Dr. Michaela Straznicka is a board certified thoracic surgeon with a special interest in the evaluation and management of lung cancer and minimally invasive thoracic surgery. She joined the medical staff at John Muir Medical Center in 2003. In 2006, she was elected as the first Medical Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at John Muir Health in Walnut Creek and Concord. She has dedicated the last eight years as medical director to increasing recognition of lung cancer while minimizing the progression of this disease in the communities she serves.
Her particular interests include early detection via CT screening, accurate diagnosis with state of the art technologies like EBUS (endobronchial Ultrasound) and Super Dimension bronchoscopy, and minimally invasive resection via thoracoscopy and robot-assisted surgery. Dr. Straznicka graduated from the University Of Miami, Florida, Medical School with honors in the six-year combined B.S/M.D program. After medical school, she completed her general surgery residency at Robert Wood Johnson U.M.D.N.J program in New Brunswick N.J. During her third year of residency training, she spent the year completing basic science research studying “Cyclic GMP/AMP and its Effect on Cardiac Contractility and Oxygen Consumption in Normal and Hypertrophied Hearts.” Her results earned her second place for the Susan B. Dean Award, honoring excellence in research. In her final year of residency, she was elected by faculty to be the chief resident.
Upon the completion of her general surgery residency, Dr. Straznicka accepted a fellowship in thoracic surgery at the University of California, Davis. She then accepted an instructor position at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center in the Thoracic Surgery Division. Her experience there allowed her to hone her skills in thoracic oncology and propelled her to start the successful practice she enjoys today.
