McKay, MD, FASCO

Rana McKay is a medical oncologist specializing in genitourinary cancers, including bladder, kidney, prostate, and testicular malignancies. She leads the multidisciplinary prostate cancer clinic at UC San Diego Health’s Moores Cancer Center and serves as Professor of Medicine and Urology at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Early Life and Education

Dr. Rana McKay’s decision to pursue oncology wasn’t abstract or academic. It was personal. In an interview with OncoDaily, she shared her experiences that shaped her path. Her mother, a nurse, was diagnosed with breast cancer while Rana was still in high school. The experience left her overwhelmed and uncertain.

“You hear the big C word, and it’s just fear. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I felt completely helpless.”

Her mother went through chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, first reaching remission, only to face a recurrence years later. Watching it all unfold had a lasting impact.

“I didn’t want people to suffer in that kind of way. It’s what pushed me toward medicine, and eventually, research, because we can do better. We have to do better.”

That experience became her driving force. Dr. McKay earned her medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine, completed her residency in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins, and went on to train in oncology and hematology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Massachusetts General Hospital.

What began as fear and uncertainty became a lifelong commitment to compassion, research, and changing what a cancer diagnosis means for patients and families.

Career

Dr. Rana McKay leads the multidisciplinary prostate cancer clinic at UC San Diego Health’s Moores Cancer Center, where she also serves as Professor of Medicine and Urology at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. She is known not only for her clinical leadership but also for her deep commitment to research, mentorship, and team-building.

Before joining UC San Diego, Dr. McKay was a medical oncologist at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center in Boston and served as an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. She completed her oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber/Massachusetts General Hospital and her residency in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins, a period that sparked her interest in genitourinary cancers.

Dr. McKay is a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO) and an active member of both ASCO and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). She was honored with the 2023 KCA Trailblazer Award for her research on predictors of response to immunotherapy in renal cell carcinoma. In 2024, she received the Christopher G. Wood Rising Star Award at IKCS Europe and was also recognized as one of OncoDaily’s 100 Influential Women in Oncology.

Rana McKay receiving the Christopher G. Wood Rising Star Award at IKCS Europe.

She credits many mentors who helped shape her career, Dr. Judith Karp at Hopkins, Mary-Ellen Taplin, Toni Choueiri, Phil Kantoff, and others at Dana-Farber who helped her grow from clinician to clinical trialist.

“They gave me chances. If I did one project well, they gave me another. I learned how to take care of GU cancer patients and how to design smart trials.”

Rana McKay with Phil Kantoff at ASCO 2024

Equally, now she is mentoring the younger generation. She has earned a reputation at UC San Diego as a go-to mentor for students and early-career researchers.

“Mentorship is an investment. You have to give people your time, and you have to genuinely celebrate their success. I love it when undergrads, med students, or junior faculty reach out. I love teaching them how to do research and take care of patients. And honestly, I learn a lot from them too.”

Today, she continues to shape the future of GU oncology through innovative clinical trials, compassionate care, and a growing network of mentees inspired by her example.

Rana McKay with her mentees at “McKay Monthly Meeting”. Rana McKay/X

Research

Dr. Rana McKay’s research is centered on improving outcomes for patients with genitourinary cancers through innovative clinical trial design and the use of novel biomarkers. She serves as principal investigator on several early-phase trials in kidney and prostate cancer, with a focus on both therapeutic development and precision medicine.

A key part of her work involves understanding why some patients respond to treatment while others do not. She studies the mechanisms of response and resistance to cancer therapies, helping to guide more individualized treatment strategies.

Her research has been published in leading journals, including Nature, The Lancet, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, and Cancer, among others.

As a clinical investigator, her goal is clear: to push the field forward in ways that truly improve patients’ lives.

Selected publications

• Poore GD, Kopylova E, Zhu Q, Carpenter C, Fraraccio S, Wandro S, Kosciolek T, Janssen S, Metcalf J, Song SJ, Kanbar J, Miller-Montgomery S, Heaton R, McKay R, Patel SP, Swafford AD, Knight R. Retraction Note: Microbiome analyses of blood and tissues suggest cancer diagnostic approach. Nature. 2024 Jul;631(8021):694. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07656-x. PMID: 38926587.
• Hoimes CJ, Flaig TW, Milowsky MI, Friedlander TW, Bilen MA, Gupta S, Srinivas S, Merchan JR, McKay RR, Petrylak DP, Sasse C, Moreno BH, Yu Y, Carret AS, Rosenberg JE. Enfortumab Vedotin Plus Pembrolizumab in Previously Untreated Advanced Urothelial Cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2023 Jan 1;41(1):22-31. doi: 10.1200/JCO.22.01643. Epub 2022 Aug 30. PMID: 36041086; PMCID: PMC10476837.
• McKay RR, Kroeger N, Xie W, Lee JL, Knox JJ, Bjarnason GA, MacKenzie MJ, Wood L, Srinivas S, Vaishampayan UN, Rha SY, Pal SK, Donskov F, Tantravahi SK, Rini BI, Heng DY, Choueiri TK. Impact of bone and liver metastases on patients with renal cell carcinoma treated with targeted therapy. Eur Urol. 2014 Mar;65(3):577-84. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2013.08.012. Epub 2013 Aug 15. PMID: 23962746; PMCID: PMC4123121.
• McKay RR, Ye H, Xie W, Lis R, Calagua C, Zhang Z, Trinh QD, Chang SL, Harshman LC, Ross AE, Pienta KJ, Lin DW, Ellis WJ, Montgomery B, Chang P, Wagner AA, Bubley GJ, Kibel AS, Taplin ME. Evaluation of Intense Androgen Deprivation Before Prostatectomy: A Randomized Phase II Trial of Enzalutamide and Leuprolide With or Without Abiraterone. J Clin Oncol. 2019 Apr 10;37(11):923-931. doi: 10.1200/JCO.18.01777. Epub 2019 Feb 27. PMID: 30811282; PMCID: PMC7051849.
• McKay RR, Rodriguez GE, Lin X, Kaymakcalan MD, Hamnvik OP, Sabbisetti VS, Bhatt RS, Simantov R, Choueiri TK. Angiotensin system inhibitors and survival outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2015 Jun 1;21(11):2471-9. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-14-2332. Epub 2015 Feb 27. PMID: 25724518; PMCID: PMC4566854.

Interviews with Rana McKay

OncoInfluencers: Dr. Rana McKay – Inspiring Journey in GU Oncology –  OncoDaily

Meet Rana R. McKay, MD: Medical Oncologist – UC San Diego Health

What is Triplet Therapy, Benefits and Side Effects for Advanced Prostate Cancer: Dr. Rana McKay – Dr. Geo Prostate Podcast

An Interview with Dr. Rana McKay – EMJ 

How to treat Prostate Cancer in 2024 with Dr. Rana McKay – OncBrothers: Practice-Changing Cancer Discussions

Profiles in GU Oncology Now With Rana R. McKay, MD – GUOncologyNow

Q&A: Dr. Rana McKay, KCA Trailblazer Award winner – Kidney Cancer Association

Beyond the White Coat

Outside of her clinical and research work, Dr. Rana McKay is a mom, a wife, and an avid runner. She embraces the constant multitasking that comes with balancing life and career, and leans into it with a sense of purpose and energy.

“My kids, my family, and my work have taught me to be incredibly efficient. It’s a balancing act, but it works when you integrate it all.”

Dr. McKay is also active on social media, where she shares insights on oncology, mentorship, and leadership, and often lifts up the work of others in the field.

Poster by Maddie, Dr. McKay’s daughter (2024). Source: Rana McKay/X

How to contact her?

Email: [email protected]
Location:  9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States

Read the previous articles in the “Oncologist Near Me” series to explore insights into the lives and careers of leading oncologists worldwide.

We’ve curated the internet to find the most important information about them. If you have more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected]

Written by Vahe Grigoryan