Dr. Brandon MahalFor Dr. Brandon Mahal, appointed vice chair of Sylvester’s Department of Radiation Oncology in 2024 and program director of the clinical residency training program, addressing cancer is deeply personal. Growing up in Madera, Calif., he witnessed the toll cancer takes on families—especially after losing his grandmother to lung cancer.
Despite being raised in a neighborhood marked by hardship, Dr. Mahal’s determination led him to UCLA and Harvard Medical School. Initially drawn to cancer surgery, he found his calling in radiation oncology during a clinical rotation, because of its technology, precision and patient connection.
As part of an ongoing effort to reduce prostate cancer care, Dr. Mahal contributes to the Game Changer initiative in Miami—a community-based program that deploys mobile vans to provide free screenings in high-risk neighborhoods. In 2024 alone, 424 men were screened through the program; 40 had abnormal results and were connected to timely, appropriate follow-up care.