PARTIAL FACULTY
Mili Arora, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine The Joe Sullivan Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program Director Division of Hematology Oncology UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center Sacramento, CA
Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Director, Breast Oncology Program, Assistant Chief (Translational Research), Division of Medical Oncology, Director of Translational Research Integration UCLA Health, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Los Angeles, CA
Heather Beckwith, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Abenaa M. Brewster, MD, MHS
Medical Director, Nellie B. Connally Breast Center, Professor (Tenured) Clinical Cancer Prevention Clinical Medical Director, Breast Medical Oncology Breast Medical Oncology Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, TX
Adam Brufsky, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine, Co-Director, Cancer Therapeutics Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine
Pittsburgh, PA
Rena D. Callahan, MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Hematology Oncology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Los Angeles, CA
Alison K. Conlin, MD
Physician and Researcher Providence
Cancer Institute
Portland, OR
Julia Foldi, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Breast Medical Oncology Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC
Pittsburgh, PA
Vijayakrishna Gadi, MD, PhD
Professor and Director of Medical Oncology Department of Medicine Associate Director, Translational Oncology Department of Medicine Division of Hematology and Oncology University of Illinois Cancer Center
Chicago, IL
Joe W. Gray, PhD
Emeritus Professor, Oregon Health and
Science University
Portland, OR
Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FACR, FASTRO, FASCO Associate Vice Chancellor Cancer Programs, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Professor and Chair, Dept of Radiation Oncology, Robert Wood Johnson and NJ Medical School Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ
Norah Lynn Henry, MD, PhD
Daniel F. Hayes MD Breast Cancer Research Professor Professor and Interim Division Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Ann Arbor, MI
Jennifer Ligibel, MD
Professor Harvard Medical School
Senior Physician, Breast Oncology Center
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA
Jennifer Keating Litton, MD, MHCM
Vice President, Clinical Research Professor Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, TX
Jennifer M. Matro, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
UC San Diego Health
San Diego, CA
Sofia D. Merajver, MD, PhD
Professor, Epidemiology Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Director, Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk and Evaluation Program, University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
Polly Niravath, MD
Associate Professor Section Chief, Breast Oncology Director, Cancer Survivorship Program Lois E. And Carl A. Davis Centennial Chair in Cancer Research Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston, TX
Mark Pegram, MD
Suzy Yuan-Huey Hung Endowed Professor, Professor of Medicine, Medical Director of the Stanford Clinical Translational Research Unit, Associate Dean for Clinical Research Quality, Stanford University School of Medicine
Associate Director of Clinical Research Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Institute
Stanford, CA
Hope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO
Director, Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education, Medical Director of Cancer Infusion Services, Professor of Medicine and Winterhof Family, Professor of Breast Oncology, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive
Cancer Center
San Francisco, CA
Mina S. Sedrak, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of Cancer & Aging Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Los Angeles, CA
Rebecca A. Shatsky, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Breast Medical Oncology, Co-Team Leader, Scientific Director, Inflammatory and Triple Negative Breast Cancer Program, UC San Diego Comprehensive Breast Health Team
La Jolla, CA
Joyce O’Shaughnessy, MD
Celebrating Women Chair in Breast Cancer Research, Chair, Breast Cancer Research Program, Baylor University Medical Center Texas Oncology/US Oncology Network
Dallas, TX
Neil Vasan, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Medicine, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center ,Columbia University Medical Center
New York, NY
Mei Wei, MD
Associate Professor, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Douglas Yee, MD
Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology (Joint Appointment), Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, Director of MCC Masonic Cancer Center ,University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Yuan Yuan, MD, PhD
Professor Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Director, Breast Medical Oncology Medicine, Medical Director, Breast Oncology Disease
Research Group
Los Angeles, CA
Mili Arora, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, The Joe Sullivan Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program Director Division of Hematology Oncology, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center,
Sacramento, CA
Dr. Mili Arora is an oncologist in Sacramento, California and is affiliated with UC Davis Medical Center. She received her medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine, completed her residency in Internal Medicine from Tufts Medical Center and fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology from University of California Davis Health. Dr. Arora’s clinical interests are in breast cancer, and endocrine cancers. Dr. Arora's research focuses on improving the landscape of treatments for breast cancer. She has a specific interest in triple negative breast cancer and developing better supportive therapies to use adjunctively with standard breast cancer treatments.
Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Director, Breast Oncology Program, Assistant Chief (Translational Research), Division of Medical Oncology, Director of Translational Research Integration UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Aditya Bardia, a renowned breast medical oncologist and physician scientist who specializes in developing novel targeted and personalized therapies, has joined the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. He has joined as Program Director, Breast Medical Oncology Assistant Chief, Hematology Oncology Translational Research, UCLA Director, Translational Research Integration, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Bardia currently is an attending physician and director of breast cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital. He completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, followed by a fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore before joining Massachusetts General Hospital as faculty. Dr. Bardia's research goal is to advance the field of translational oncology and improve clinical outcomes of patients with cancer. He is the principal investigator of several clinical trials investigating precision therapeutics, and he has led the clinical development of novel therapies, including sacituzumab govitecan (IMMU-132), the first ADC approved for patients with metastatic TNBC, elacestrant, the first oral SERD approved for patients with metastatic HR+ breast cancer. Dr. Bardia led the clinical development of blood-based biomarkers, such as CTCs and ctDNA, as "liquid biopsy" for identification of novel targets, therapy selection, monitoring, and understanding resistance to guide therapeutic development. Over the years, he has received several awards including outstanding award for research excellence at Mayo Clinic, Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), distinguished researcher award from the Massachusetts Society of Clinical Oncologists and the Douglas Family Foundation prize for excellence in oncology research. He was recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher in 2022 and 2023. He is well-regarded among his peers and was also nominated for excellence in mentoring at Harvard Medical School.
Heather Beckwith, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Dr Heather Beckwith is an Associate Professor in The University of Minnesota. Dr. Beckwith received her M.D. degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee) in 2006. She did her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota. During her residency, she worked on research in the laboratory of Dr. Douglas Yee investigating the tyrosine kinase inhibitor properties of BMS 554417 on the insulin-like growth factor receptor using the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Dr. Beckwith then was chosen for a fellowship in Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation at the University of Minnesota. She became an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation) at the University of Minnesota in 2012.
Abenaa M. Brewster, MD, MHS
Medical Director Nellie B. Connally Breast Center, Professor (Tenured) Clinical Cancer Prevention Clinical Medical Director, Breast Medical Oncology Breast Medical Oncology Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Abenaa Brewster MD, MHS is a tenured professor in the Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) and has an adjunct appointment in the Department of Epidemiology. She is a Medical Oncologist, Director of the MD Anderson Nellie B. Connally Breast Center, and her clinical interest is in the management of breast cancer. Her research team has developed a framework for investigating the decision-making process that women undergo in considering contralateral prophylactic mastectomy. Her research expertise involves using the tools of molecular epidemiology to investigate clinical, epidemiological, and biological factors that determine breast cancer risk and survival. She is particularly interested in understanding how tumor genomics, host genetic susceptibility, ethnicity, and obesity influence a woman’s risk and survival after a diagnosis of breast cancer. She has experience in the conduct and data management of hospital, population-based cohort studies, and is the principal investigator and director of a longitudinal cohort study of women at high risk of developing breast cancer. Dr. Brewster is a Komen Scholar, an award given to individuals for their knowledge and leadership within the scientific, research, and advocacy communities and for their own contribution to breast cancer research. She completed her MD at Harvard Medical School and her Master of Health Science in Cancer Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene & Public Health.
Adam Brufsky, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine, Co-Director, Cancer Therapeutics Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
Adam M. Brufsky, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He serves as Co-Director, Cancer Therapeutics Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Brufsky received an in Chemistry (Cum Laude) from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He earned his MD and his PhD in Developmental Biology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington, CT. He was an Intern and Resident in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. He then completed a Fellowship in Medical Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, where his appointments included Associate Physician and Instructor in Medicine at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. Dr. Brufsky is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research. He has authored or co-authored more than 400 abstracts and research articles in leading journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Lancet Oncology. Dr. Brufsky is a Principal Investigator on a number of research grants funded by the National Institutes of Health, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and US Army Breast Cancer Research Program.
Rena D. Callahan, MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Hematology Oncology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Rena Callahan is a hematologist oncologist who practices in Santa Monica and Santa Clarita. As an associate clinical professor of medicine at the David Geffen school of medicine, she is active in the breast cancer research and treatment program. She is board certified in hematology and medical oncology, and sees a wide variety of malignancies and blood disorders. Dr. Callahan is dedicated to providing patient-centered care, and including her patients in clinical decision making so that their individual goals are met. Dr. Callahan received her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where she graduated Alpha Omega Alpha, with high honors. She completed her internal medicine and hematology/oncology training at UCLA. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Yale University. Dr. Callahan has spoken about the evolving treatment of breast cancer at both local and national meetings.
Alison K. Conlin, MD
Physician and Researcher, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR
Dr. Alison Conlin is a physician and researcher at the Providence Cancer Institute in Portland, Oregon. She is a medical oncologist who leads the breast cancer program in medical oncology for the institute. She specializes in the treatment of breast cancer and other high risk breast conditions and completed her fellowship training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in 2008. She also has a Master’s degree in Public Health Degree from Boston University where she focused on health services research. Dr. Conlin has an interest in clinical trials and getting those to patients for all stages of breast cancer. Specifically, she has written clinical trials for patients with advanced breast cancer and with brain metastases from breast cancer. Additionally, she worked with the American Cancer Society focusing on cancer screening, prevention and follow-up care in the Oregon Health Study. She is passionate about the care of patients and getting the best resources to them.
Julia Foldi, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Breast Medical Oncology, Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA
Dr. Julia Foldi is a Medical Oncologist who specializes in treating patients with breast cancer. She sees patients at the Women's Cancer Center in Magee-Women's Hospital of UPMC. Her aim is to provide multidisciplinary, evidence-based and personalized care to each patient diagnosed with breast cancer.Dr. Foldi is a researcher focusing on improving treatments for patients with breast cancer through complementing clinical care with robust clinical investigation and translational research. Her specific focus is on designing clinical trials based on strong scientific rationale for the treatment of both early-stage and advanced breast cancer, using novel therapeutics such as immunotherapy and targeted therapies. She also aims to leverage information from patients - such as patient reported outcomes, blood and tissue samples - to ask fundamental questions about tumor biology and host-tumor interactions.
Vijayakrishna Gadi, MD, PhD
Professor and Director of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine Associate, Director, Translational Oncology Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL
A physician-scientist, VK Gadi, MD, PhD, is Deputy Director of the University of Illinois Cancer Center. A medical oncologist at UI Health, he specializes in breast cancer, and his laboratory and clinical research also has focused primarily on breast cancer. A Professor and Director of Medical Oncology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, he joined the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) in 2020 after 20 years in Seattle at the University of Washington, where he did his postgraduate training, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Since coming to Chicago, he has worked to stabilize, expand and diversify the clinical and research workforce focused on solid tumor malignancies in the Cancer Center’s catchment area of Cook County, the second most populous county in the U.S. and one of the most diverse catchment areas in the nation. Working closely with Cancer Center leaders, he continues to lead efforts to identify and recruit novel molecular assets for clinical trials testing from both big pharmaceutical companies and smaller biotechs. His efforts have increased national-level engagement for cooperative group studies and provided access to Cancer Center disease team leaders for clinical trial development opportunities to ensure trials are written to address the needs of diverse patient populations. In collaboration with several groups of investigators and UIC technology transfer, he also is accelerating the process of commercialization of multiple diagnostic and therapeutic intellectual properties to build a sustainable licensing revenue stream to support Cancer Center activities.
Joe W. Gray, PhD
Emeritus Professor, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR
Dr. Joe W. Gray, a physicist and an engineer by training, is a Professor Emeritus in the Biomedical Engineering Department at OHSU. While at OHSU, he held positions as Professor and Gordon Moore Endowed Chair, Biomedical Engineering Department; Director, OHSU Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine (OCSSB); and Associate Director for Biophysical Oncology, Knight Cancer Institute at the Oregon Health & Science University. He is also Emeritus Professor, University of California, San Francisco; and Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He was a Staff Scientist in the Biomedical Sciences Division of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (1972-1991), Professor of Laboratory Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (1991-2011), and Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences and Life Sciences Division Director at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2003-2011). He is PI of the NCI/Research Center for Cancer Systems Biology Consortium (CSBC), "Measuring, Modeling and Controlling Heterogeneity" (M2CH) that is aimed at developing a systems level understanding of how intrinsic and extrinsic factors work together to enable triple-negative breast cancer to escape therapeutic control in order to devise robust control strategies. and PI of a Susan G. Komen project to identify the mechanisms by which ERBB2+ breast cancer cells escape inhibition by ERRB2-targeted therapies. He is PI for many other projects as well. Dr. Gray's work is described in over 500 publications and 80 US patents. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering; an elected a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences; a member of the National Institutes of Health; a Fellow of the American Association of Cancer Research Academy; and Executive Councilor of the Board of Councilors for the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), Hiroshima, Japan.
Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FACR, FASTRO, FASCO
Associate Vice Chancellor Cancer Programs, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Professor and Chair, Dept of Radiation Oncology, Robert Wood Johnson and NJ Medical School, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
Bruce G. Haffty, M.D., FACR, FASTRO, FASCO is Associate Vice Chancellor, CancerPrograms, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Professor and Chairman of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Jersey Medical School. His medical school, internship and residency training was at Yale School of Medicine. He spent the majority of his academic career at Yale and moved to Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in 2005. Dr. Haffty has a long and successful record in clinical and translational research in radiation oncology. He is currently co-investigator on several national clinical trials. He has published over 400 peer-reviewed articles, 30 book chapters, and numerous editorials and letters. In addition to a busy clinical practice, Dr. Haffty has served on numerous national committees related to research and education in breast cancer and radiation oncology. He has served in the past as Deputy Editor of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vice Chair of the Alliance Breast Committee and Chair of the ACGME Residency Review Committee in Radiaton Oncology. He is Past President of the American Radium Society, past President of the American Board of Radiology, past President of ASTRO, and past President of RSNA. He is the 2020 recipient of ASTRO’s Gold Medal and the 2024 recipient of the American Radium Society Gold Medal.
Norah Lynn Henry, MD, PhD
Daniel F. Hayes MD Breast Cancer Research Professor, Professor and Interim, Division Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI
Dr. Norah Lynn Henry is a medical oncologist and interim Division Chief of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Michigan. Since completing her fellowship in Hematology/Oncology she has been on the faculty at the University of Michigan, except for the years 2016-2019 when she was at the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute. Dr. Henry specializes in the care of patients with all stages and all types of breast cancer. Her research focuses on personalizing treatment for breast cancer. She studies treatments for breast cancer as well as ways to manage symptoms and side effects that arise from the cancer or its treatment. Her goal is to provide effective treatments for breast cancer while maintaining the quality of life of each patient. In addition, she works with scientists at the University of Michigan to translate their lab findings into clinical trials.
Jennifer Ligibel, MD
Professor, Harvard Medical School, Senior Physician, Breast Oncology Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
Dr. Jennifer Ligibel is a Professor at Harvard Medical School and a Senior Physician in the Breast Oncology Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Ligibel’s research focuses on the impact of energy balance factors, such as physical activity and body weight, upon cancer risk and outcomes. She has conducted more than a dozen randomized trials evaluating the impact of exercise and weight loss interventions on endpoints such as cardiorespiratory fitness, biomarkers associated with cancer risk and outcomes, body composition, and quality of life in cancer patients and survivors. This work has culminated in the design and implementation of the Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) Trial, the only fully powered Phase III clinical trial designed to test the impact of a weight loss intervention on invasive disease-free survival in women with early-stage breast cancer and obesity (NCT02750826). In addition to primary research work, Dr. Ligibel also is the Director of the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living and has built a comprehensive clinical Healthy Living Program for patients at Dana-Farber and beyond that offers an array of exercise classes, nutrition seminars, cooking demonstrations, programs focused on healthy cooking for families, weight management programs, and holistic longitudinal programs to foster wellness during and after cancer treatment. Finally, Dr. Ligibel is the inaugural Director of Center for Faculty Well-Being at Dana-Farber. In this role, she studies the prevalence and predictors of burnout in academic physicians, as well as develops solutions to mitigate and prevent burnout in Dana-Farber Faculty. In recognition of her work in mentoring and supporting faculty, she was awarded the Hologic, Inc Endowed Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award in 2021.
Jennifer Keating Litton, MD, MHCM
Vice President, Clinical Research, Professor, Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Jennifer Keating Litton, M.D., MHCM is Vice President of Clinical Research and a Professor in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She holds an additional faculty position in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston. She attended Duke University, with degrees in English and in History, The University of Massachusetts Medical School and earned a Master’s Degree in Health Care Management from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. After completing an Internal Medicine Residency at Baylor College of Medicine, she served as Chief Medical Resident. She completed her fellowship in Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center before joining the faculty in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology. Her research interests include the treatment of young breast cancer patients, including the treatment of breast cancer during pregnancy, treatment-related infertility, hereditary cancer syndromes, immunotherapy and triple negative breast cancer. She has been the principal investigator for multiple clinical trials. She served as a member of the National Cancer Center Network National Guidelines Panel for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndromes, the Breast Immuno-Oncology Task Force of the National Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Steering Committee, Co-Chair of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Breast Cancer Subcommittee and co-Chair of the NeoSTEEP project. She has authored multiple abstracts, peer-reviewed journal articles, and book chapters. Dr. Litton has served on the boards of the St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities, the Children’s Fund, Suites of Hope and is an alum of the Texas Lyceum. She lives in Houston with her husband Todd and their three children.
Jennifer M. Matro, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine UC San Diego Health San Diego, CAJennifer M. Matro, MD Associate Professor of Medicine UC San Diego Health, San Diego, CA
Jennifer M. Matro, MD, is a board-certified medical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of breast cancer. She has a multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer and works closely with radiologists, pathologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologists. She applies chemotherapy, hormone therapy, biological therapy and targeted therapy as indicated to offer her patients the most appropriate and advanced treatment. Dr. Matro provides compassionate care and also recommends supportive care and other interventions to maintain and improve the quality of life of her patients. As a medical oncologist at an academic medical center, Dr. Matro teaches medical students, residents, and fellows at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She also lectures regionally and nationally to educate community oncologists on the most recent advances in breast cancer care. She is actively involved in research and clinical trials aimed at reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence and optimizing the treatment of advanced breast cancer. Dr. Matro completed a hematology/oncology fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center/Temple University School of Medicine, where she was named chief fellow during her third year, and twice earned an American Society of Clinical Oncology merit award. Dr. Matro completed her residency and earned her medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Matro is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Sofia D. Merajver, MD, PhD
Professor, Epidemiology, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Director, Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk and Evaluation Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Dr. Sofia D Merajver is a physician scientist with a translational focus of integrating molecular genetics of breast cancer with clinical, social, and environmental determinants of outcomes in the global stage for women at high risk for breast cancer and women affected with aggressive breast cancer phenotypes. As Director of the Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk Evaluation Program, which she founded the at the University of Michigan in 1995, and as scientific leader of the Breast Oncology Program, she is engaged with clinical translational research that tests prevention and therapeutic interventions as well as educational tools to improve cancer outcomes globally. She has supervised graduate and undergraduate students, and mentored postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty who have entered research careers in molecular and psychosocial aspects of cancer outcomes in special populations in the US and in Africa. Her global health research has encompassed comparative studies on expression of metastasis associated genes in inflammatory breast cancer in the US and Africa, perceived risk, dynamics of social interactions in the family of patients at high risk, fear of insurance and employment discrimination as a major decision making determinant, and acceptance and barriers to utilization of chemoprevention in breast cancer. Her global health work includes collaborations with multidisciplinary teams in the medical, epidemiological, engineering, and social sciences to train translational scientists and to best deliver cancer risk management interventions around the globe and rigorously evaluate their impact in ameliorating inequities in health.
Polly Niravath, MD
Associate Professor, Section Chief, Breast Oncology Director, Cancer Survivorship Program Lois E. And Carl A. Davis Centennial Chair in Cancer Research, Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
Dr. Polly Niravath is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in oncology and hematology. She is a breast oncologist for the Houston Methodist Cancer Center and spearheads the survivorship clinic. Her goal is to offer comprehensive care to patients, from diagnosis and treatment to long-term survivorship care. Her primary interests are breast cancer, symptom management, and aromatase inhibitor side effects. Dr. Niravath's research focuses on minimizing treatment-related side effects for breast cancer patients. After completing her medical training at University of California at Irvine, Dr. Niravath completed both her residency and fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine. There, she received the Excellence in Teaching Award and also earned competitive grant funding for her clinical research from sources such as National Institutes of Health and National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Dr. Niravath is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research. She is fluent in Spanish and sees patients at Houston Methodist Hospital.
Mark Pegram, MD
Suzy Yuan-Huey Hung Endowed Professor, Professor of Medicine, Medical Director of the Stanford Clinical Translational Research Unit, Associate Dean for Clinical Research Quality, Stanford University School of Medicine, Associate Director of Clinical Research, Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA
Dr. Pegram is the first director of the Breast Cancer Oncology Program at Stanford Women’s Cancer Center and the Susy Yuan-Huey Hung Professor of Oncology. He is also the co-director of Stanford’s Molecular Therapeutics Program. He is a renowned clinician and scholar in breast cancer research and a leader in translational medicine. Dr. Pegram played a major role in developing the drug Herceptin as a treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer, which constitutes about 20 percent of all cases. His laboratory experiments demonstrated that combining Herceptin with chemotherapy effectively killed cancer cells that overproduced the growth factor HER2. Dr. Pegram and others then conducted clinical trials showing that Herceptin improved survival rates and even cured some breast cancer patients. This remains one of the premier examples of bench-to-bedside translational research. Dr. Pegram’s current research efforts include a continued focus on the cancer-associated gene that encodes HER2 and developing new ways to target cancer cells expressing this protein. He is also pursuing strategies to target estrogen receptors, implicated in some 70 percent of all breast cancer cases. Dr. Pegram earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of North Carolina before joining the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles. He spent five years at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where he was a Sylvester Chair professor of medicine in the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute and associate director for clinical research in the University’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. He joined the Stanford faculty in 2012.
Hope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO
Director, Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education, Medical Director of Cancer Infusion Services, Professor of Medicine and Winterhof Family Professor of Breast Oncology, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA
Hope S Rugo, MD, FASCO, is a Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in San Francisco, California. She currently serves as the Director of the Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education department at UCSF. She graduated with a summa cum laude undergraduate degree from Tufts University in Boston, MA, received her MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, and completed both a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the UCSF. Dr Rugo completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in immunology at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA.
Dr Rugo is a member of the Breast Oncology Core Committee of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Network, where she is the principal investigator of CALGB 40502, a now fully accrued phase III trial comparing novel chemotherapy agents in the treatment of advanced breast cancer. She is an investigator in the Bay Area Spore at UCSF's Carol Franc Buck Breast Cancer Center and the principal investigator of a number of clinical trials testing new treatment approaches for breast cancer. She is actively involved as a member of various associations and organizations in oncology such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines Committee. She has published many peer-reviewed papers and has given presentations on a variety of cancer-related topics.
Mina S. Sedrak, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of Cancer & Aging Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Mina Sedrak is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cancer and Aging Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He earned his B.A. from the University of Chicago, M.D. from Rush Medical College, and M.S. in Health Policy from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in hematology/oncology. His research primarily centers on understanding the mechanisms underlying cancer therapy-induced accelerated aging. With this insight, Dr. Sedrak designs and develops clinical trials to test novel mechanism-based interventions aimed at mitigating, reversing, or preventing accelerated aging in cancer patients. His research has been recognized by the National Institute of Aging, receiving the Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award. In addition to his research, Dr. Sedrak actively promotes diversity and inclusion within oncology, particularly advocating for the representation of older and frail adults in cancer clinical trials. He also contributes to various scientific committees and professional societies, holding positions such as Vice Chair of the Alliance Cancer in the Older Adult Committee, Co-Chair of the Analytics Core in the Cancer and Aging Research Group, and Chair-Elect of the Research Committee for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Rebecca A. Shatsky, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Breast Medical Oncology Co-Team Leader, Scientific Director Inflammatory and Triple Negative Breast Cancer Program, UC San Diego Comprehensive Breast Health Team, La Jolla, CA
Rebecca Shatsky, MD, serves as the breast medical oncology team co-team leader at the UC San Diego Health Moores Cancer Center. She is also the director of the breast cancer clinical trials and of the inflammatory and triple-negative breast cancer program. Dr. Shatsky has expertise in treating all breast cancer subtypes with a particular interest in the treatment of young women with breast cancer, lobular breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, metaplastic breast and cancer and breast cancer with brain metastases or leptomeningeal disease. She also started and leads a very active young breast cancer survivor group at UC San Diego. Dr. Shatsky uses numerous forms of therapy to treat her patients with breast cancer including endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and molecularly matched targeted therapy. In metastatic breast cancer, she is known for her expertise in the interpretation and use of multi-omics to guide therapy choices. As an associate professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, she is involved in translational research that focuses on the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer and lobular breast cancer and is funded by multiple sources, including grants from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine, CureBound and the alpha clinic. Her work has been published in Nature Medicine, The Journal of Clinical Oncology, JAMA Oncology, Breast Cancer Research, and Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, among others. Dr. Shatsky serves as the national co-chair of clinical trial operations of the I-SPY2 trial and is a scientific advisory board member for the International Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance. She is a current member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology's biomarker guideline panel for metastatic breast cancer and has previously been a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline panel for genetic/high-risk assessment of breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer, and the NCCN panel for the treatment of cancer-associated pain. She completed a breast cancer-focused clinical and research fellowship in hematology/oncology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and a residency in internal medicine at UC Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Shatsky earned her medical degree from University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine. She completed undergraduate studies at Cornell University. Dr. Shatsky is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology.
Joyce O’Shaughnessy, MD
Celebrating Women Chair in Breast Cancer Research, Chair, Breast Cancer Research Program, Baylor University Medical Center, Texas Oncology/US Oncology Network, Dallas, TX
Dr. O'Shaughnessy is the Celebrating Women Chair in Breast Cancer Research at Baylor University Medical Center, and Chair of Breast Cancer Research for the US Oncology Network in Dallas, TX. Dr. O'Shaughnessy specializes in medical oncology and focuses her practice and clinical research on breast cancer treatment. She founded The School of Breast Oncology, a program providing a curriculum-based program focused exclusively on breast cancer clinical management. She earned her medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and fellowship in Medical Oncology from the National Cancer Institute. She has authored or co-authored more than 250 peer-reviewed articles that have been published in journals such as Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, Clinical Breast Cancer, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Annals of Oncology. Dr. O'Shaughnessy serves as Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and National Board of Medical Examiners. She is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Medical Women's Association, and Texas Medical Association.
Neil Vasan, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor Division of Hematology & Oncology Department of Medicine, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
Neil Vasan, MD, PhD, is a physician-scientist in the Department of Medicine and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The Vasan Lab uses functional genomics to understand how oncoproteins regulate breast cancer cell signaling, growth, and therapeutic response. Dr. Vasan received his AB/AM from Harvard University and MD/PhD from Yale University School of Medicine, and completed clinical training in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and in medical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. As a postdoctoral fellow, he identified double PIK3CA mutations as an oncogenic alteration, which has gone from bench to bedside as a cancer genomic biomarker. His research awards include the NIH K08, Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research grant, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) NextGen Star, and American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) Young Physician-Scientist Award. Dr. Vasan is an active clinical oncologist treating patients with breast cancer and serves as a standing member of the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) for the FDA.
Mei Wei, MD
Associate Professor, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Dr. Mei Wei is a medical oncologist at huntsman cancer institute, University of Utah. She is an an associate professor of Medicine, specialized in breast cancer. Her research focuses on prospective study such as clinical trials and resorptive study utilizing data from large databases such as SEER and Flatiron data. She is particularly interested in HER2 positive breast cancer. She is a PIs of many clinical trials. She is the member of breast cancer NCCN panel. She is also an active breast oncology committee member of NRG and Alliance. Additionally, she is a strong advocate for telemedicine in oncology care.
Douglas Yee, MD
Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology (Joint Appointment), Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, Director of MCC, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Dr. Douglas Yee is a medical oncologist with a specialty in breast cancer. His laboratory has been interested in the regulation of cancer cells by the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and insulin. Dr. Yee also maintain an active clinical practice in the medical management of breast cancer. As part of his clinical care, he also serve as the site principal investigator on several clinical trials that employ experimental therapies targeted against IGF receptor and the PI3K pathway. He is a chair of the Agent Selection Committee of I-SPY2 and also serve on the Executive Committee of this trial designed to validate investigational therapies in the neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer. He has been the director of the Masonic Cancer Center since 2007. He has maintained these clinical, translational, and research activities to best identify strategies for improved outcomes in cancer.
Yuan Yuan, MD, PhD
Professor, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Director Breast Medical Oncology Medicine, Medical Director ,Breast Oncology, Disease Research Group, Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Yuan Yuan is a Professor of Medicine and Director of Breast Oncology and Medical Director of Breast Cancer Research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She also hold appointment as Health Sciences Clinical Professor at UCLA.
DAVA Oncology, PMB Box # 108, 5930 Royal Ln, Ste E, Dallas, TX 75230, www.davaonc.com