Meet Rebecca Gao: Head and Neck, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon at MSK

Dr. Rebecca Gao cares for people with head and neck cancers at MSK in Manhattan and MSK Monmouth, specializing in reconstructive surgery to restore function and appearance.
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 Rebecca Gao

Rebecca Gao, MD

Head and Neck Surgeon & Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Head and neck cancers
  • Throat cancers and conditions
  • Mouth (oral) cancers and conditions

My Specialties

  • Head and neck reconstruction
  • Robotic surgery
  • Laser surgery
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Dr. Gao's Office Information
Languages: English
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Get to Know Me

I am an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon who has special training in the care of people with cancers of the head and neck region. These include:

I see patients at Memorial Hospital and the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York City and MSK Monmouth in New Jersey.

I specialize in surgeries related to the treatment of head and neck cancers which involve reconstruction and restoring function. I also perform robotic and laser surgery for some cancers of the back of the mouth and throat. I am trained in microvascular free flap reconstruction. This is a surgical procedure that transplants tissue and blood vessels from one part of the body to another to help rebuild and restore function after cancer surgery. I bring a calm and thoughtful approach to consultation and patient visits.

This mindset carries over to the operating room, where I approach every patient’s surgery with care and consider each person’s unique needs. I grew up in California and received my surgical training in the Midwest, focusing on patients with advanced cancers and complex surgical cases. My research works on improving visualization of cancers during surgery to help with fully removing the entire tumor.

What I Do at MSK

I’m a head and neck surgeon, which is a doctor with special training in surgery on the head and neck. This includes the tonsils, tongue, mouth, lips, larynx, nose, sinuses, salivary glands, and thyroid gland.

I'm a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, which is a doctor with special training in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. These procedures make your body work better or look better.

  • Assistant Attending Physician
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Head and neck cancers
  • Throat cancers and conditions
  • Mouth (oral) cancers and conditions
  • Thyroid cancer and conditions
  • Salivary gland tumors
  • Skin cancer and conditions

My Specialties

  • Head and neck reconstruction
  • Robotic surgery
  • Laser surgery
This list shows some key areas of focus, but it may not cover all expertise. When making an appointment, you will be matched with the best healthcare provider for your needs.
Education & Honors

Education

  • BA, University of Southern California
  • MS, Keck School of Medicine at USC
  • MD, Stanford University School of Medicine

Residencies

  • Otolaryngology, University of Michigan

Fellowships

  • Head and Neck Surgical Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction, University of Michigan

Awards and Honors

  • University of Southern California Trustee Scholarship (2010)
  • Stanford Medical Scholars Research Fellowship (2014, 2017)
  • Alando J. Ballantyne CORE Research Grant, American Head and Neck Society (2021)

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Learn more about the insurance plans that participate with MSK.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

Health plans can change at any time. Call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your plan covers. Make sure it covers the MSK location where you’ll get care.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

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Current Patients
Request an appointment by calling your Care Team or messaging them in MSK MyChart.

Contact and Location

Location
New York, NY
Middletown, NJ
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue New York NY 10065
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David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
530 East 74th Street New York NY 10021
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth
480 Red Hill Road Middletown NJ 07748
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Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

See all Head and Neck Service doctors

See all Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Service doctors

Clinical Trials

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Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

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Research and Publications

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Gao’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Members of the MSK Community often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community. These activities outside of MSK further our mission, provide productive collaborations, and promote the practical application of scientific discoveries.

MSK requires doctors, faculty members, and leaders to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public. Not all disclosed interests and relationships present conflicts of interest. MSK reviews all disclosed interests and relationships to assess whether a conflict of interest exists and whether formal COI management is needed.

Rebecca Gao discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

No disclosures meeting criteria for time period


If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2025 through disclosure submission in spring 2026). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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