Dr. Hieken is a fellowship trained surgical oncologist and professor of surgery at Mayo Clinic where she is the medical director for quality and accreditation for the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. She chairs committees of the Society of Surgical Oncology and American College of Surgeons Cancer Surgery Standards Program and serves on the editorial boards of the British Journal of Surgery, Journal of Surgical Oncology, Annals of Surgical Oncology Melanoma Section and Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

 Her research interests are translational and include applications of molecular signatures in cancer and cancer-risk prediction and prevention, functional characterization of the endogenous tissue microbiomes in health and disease, neoadjuvant immunotherapy and drivers of immune response, and application of technological advances and minimally invasive techniques to deliver patient-focused surgical oncology care. Her research funding includes awards from the Stand Up to Cancer/American Association for Cancer Research Catalyst Program, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and National Cancer Institute as well as industry funding for investigator-initiated clinical trials.