As a leader in the field of health services research, Dr. Murphy has ongoing project focusing on identifying and reducing health disparities, creating patient-based risk assessment tools, and defining the patterns of care of radiation across the US on a population-based level. He is the principal investigator of clinical trials involving pancreatic cancer, and he serves as the site principal investigator of national cooperative group trials. A dedicated clinical researcher, he has published over 190 journal articles and previously served as an Associate Editor (GI Cancers) of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics. In addition to his research work, he is a dedicated clinician and has been recognized as a Top Doctor by the San Diego Magazine.

Dr. Murphy has a strong commitment to medical education and instructs medical students, residents and fellows at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. He is the founder and director of OPTIMUS (Outcome Program to Inspire Minority and Underrepresented Students), a cancer research internship aimed at inspiring underrepresented minority students to pursue careers in clinical oncology and biomedical research. He also directs the MedGap program within the Altman Clinical Translational Research Institute, which is a yearlong research program for UCSD medical students. He has been recognized as Educator of the Year by the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO). He has also received the Moores Cancer Center Excellence in Faculty Teaching Award, the UC San Diego School of Medicine’s Whitehall Prize for Excellence in Teaching, the Kaiser Excellence in Teaching Award, and the UCSD Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Award.