Richard J. O'Donnell

Dr. Richard J. O'Donnell, chief of orthopedic oncology, is a specialist in bone cancer and soft tissue tumors in adults and children. He sees patients at the UCSF Orthopaedic Institute, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. His goal in treating bone cancer is to preserve as much bone and physical function as possible.

In his research, O'Donnell addresses prosthetic fixation for massive skeletal reconstructions, multimodal preoperative treatment strategies for soft tissue sarcomas and bone graft substitutes to treat cystic bone defects (fluid-filled sacs that can form in bone).

O'Donnell earned a medical degree at Harvard Medical School and completed his orthopedic medicine residency in Harvard's combined program at Massachusetts General Hospital. He joined UCSF Medical Center in 1998.