Beyond Cancer Spotlight: Edward Kuan

Edward Kuan (He/Him) is the Co-Director of the UCI Comprehensive Skull Base Program and Chief of Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery. Read on to learn more about his story. 

1. What are your career/research interests?

I am a rhinologist and skull base surgeon, and my clinical practice is focused on treatment of diseases of the nose, sinuses, and skull base. My academic interests are in understanding clinical outcomes and the biologic basis of disease related to sinonasal tumors, understanding factors that affect skull base reconstruction, and exploring how we can best treat sinonasal inflammatory disease.

2. How did your early life experiences shape your education and career choices?

I was drawn to medicine for the ability to care for patients in need; to otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat) because of the ability to focus on a highly complex but essential part of the body; and to rhinology because of the potential to treat patients with a unique technical skillset.

3. What brought you to UCI?

I was a medical student at UCI, and had the most amazing mentors who are now my valued colleagues. It is a privilege to be able to give back to the department and community.

4. How did you connect with others to build your own sense of community and belonging at work?

A lot of my clinical and research work is multidisciplinary, and I work with colleagues from numerous different departments in order to provide the highest level of care for patients. This community extends beyond the UCI setting and is more so a national and international network united by the same cause. This brings tremendous meaning to my work.

5. What motivates you to serve your community and contribute to the CFCCC mission?

A sizeable proportion of my practice is dedicated to the care of patients with sinonasal tumors, including cancers. I have been privileged to be able to participate in their care through all walks of their journey.

6. What challenges have you experienced in your professional journey?

Building a dedicated program in sinonasal tumor and skull base disease with centralized care coordination to deliver state-of-the-art care was the effort of many colleagues and required many years of fine-tuning. We continue to strive for better and are prepared to take on any challenges along the way.

7. What personal or professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

In accordance to my dedication to sinonasal tumor care and research, I successfully led and published the International Consensus on Allergy and Rhinology: Sinonasal Tumors document, which is a multidisciplinary evidence-based review of this complex topic intended to inform care and provide a state-of-the-art summary of what we currently know. This was a three-year project which involved nearly 200 authors.

8. What are your interests/hobbies outside of work? 

I enjoy travel, music, food, and coffee.

9. What is a fun or random fact about you? 

I have been, and remain, an avid student of Chinese history.

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