Bio

Dr. Dharmarajan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin followed by a Master’s degree in health population science from the London School of Economics and a medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Kavita completed her residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Upon graduation, she received the Roentgen Research Award from the Radiological Society of North America. In 2015, she was selected as an American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Research Scholar. Her primary research interests include improving access to palliative care for advanced cancer patients receiving radiation therapy as well as facilitating better communication and informed decision-making among advanced cancer patients, caregivers, and physicians. Her work has been funded by the American Medical Association Foundation, the National Palliative Care Research Center, and the National Institute of Aging Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center. She is an advocate for starting and improving big-picture conversations for patients grappling with advanced cancer. She is a trained Vitaltalk teacher and has taught Vitaltalk and Oncotalk courses at Mount Sinai and nationally to residents, fellows and faculty in medical oncology, radiation oncology, palliative medicine, and geriatrics. She directs the palliative radiotherapy service at Mount Sinai.