CME Speakers
Tiffany Traina, MD, FASCO
Tiffany Traina, MD, FASCO
Vice Chair, Oncology Care
Tiffany Traina, MD, FASCO, is an Associate Attending Physician on the Breast Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She serves as a Vice Chair for the Department of Medicine and Section Head of the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Clinical Research Program. Dr. Traina is Co-Chair of the MSK Outpatient Operations Committee as well as an Associate Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. Her research program centers on the development of therapies for patients with breast cancer, with a particular focus on Triple Negative Breast Cancer and the role of the androgen receptor. Furthermore, Dr. Traina is a founding member of the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium Triple Negative Breast Cancer Working Group.
Stephanie Walker
Stephanie Walker
Retired RN living with MBC de novo since July 2015
Living with MBC de novo since July 2015, Stephanie Walker is a retired RN with close to 40 years’ experience which includes pediatric and adult critical care, ED experience from critical access size hospitals to Level 1 trauma centers. She is a volunteer with many breast cancer organizations after realizing the scope of MBC. Moreover, Stephanie is an independent advocate with the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance and the project lead of the BECOME (Black Experience of Clinical Trials and Opportunities for Meaningful Engagement) initiative and was instrumental in the planning and participation in Black Wo(men) Speak Symposium held in conjunction with SABCS 2022. Furthermore, she is the co-chair of the working group that focuses on removing barriers to standard of care and quality of life.
Gregory Gregory Vidal, MD, PhD
Gregory Gregory Vidal, MD, PhD
Medical Oncologist
Gregory Vidal, MD, PhD, is a Medical Oncologist at West Cancer Center in Tennessee and Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Vidal’s major research interests are new therapeutic approaches to breast cancer, targeted therapy and biomarker development. His PhD thesis has contributed to the understanding of how the EGFR/H ER family of proteins influences breast cancer cells. While at Stanford University, Dr. Vidal’s research focused on bridging the gap between the laboratory and the clinic in order to develop safe and effective treatments for breast cancer. Now, Dr. Vidal brings this expertise to West Cancer Center with the hopes of establishing a national and regional centre of excellence in the treatment and research of breast cancer.
Attaya Suvannasankha, MD
Attaya Suvannasankha, MD
Associate Professor, Clinical Medicine
Attaya Suvannasankha, MD is a hematologist-oncologist and associate professor of clinical medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, as well as a physician-scientist at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. Nationally recognized as an expert for moving research from the bench to the bedside, she serves as co-chair of the myeloma working group of the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium. Since her appointment at Indiana University in 2003, Dr. Suvannasankha has worked to develop an interdisciplinary team of clinicians and researchers to bring the best care to patients with multiple myeloma (MM) through translational research. She has led multiple trials of new agents and combinations with a focus on novel immunotherapy.
Hans Lee, MD
Hans Lee, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma
Hans Lee, MD is an associate professor and director of multiple myeloma (MM) clinical research in the Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma at MD Anderson Cancer Center. His clinical and research efforts are focused on advancing the care and treatment of patients with MM. Dr. Lee’s primary research goals are directed toward developing novel approaches to treat MM through early phase investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials with a strong translational emphasis to interrogate myeloma pathobiology and mechanisms of drug response and resistance.
Manish A. Shah, MD, FASCO
Manish A. Shah, MD, FASCO
Professor of Medicine
Manish A. Shah, MD, FASCO is professor of medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, where he also serves as the Bartlett Family professor for gastrointestinal malignancies, chief of the Solid Tumor Service, and director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology. Dr. Shah is the current chair for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Clinical Delivery Care Council and previous chair of the ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline Committee. His career is focused on the care of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies through improved care delivery, drug development, and defining of disease subtypes.
Zev Wainberg, MD
Zev Wainberg, MD
Professor of Medicine and Surgery Co-Director
Zev Wainberg, MD is an academic medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal malignancies at the David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine. He is the co-director of the Gastro-Intestinal Oncology Program and medical director of the Pancreas Cancer Center at UCLA, with a joint appointment in medicine and surgery. Dr. Wainberg is also director of the Early Phase Clinical Research Program at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA. He is the principal investigator on more than 25 clinical trials focused on targeted therapeutics in patients with gastrointestinal cancers.
Nilanjan Ghosh, MD, PhD
Nilanjan Ghosh, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine and Chair
Nilanjan Ghosh, MD, PhD is an attending physician, a professor of medicine, and chair of the Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders at the Levine Cancer Institute, as well as a clinical professor of medicine at Wake Forest Baptist, all associated with Atrium Health. Board-certified in hematology-oncology (cancer and blood disorders), Dr. Ghosh specializes in treating lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He is the founder and serves as chief of the Lymphoma Division at Levine. His research interests include lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, CAR T-cell therapy, stem-cell transplant, development of novel therapies, and overcoming disparities in healthcare.
Danielle Brander, MD
Danielle Brander, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy
Danielle Brander, MD, is a graduate of Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Brander completed her residency/fellowship, in the Department of Internal Medicine and trained in Hematology/Oncology. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, an area in which she is a specialist, at the Duke Medical School. In addition, she is a member of the Duke Cancer Institute. Her main focus is on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and other slow growing or indolent Lymphomas. Dr. Brander would like patients to know that she understands that this is a new and different situation for them, and that this is a partnership for the long haul. She also wants them to know that she has compassion for what they are going through.
Matthew Davids, MD, MMSc
Matthew Davids, MD, MMSc
Director of Clinical Research and Associate Director of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Center, Division of Lymphoma
Matthew Davids, MD, MMSc, is an attending physician in the Division of Lymphoma at Harvard Medical School as well as an Associate Professor of Medicine. Also, he serves as the Director of Clinical Research as well as Associate Director of the CLL Center. Moreover, he attends the inpatient hematologic malignancies service at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. Dr. Davids has an active translational research program in CLL and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, focusing on studying apoptosis (in particular Bcl-2 biology) in his laboratory, and leading clinical trials to evaluate novel therapeutic strategies in patients with CLL and other hematologic malignancies. Much of his work has focused on the clinical development of new therapeutic regimens in CLL utilizing combinations of targeted inhibitors of agents.
Nicole Lamanna, MD
Nicole Lamanna, MD
Professor of Medicine
Nicole Lamanna, MD serves as professor of medicine and director of the chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) program in the hematologic malignancies section of the Hematology/Oncology Division at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Lamanna specializes in the treatment of adult patients with acute and chronic leukemias, with a focus on CLL. Her research focuses on the development of novel combination therapies, including immune-modulatory drugs, kinase inhibitors, Bcl-2 inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies, as well as new agents in development for CLL. She is a staunch patient advocate and participates regularly in CLL patient advocacy groups to educate patients about their disease and treatment options.
Leonard Saltz, MD
Leonard Saltz, MD
Professor of Medicine
Leonard B. Saltz, MD is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist and professor of medicine at
Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Saltz is also an attending physician at Memorial Sloan-
Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), where he serves as executive director for clinical value and
sustainability. He has led numerous clinical and translational trials at MSKCC and served as
principal investigator on several multicenter national and international clinical trials. He has
authored or co-authored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, as well as numerous reviews,
books, book chapters, and editorials. He has also written and spoken extensively about rising
costs and the declining relative value of many of the newer anticancer therapies, and the role
these high-cost drugs play in exacerbating disparities in cancer care.
Christopher Lieu, MD, FASCO
Christopher Lieu, MD, FASCO
Associate Director for Clinical Research
Christopher Lieu, MD is an associate professor in the Division of Medical Oncology, and associate director for clinical research at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora. Dr. Lieu completed his fellowship training in medical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and served as the chief medical oncology fellow. He currently serves as associate director for clinical research and director of GI medical oncology at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, as well as the vice-chair of the National Cancer Institute Colon Cancer Task Force. He serves on the FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Panel for Neuroendocrine Cancers. His research interests include resistance mechanisms to targeted therapy in GI cancers and novel therapeutic strategies to more effectively treat and prevent colorectal cancer in young adults.
Richard Riedel, MD
Richard Riedel, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine with Tenure
Richard F. Riedel, MD is an associate professor with tenure in the Division of Medical Oncology at Duke
University Medical Center in Durham, NC. He is the associate director for clinical and translational
research in the Duke Sarcoma Center and is the program director for the Duke Hematology-Oncology
Fellowship program. Dr. Riedel’s research focuses on identifying novel therapeutics for patients with soft
tissue and bone sarcoma. He is an active participant in Sarcoma Alliance for Research through
Collaboration (SARC) and is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the
Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS), and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
guideline committees for both soft tissue sarcoma and GIST.
Mrinal Gounder, MD
Mrinal Gounder, MD
Associate Attending Professor
Mrinal Gounder, MD is an internationally recognized medical oncologist and investigator who
holds dual appointments in the sarcoma and early drug development programs at Memorial
Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). He specializes in developing new drugs across solid
tumors, with a specific focus on sarcomas and rare cancers. He has served as principal
investigator of several practice-changing global clinical trials and his original research has been
published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. His research contributions in rare cancers were
recognized as one of the Top 10 Advances of the Year in 2018 by the American Society of
Clinical Oncology. As the MSKCC Physician Ambassador to India and Asia and he is leading
efforts to build cancer care networks to improve access to patient care, education, graduate
medical training, and advanced cancer research and clinical trials.
Julie Brahmer
Julie Brahmer
Co-director, Upper Aerodigestive Department
Hossein Borghaei, DO, MS
Matthew Matasar, MD
Matthew Matasar, MD
Chief, Division of Blood Disorders
Mattew Matasar, MD, MPH, joined Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to pursue
advanced training in cancer medicine and has been dedicated to caring for patients with
lymphoma ever since. His research is focused on finding new and better ways to treat lymphoma,
particularly high-risk aggressive lymphomas, and certain uncommon types of non-Hodgkin
lymphoma. Last year, Dr. Matasar joined the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and
RWJBarnabas Health. He joins a team of professionals here that are deeply committed to the art
and science of caring for people facing a diagnosis of cancer. Dr. Matasar is committed to
ensuring his patients receive the best treatments delivered in the best ways, and to being a partner
and advocate to guide them through what can be a very difficult time.
.jpg)
Zachariah DeFilipp, MD
Zachariah DeFilipp, MD
Director of BMT Clinical Research
Zachariah DeFilipp, MD, is an attending physician in the Hematopoietic Cell Transplant and Cell Therapy Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. He serves as Director of BMT Clinical Research and an Assistant Professor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. DeFilipp is involved in translational and clinical research initiatives to improve outcomes for patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. His research is on the development of approaches to the prevention and treatment of graft-versus-host disease. Also, his research efforts have explored improving transplant outcomes for high-risk leukemia through the incorporation of targeted agents in pre- and post-transplant and examining late effects following amongst long-term transplant survivors.
Lisa Roth, MD
Lisa Roth, MD
Director, Pediatric Oncology
Lisa Roth, MD, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Weill Cornell Medical College. Also, she serves as the Director of the Pediatric Oncology Program and the Adolescent and Young Adult Lymphoma Program at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Roth serves as the Vice Chair for the Hodgkin Lymphoma Committee in the Children’s Oncology Group. Her laboratory research focuses on identifying novel therapeutic targets for pediatric lymphomas such as aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Dr. Roth’s laboratory work is closely tied to her clinical research where she is leading several national clinical trials focused on advancing therapy for children, adolescents, and young adults with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Matthew Ehrhardt
Matthew Ehrhardt
MD, MS
Matthew Ehrhardt, MD, MS is an associate member in the Division of Cancer Survivorship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he specializes in the care of children newly diagnosed with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas and long-term childhood cancer survivors. Dr. Ehrhardt’s clinical research is focused on the long-term effects of childhood cancer treatment and surveillance guideline development, dissemination, and utilization. He is the co-chair of the Children’s Oncology Group Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancers and an active participant in the International Guideline Harmonization Group for Late Effects of Childhood Cancer.
Andrew Rogers
Andrew Rogers
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Andrew Rogers, MD is a hematologist at MaineHealth Cancer Care in South Portland, Maine.
He serves as assistant program director for the Hematology/Medical Oncology Fellowship
program at Maine Medical Center. He completed his fellowship training in hematology and
medical oncology at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. His clinical interests include
blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.
John Allan
John Allan
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
John N. Allan, MD is an associate professor of clinical medicine in the Division of Hematology
and Medical Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine. Seeking an internal medicine residency
program with particular strength in oncology, Dr. Allan moved to New York in 2009 to train at
New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Campus, where he also completed his
hematology and medical oncology fellowship. Dr. Allan treats all lymphoid malignancies and
has a particular interest in improving therapies for patients with chronic lymphotic leukemia
(CLL) and Richter’s syndrome, which is the focus of his research.
Dr. Gary Owens
Dr. Gary Owens
President
Gary Owens, MD has 35 years of experience in healthcare management. He was
actively involved in the managed care movement of the 1990s, which evolved to the
current era of health care coverage and payment reform. Dr. Owens served as the Vice
President of Medical Management and Policy at Independence Blue Cross for 22 years
with responsibilities for medical and pharmacy management, technology evaluation, and
medical policy. Forming his own consulting practice in 2007, Dr. Owens provides
strategic and tactical consulting services to a wide range of clients, including
pharmaceutical manufacturers, device manufacturers, and other developers of new
technology.
Melody Taylor, MSN, RN, CCM
Melody Taylor, MSN, RN, CCM
Vice-President
Melody Taylor, MSN is a registered nurse at Orlando Health with over 20 years of experience in providing high-quality patient care. She has worked in various areas of nursing with nursing leadership being the focus. Outside of the clinical setting, she actively engages in community initiatives, aiming to reduce health care disparities in vulnerable communities in Central Florida, and is the president of Black Nurses Rock Orlando and the vice president of the Black Nurses Rock Foundation. Melody is also a member of the Florida Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association, and the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nurses. She is dedicated to continuous learning and professional development, staying abreast of the latest advancements in nursing to deliver high standards of care.
Monique Gary, DO, MSc, FACS
Monique Gary, DO, MSc, FACS
Medical Director
Monique Gary, DO, MSc, FACS, is a board certified, fellowship-trained breast cancer surgeon and Medical Director of the Grand View Health Cancer Program (Penn Cancer Network) in Sellersville, PA, where she also serves as director of the Breast Program. Dr. Gary holds faculty appointments in surgery and serves as the professor for Race & Health Equity at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine. She has been published in multimedia and peer reviewed journals, and she serves as a medical advisor/contributor for national breast cancer advocacy organizations like Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Touch, and Tigerlily Foundation. Dr. Gary’s practice specializes in oncoplastic and hidden scar minimally invasive breast cancer surgery as well as genetic risk assessment, cancer nutrition and prevention.
Melissa Alsina
Monique Hartley-Brown, MD, MMSc
Monique Hartley-Brown, MD, MMSc
Attending Physician
.jpg)
