In House M.D., what specialty is Dr. James Wilson known for?

Dr. James Wilson is known for oncology in House M.D. He treats patients with cancer and serves as the head of the oncology department at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

Wilson is played by Robert Sean Leonard and functions as House's closest friend and most consistent moral counterweight. His medical specialty gives him a different perspective from House's diagnostic work: Wilson often focuses on patient relationships, difficult conversations and the human consequences of illness.

The pair's friendship is one of the show's central relationships. Wilson frequently challenges House's behavior, yet he also understands House better than most colleagues and repeatedly helps him through professional and personal crises.

Viewers sometimes confuse Wilson's role with that of House's diagnostic fellows because both doctors become involved in unusual cases. Wilson, however, is specifically an oncologist, while House is trained in infectious disease and nephrology and leads the hospital's Diagnostic Medicine department.