About Chi T. Viet, DDS, PhD, MD

Dr. Viet is an Associate Professor in Loma Linda University Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery. She earned her DDS and PhD from University of California, San Francisco, and her MD from New York University, where she completed her Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency. She then went on to complete fellowship training in both Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery. As a head and neck oncologic surgeon her practice is devoted to the comprehensive surgical management of patients with head and neck benign and malignant pathology. Dr. Viet is devoted to not only improving survival in her patients, but also restoring their form and function through innovative reconstruction of the face, jaw and teeth after tumor ablation. Dr. Viet leads a translational research lab where she investigates gene pathways of head and neck carcinogenesis, and is working to develop novel treatment strategies for head and neck cancer.

Dr. Viet is specialized in oral maxillofacial trauma, jaw surgery, tumors of the oral cavity (mouth), oropharynx (throat), and salivary glands. She is also specialized in reconstruction of complex head and neck defects using microvascular free flaps.

Dr. Viet NIH R01 $4 Million Grant LLU Press Release

GRANTS

NIH NIDCR/NCI R01 1R01DE031395: The REASON Score: An Epigenetic And Clinicopathologic Score to Predict Risk of Poor Survival in Early Stage Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients; Role in Project: Principal Investigator

NIH/NIDCR R01 1R01DE032501: Targeting HB-EGF and trigeminal EGFR for oral cancer pain and opioid tolerance; Role in Project: co-investigator 

NIH K23 1K23DE030250: Clinical study to evaluate the methylation signature of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma pain; Role in Project: Principal Investigator

ASCO Career Development Award: Epigenetic Biomarkers of Cancer Pain; Role in Project: Principal Investigator         

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation: Role of Epigenetic Modulation in Anti-OX40 Immunotherapy Resistance; Role in Project: Principal Investigator

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation: Role of Neurotrophin Pathway in Oral Cancer Perineural Invasion; Role in Project: Principal Investigator

International Association for the Study of Pain: Mechanisms of OPRM1 Regulation in Head and Neck Cancer Pain; Role in Project: Principal Investigator

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation: Interaction between Mu-Opioid Receptor and β2 Adrenergic Pathways in Oral Cancer Pain; Role in Project: Principal Investigator

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation: Role of Endothelin Axis in Head and Neck Cancer Invasion and Pain; Role in Project: Principal Investigator

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation: Novel Approaches to Treat Head and Neck Cancer Pain and Prevent Opioid Tolerance; Role in Project: Principal Investigator

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation: Pre-Clinical Trial of Decitabine and Cisplatin Combination Therapy as a Novel Approach to HNSCC; Role in Project: Principal Investigator

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

  1. Viet CT, Jordan, RCK, Schmidt, BL. DNA promoter hypermethylation in saliva for the early diagnosis of oral cancer. Journal of the California Dental Association. Vol. 34, No.12:844-9, 2007.
  2. Viet CT, Schmidt, BL. Methylation array analysis of preoperative and postoperative saliva DNA in oral cancer patients. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. Vol. 15, No. 12: 3603-11, 2008.
  3. Viet CT, and Schmidt BL. Understanding oral cancer in the genome era. Head Neck. 32(9): 1246-1268, 2010.
  4. Viet CT, Ye Y, Dang D, Lam DK, Achdjian SH, Zhang J, Schmidt BL. Re-expression of the methylated EDNRB gene in oral squamous cell carcinoma attenuates cancer-induced pain. PAIN. 152(10): 2323-2332, 2011.
  5. Ye Y, Dang D, Zhang J, Viet CT, Lam DK, Dolan JC, Gibbs JL ,and Schmidt BL. Nerve growth factor links oral cancer progression, pain and cachexia. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. 10(9): 1667-1676, 2011.
  6. Viet CT, Schmidt BL. Biologic mechanisms of oral cancer pain and implications for clinical therapy. Journal of Dental Research. 91(5): 447-453, 2011.
  7. Ye Y, Dang D, Viet CT, Dolan JC and Schmidt BL. Analgesia targeting ib4-positive neurons in cancer-induced mechanical hypersensitivity. The Journal of Pain : Official Journal of the American Pain Society, 2012.
  8. Ye Y, Bae SS, Viet CT, Troob S, Bernabe D, Schmidt BL. IB4(+) and TRPV1(+) sensory neurons mediate pain but not proliferation in a mouse model of squamous cell carcinoma. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 2014.
  9. Ye Y, Ono K, Bernabe DG, Viet CT, Pickering V, Dolan JC, Hardt M, Ford AP, Schmidt BL. Adenosine triphosphate drives head and neck cancer pain through P2X2/3 heterotrimers. Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 2014.
  10. Viet CT, Corby PM, Akinwande A, Schmidt BL. Review of preclinical studies on treatment of mucositis and associated pain. Journal of Dental Research, 2014.
  11. Viet CT, Dang D, Ye Y, Ono K, Campbell R, Schmidt BL. Demethylating drugs as novel analgesics for cancer pain. Clinical Cancer Research, 2014.
  12. Viet CT, Dang D, Achdjian S, Ye Y, Schmidt BL. Decitabine rescues cisplatin resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. PLOS One, 2014.
  13. Ono K, Ye Y, Viet CT, Dang D, Schmidt BL. TRPV1 expression level in isolectin B4-positive neurons contributes to mouse strain difference in cutaneous thermal nociceptive sensitivity. J Neurophysiology, 2015.
  14. Convertino M, Samoshkin A, Viet CT, Gauthier J, Li Fraine SP, Sharif-Naeini R, Schmidt BL, Maixner W, Diatchenko L, Dokholyan NV. Differential regulation of 6- and 7-transmembrane helix variants of µ-opioid receptor in response to morphine stimulation. PLOS One, 2015.
  15. Samoshkin A, Convertino M, Viet CT, Wieskopf JS, Kambur O, Marcovitz J, Patel P, Stone L, Kalso E, Mogil J, Schmidt BL, Maixner W, Dokholyan NV, and Diatchenko L. Structural and functional interactions between six-transmembrane μ-opioid receptors and β2-adrenoreceptors modulate opioid signaling. Scientific Reports, 2015.
  16. Peterson DE, O'Shaughnessy JA , Rugo HS, Elad S, Schubert MM, Viet CT, Campbell-Baird C, Hronek J, Seery V, Divers J, Glaspy J, Schmidt BL, Meiller TF. Oral mucosal injury caused by mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors: emerging perspectives on pathobiology and impact on clinical practice. Cancer Medicine, 2016, 2016.
  17. Hallums DP, Gomez R, Doyle AP, Viet CT, Schmidt BL, Jeske NA. RAF Kinase inhibitory protein expression and phosphorylation profiles in oral cancers. Clin Surg, 2016.
  18. Yamano S, Viet CT, Dang D, Dai J, Hanatani S, Takayama T, Kasai H, Imamura K, Campbell R, Ye Y, Dolan JC, Kwon WM, Schneider SD, Schmidt BL. Ex vivo nonviral gene delivery of µ-opioid receptor to attenuate cancer-induced pain. Pain, 2017.
  19. Viet CT, Dang D, Aouizerat BE, Miaskowski C, Ye Y, Viet DT, Ono K, Schmidt BL. OPRM1 methylation contributes to opioid tolerance in cancer patients. Journal of Pain, 2017.
  20. Ye Y, Bernabe DG, Salvo E, Viet CT, Ono K, Dolan JC, Janal M, Aouizerat BE, Miaskowski C, Schmidt BL. Alterations in opioid inhibition cause widespread nociception but do not affect anxiety-like behavior in oral cancer mice. Neuroscience, 2017.
  21. Ono K, Viet CT, Ye Y, Dang D, Hitomi S, Toyono T, Inenaga K, Dolan JC, Schmidt BL. Cutaneous pigmentation modulates skin sensitivity via tyrosinase-dependent dopaminergic signaling. Scientific Reports, 2017.
  22. Ye Y, Scheff NN, Bernabé D, Salvo E, Ono K, Liu C, Veeramachaneni R, Viet CT, Viet DT, Dolan JC, Schmidt BL. Anti-cancer and analgesic effects of resolvin D2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Neuropharmacology. 2018 Sep 1;139:182-193.
  23. Appel CK, Scheff NN, Viet CT, Schmidt BL, Heegaard AM. Decitabine attenuates nociceptive behavior in a murine model of bone cancer pain. Pain. 2018 Nov 12.
  24. Viet CT, Dierks EJ, Cheng AC, Patel AA, Chang SC, Watters AL, Hoang T, Xiao HD, Crittenden MR, Leidner RS, Seung SK, Young KH, Bell RB. Transoral robotic surgery and neck dissection for HPV-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma: importance of nodal count in survival. Oral Oncology, 2020.
  25. Dang D, Ye Y, Aouizerat BE, Patel YK, Viet DT, Chan KC, Ono K, Doan C, Figueroa J, Yu G, Viet CT. Targeting the Endothelin Axis as a Therapeutic Strategy for Oral Cancer Metastasis and Pain. Scientific Reports, 2020.
  26. Viet CT, Yu G, Asam K, Thomas CM, Yoon AJ, Wongworawat YC, Haghighiabyaneh M, Kilkuts CA, McGue CM, Couey MA, Callahan NF, Doan C, Walker PC, Nguyen K, Kidd SC, Lee SC, Grandhi A, Cheng AC, Patel AA, Philipone E, Ricks OL, Allen CT, Aouizerat BE. The REASON score: an epigenetic and clinicopathologic score to predict risk of poor survival in patients with early stage oral squamous cell carcinoma, Biomarker Research, 2021.
  27. Viet CT, Zhang X, Ke X, Yu G, Asam K, Thomas CM, Callahan NF, Doan C, Walker PC, Nguyen K, Kidd SC, Lee SC, Grandhi A, Allen C, Young S, Melville JC, Shum JW, Viet DT, Herford AS, Roden DF, Gonzales M, Zhong JF, Aouizerat  BE. Brush swab as a noninvasive surrogate for tissue biopsies in epigenomic profiling of oral cancer. Biomarker Research, 2021, 2021.
  28. McGue CM, Manon VA, Viet CT. Advances in tissue engineering and implications for oral and maxillofacial reconstruction, Journal of the California Dental Association, 2021.
  29. Ye Y, Jensen DD, Viet CT, Pan H, Campana WM, Amit M, Boada MD. Advances in head and neck cancer pain. Journal for Dental Research, 2022.

AWARDS and HONORS

2001 California Governor’s Scholar Award
2002 California Governor’s Scholar Award
2002 California Governor’s Math and Science Award 
2002 National Merit Scholarship
2002 Robert C. Byrd Scholarship
2002 National Society of Collegiate Scholars
2002-2006 Regents Scholarship, UC Davis
2002-2006 University of California, Davis, Dean’s Honor List
2003 Golden Key Honor Society
2004 Phi Kappa Phi, Academic Honor Society
2005 Phi Beta Kappa, Academic Honor Society 
2005 Associated Students of UC Davis (ASUCD) Student Prize, 1st Place; awarded for excellence in leadership, scholarship and service. 
2005 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, UC Davis
2005 Presidential Undergraduate Research Fellowship, UC Davis
2006 Associated Students of UC Davis (ASUCD) Student Prize, 1st Place; awarded for excellence in leadership, scholarship and service
2006 Departmental Citation, Department of Biological Sciences, UC Davis
2006 Chancellor’s Award of Merit, UC Davis; given for excellence in leadership, service, academics to a graduating senior of the university.
2006 College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences College Medal, UC Davis, given to one graduate for excellence in academic performance
2006 Majorie Schoch Fellowship, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, given to one graduating senior nationally
2006 Phi Sigma, Biological Sciences Honor Society
2006-2010 Dean’s Scholarship, UCSF School of Dentistry; given to one matriculating dental student 
2006-2010 Regents Scholarship, UCSF School of Dentistry; given to four matriculating dental students 
2006 UCSF School of Dentistry Research Day, 1st place, Predoctoral category 
2007 UCSF School of Dentistry Alumni Table Clinic, 1st place
2007 American Association for Dental Research, Hatton Awards Competition, 1st place, Predoctoral Category
2007 American Dental Association, Student Clinician Program, 1st place, Basic Science Category
2007 UCSF School of Dentistry Research Day, 1st place, Predoctoral Category
2008 American Association for Dental Research, Dentsply Caulk Competition, 1st place, Basic Science Category 
2008 Craig Memorial Scholarship, Omicron Kappa Upsilon
2008 Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program (ADCFP)Teaching Fellowship 2009 Graduate Dean’s Health Science Scholarship, UCSF Graduate Division
2009 UCSF School of Dentistry Research Day, 1st place, Doctoral Category
2009 American Association for Dental Research, BLOC Travel Grant
2010 Quintessence Award, UCSF School of Dentistry, Clinical Achievement in Restorative Dentistry
2010 Milton and Mary Gabbs Award, UCSF School of Dentistry, Highest Ethical and Professional Behavior
2010 Willard C. Fleming Scholar, UCSF School of Dentistry
2010 Henry M. Thornton Fellowship, American Dental Association, given for high academic potential
2010 Omicron Kappa Upsilon, National Dental Honor Society
2011 American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, Resident Research Award
2012 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation, Stephen B. Milam Award, given grant application with highest score
2012 American Head and Neck Society (AHNS), Travel Grant Award
2012 American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, Resident Research Award
2013 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation, Stephen B. Milam Award, given grant application with highest score
2013 American Association for Dental Research, Hatton Awards Competition, 2nd place, Postdoctoral Category
2013 American Pain Society, Young Investigator Award
2013 American Head and Neck Society (AHNS), Best Resident Basic Science Paper
2013 American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, Resident Research Award
2014 American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, Resident Research Award
2014 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Loan Repayment Program, funding by National Cancer Institute (NCI), Awardee
2015 American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, Resident Research Award
2016 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation, Stephen B. Milam Award, given to grant application with highest score
2016 American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, Resident Research Award

ABSTRACTS

  1. Viet CT, Lim S, Jordan R, Schmidt BL. Promoter hypermethylation quantification in oral dysplasia and cancer. Journal of Dental Research, 86, Special Issue A: Poster, 2560, 2007.
  2. Schmidt BL, Viet CT. Promoter hypermethylation quantification in oral dysplasia and cancer. First World Congress of the International Academy of Oral Oncology, Amsterdam, Holland. Oral Oncology, Volume 2, Issue 1: Proffered paper, 95, 2007.
  3. Viet CT, Schmidt, BL. Genome-wide methylation array analysis of saliva DNA for the early diagnosis of oral cancer. Journal of Dental Research, 87, Special Issue A: Poster, 2008.
  4. Viet CT, Schmidt, BL. Genome-wide methylation array analysis of saliva DNA for the early diagnosis of oral cancer. International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer, 7th session, Poster, 2008.
  5. Viet CT and Schmidt BL. Methylation array analysis of preoperative & postoperative saliva of OSCC patients. J Dent Res, 88, Special Issue A: Proffered paper, 248, 2009.
  6. Viet CT, Lam DK, Zhang J, Dekker N, Schmidt BL. Hypomethylating agents decrease pain in a mouse oral cancer model. International Association for the Study of Pain, 13th World Congress, Poster, 2010.
  7. Levine J, Ason R, Hershman G, Viet CT, Hirsh DL. Computer Aided Surgical Simulation (CASS) following high velocity trauma: reconstructing the multi-segmented face. Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 92nd Annual Meeting, Poster, 2010.
  8. Bae SS, Ye Y, Zhang J, Viet, CT, Schmidt, BL. (2011) Local effect of IB4+ neurons in carcinoma growth and pain. 52nd ADA/Dentsply Student Clinician Research Program, Poster 31.
  9. Viet CT, Ye Y, Schmidt BL. Demethylating drugs as novel analgesics for pain. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2011; 29(15s).
  10. Lai DW, Buckley SA, Schmidt BL, Viet CT, Muggia F, Belitskaya-Levy I, Cohen RF, DeLacure MD, Sanfilippo N, Myssiorek D, Hirsch D, Seetharamu N. Exploring factors in diagnostic delays of head and neck cancer at a public hospital. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2011; 29(15s), Poster, 5544.
  11. Viet CT, Ye Y, Schmidt BL. Demethylating drugs have an antiproliferative and analgesic effect in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Society for Neuroscience, Poster, 383, 2011.
  12. Viet CT, Ye Y, Schmidt BL. Demethylating drugs as novel analgesics for cancer pain. Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 93rd Annual Meeting, Proffered paper, 2011.
  13. Viet CT and Schmidt BL. Demethylating Drugs Have Antiproliferative and Analgesic Effects on Oral Cancer. J Dent Res, 91, Special Issue A: Proffered paper, 155840, 2012.
  14. Viet CT and Schmidt BL. Demethylating Drugs Have Antiproliferative and
    Analgesic Effects on Head and Neck Cancer. American Head and Neck Society 8th International Meeting, Proffered paper, 2012.
  15. Viet CT and Schmidt BL. Mu-opioid Receptor Gene Methylation Correlates with Increased Opioid Use and Cancer Pain. Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 94th Annual Meeting, Proffered paper, 2012.
  16. Viet CT, Ye Y, Dang D, and Schmidt BL. Mu-opioid receptor gene methylation correlates with increased opioid use and cancer pain. Society for Neuroscience, Poster, 2012.
  17. Ye Y, Viet CT, Dang D, and Schmidt BL. IB4 (+) neurons contribute to force-induced cancer pain but not cancer proliferation. Society for Neuroscience, Poster, 2012.
  18. Dolan JC, Bair JE, Campbell R, Viet CT, and Schmidt BL. A thermally-induced mouse pulpitis model. Society for Neuroscience, Poster, 2012.
  19. Viet CT, Dang D, Ye Y, and Schmidt BL. Decitabine and cisplatin therapy for head and neck cancer. J Dent Res, 92, Special Issue A: 171740, 2013.
  20. Queiroz EL, Corby-Nunes S, Corby PM, Viet CT, Peale F, Dunlap D, Fu L, and Schmidt BL. Expression of Hedgehog Signaling Pathway Genes in Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumors. J Dent Res, 92, Special Issue A: 171740, 2013.
  21. Viet CT, Dang D, Ye Y, and Schmidt BL. Decitabine and cisplatin combination therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Combined Otolargyngological Spring Meeting, Proffered paper, 2013.
  22. Troob SH, Flynn AN, Ye Y, Viet CT, and Schmidt BL. Sensory neurons regulate head and neck squamous cell carcinoma proliferation and gene expression. Combined Otolargyngological Spring Meeting, Poster, 2013.
  23. 23.  Viet CT, Dang D, Ye Y, Miaskowski C, Aouizerat BE, and Schmidt BL. Adenovirus-mediated re-expression of OPRM1 treats cancer pain and opioid tolerance in a preclinical model. American Pain Society, Poster, 2013.
  24. Viet CT, Dang D, Ye Y, and Schmidt BL. Methylation as a mechanism of cisplatin resistance in head and neck cancer. Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 95th Annual Meeting, Proffered paper, 2013.
  25. Viet CT, Dang D, Ye Y, Ono K, and Schmidt BL. OPRM1 methylation contributes to opioid tolerance in cancer, Society for Neuroscience, Poster, 2013.
  26. Ye Y, Ono K, Bernabe D, Viet CT, Dolan JC, Ford A, Schmidt BL, ATP and its receptor P2X2 and P2X3 in oral cancer induced pain, Society for Neuroscience, Poster 539.13/BB9, 2013.
  27. Viet CT, Dang D, Ye Y, Schmidt BL. Macitentan produces antinociception in a mouse model of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma pain, American Pain Society, Poster #294, 2014.
  28. Samoshkin A, Viet CT, Convertino M, Maixner W, Dokholyan N.V, Schmidt B, Diatchenko L. Structural and functional interaction between 6TM MOR isoform and β2-adrenoceptors. 6th SIMPAR (Study in Multidisciplinary Pain Research) International Meeting, March 28 – 29, 2014, Rome, Italy.
  29. Viet CT, Dang D, Katz SG, Schmidt BL. Role of Endothelin Axis in Head and Neck Cancer Invasion. Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 96th Annual Meeting, Proffered paper, 2014.
  30. Viet CT, Schmidt BL. Macitentan inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma growth and invasion in vitro and in vivo, Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 97th Annual Meeting, Proffered paper, 2015.
  31. Viet CT, Wang J, Schmidt BL. Gene signature to predict nodal status in oral cavity carcinoma, Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 98th Annual Meeting, Proffered paper, 2016.
  32. Pace M, Viet CT, Herford A. Patients who use cannabis require more Propofol during intravenous general anesthesia for dental extractions. Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 101st Annual Meeting, Poster, 2019.