Kenan Onel, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Director, Pediatric Familial Cancer Clinic

Dr. Kenan Onel is an expert in pediatric and other familial genetic cancer syndromes. Working closely with the Cancer Risk Clinic team, Dr. Onel cares for people who may be at an increased risk for cancer, and families in which cancer is common. The goal of his clinical practice is to assess individual and familial cancer risk, and then to develop individualized cancer prevention strategies for those found to be at increased risk.

The goal of Dr. Onel’s research is to understand the genetic basis of cancer susceptibility by identifying genes and genetic markers that alter cancer risk. These markers may be directly translatable into simple blood tests by which the genetic contribution to cancer risk can be determined. This research may also lead to the discovery of targets for new molecularly engineered cancer treatments.

Dr. Onel has lectured extensively and authored a number of papers on his research. His work has been supported by numerous grants.

Practice Locations

Center for Advanced Medicine
5758 S. Maryland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637

Comer Children's Hospital at the University of Chicago
5721 S. Maryland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637

Year Started Practice

1996

Board Certification

Pediatrics

Medical School

Cornell University Medical College, New York

Residency

Babies and Children's Hospital of New York
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York

Fellowship

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York

Memberships

American Academy of Pediatrics
The Children’s Oncology Group

Language Spoken

English

Email

konel@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu

Office Phone

(773) 702-4919

Office Fax

(773) 834-1329

Office Postal Address

Kenan Onel, MD, PhD
University of Chicago Medical Center
5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 4060
Chicago, IL 60637

Clinical Interests

• Cancer genetics
• Leukemia
• Retinoblastoma

Request an appointment online
or call HealthLink at
1-888-UCH-0200

Read More About Dr. Onel

Dr. Onel is the director of the Pediatric Familial Cancer Clinic.

Dr. Onel is featured in a patient story about treatment planning for a teen with a family history of cancer.

Dr. Onel helped determine that Mica Witt's family is among 32 families in the world documented with the RUNX1 genetic mutation that leads to leukemia.

Read more about Dr. Onel's research.

Selected Publications

View a partial list of Dr. Onel's publications through the National Library of Medicine's PubMed online database.