John Ames, MD, is a radiation oncologist at Northwell Health Imbert Cancer Center and the Center for Advanced Medicine. He treats lesions of the brain and spine with stereotactic radiosurgery, a highly precise form of treatment. He also manages head and neck tumors with intensity-modulated radiotherapy. In addition, he specializes in stereotactic body radiation therapy—high doses of radiation delivered in a few treatment sessions—to help patients with lung cancer avoid surgery. Other malignancies he manages include rectal, esophageal, stomach, bladder, prostate, breast and gynecologic cancers.

Enrolling eligible patients in clinical trials to evaluate new approaches to radiation therapy is an important part of his work. Dr. Ames also supports complementary approaches that help patients cope with diagnosis and treatment, such as yoga, meditation, acupuncture, reiki, and nutrition.

He first became interested in medicine in high school while volunteering in a transplant immunology research lab at Stanford University, where he earned his undergraduate degree. While at George Washington University School of Medicine, he saw how radiation therapy had the potential to help patients with cancer achieve remission, so he pursued a residency in radiation oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and Fox Chase Cancer Center.

At Northwell Health, Dr. Ames values a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care. He routinely collaborates with medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, and other specialists to create comprehensive, personalized treatment plans. “Our subspecialists communicate really well with one another to provide the best possible care,” he says.

Dr. Ames is an assistant professor at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, mentoring many types of healthcare trainees. He is a member of the American Society of Radiation Oncology, the Suffolk County Medical Society, and the New York State Medical Society.

For Dr. Ames, one of the best parts of his job is making himself readily available to his patients. “The psychological piece of care is one of the most important parts of a patient’s treatment plan,” he says. “I take my time to provide patients and their loved ones with the emotional support they need.”