Board of Directors

President

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Nakhle Saba, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine

Nakhle Saba, MD, earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Lebanese University in Beirut, from which he graduated in 2005. He completed his residency in the Department of Internal Medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, and Tulane University in New Orleans. In 2008, he started a research track training in hematology and medical oncology at Tulane University, where he closely worked with Laura Levy, PhD, on targeting the kinase PKCβ in b-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and diffuse large b-cell lymphoma.

Dr. Saba joined the lab of Adrian Wiestner, MD, PhD, in January 2012 at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH). His research at the NIH was focused on tumor biology and developing new therapeutic approaches for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma.

Dr. Saba joined the Tulane faculty in August 2014 as an assistant professor of medicine, where he began a translational program in B-cell malignancies. His research focuses on B-cell malignancies, in particular on CLL and MCL biology, and identifying novel therapeutic targets for these diseases. He treats patients with various hematological malignancies, focusing on lymphoma and B-cell leukemia, as well as performing stem cell transplants.

President-Elect

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Daniel H. Johnson, MD
Medical Oncologist
Ochsner Clinic Foundation

Daniel Johnson, MD, is a medical oncologist that specializes in treating patients with melanoma with specific research interests in strategies to overcome immunotherapy resistance and prevent immunotherapy related toxicities. He has multiple peer-reviewed articles and presentations at national meetings pertaining to the management and underlying mechanisms of immune toxicity. Dr. Johnson is a clinical investigator focusing on designing and implementing clinical trials intended to optimize the safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Treasurer

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Adam Salup, MBA
Assistant Vice President, Cancer Services
Ochsner Health

Secretary

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Caitlin Lopes, MD
Hematology/Oncology Fellow
Ochsner Medical Center

Immediate Past President

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Ashish Udhrain, MD, FACP
Medical Oncologist
Thibodaux Regional Medical Center

Members-at-Large

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Chancellor Donald, MD
Assistant Professor, Clinical Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine

Chancellor Donald, MD, is the chief medical officer of the Taking Aim at Cancer in Louisiana initiative. He currently holds the position of assistant professor of clinical medicine at Tulane University. His academic focus is advocacy and health disparities regarding patients with hematologic disorders and malignancy. He previously cared for patients in a community practice at Lourdes Oncology Associates in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Originally from Gretna, Florida, Dr. Donald attended Florida A&M University for undergraduate studies and graduated magna cum laude. He then attended the University of Miami School of Medicine for his medical degree. He completed his internship, residency, and fellowship at Tulane University.

In 2010, he joined Louisiana Oncology Associates, PMC, and became president of the practice in 2014. Dr. Donald would subsequently serve as a lead in crafting a professional services agreement with Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, where he served as medical director of the oncology service line, a member of the Medical Executive Committee, and a trustee on the Board of Directors. As medical director, he developed an annual lung cancer screening program using low-dose CT scans for 40 patients yearly at no cost to the patient. In 2013, he was given the Spirit of Hope Award by the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Donald has extended himself beyond his practice to advocate for patients and the appropriate delivery of care. Since 2012 he has served as the hematology representative for Louisiana for the Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee (CAC). He functioned as co-chair of the 2017 and 2018 annual CAC meeting in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he served as a designee to the Program Committee for the 2017 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting.

He is board certified in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology. Most recently, he was appointed to the American Board of Internal Medicine Hematology Examination Committee.

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James K. Ellis, MD
Hematologist/Medical Oncologist
Touro Infirmary, Touro Cancer Program
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Lauren Juneja, MD
Medical Oncologist
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center

Lauren is a triple board specialized hematologist & medical oncologist. She received her medical education at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport and the Feist Weiller Cancer Center. She is a graduate of Ohio State University and received a Master of Science in Cellular & Molecular Biology at Tulane University prior to her medical pursuits. Her previous experience includes working in forensics and teaching at Delgado Community College. She practices with her husband, Dr. Sanjay Juneja, at the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and Woman's hospital in Baton Rouge with special interest in breast and gynecological tumors. She a proud mother to three young boys.

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Sanjay Juneja, MD
Hematologist/Oncologist
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center

Dr. Sanjay Juneja is a triple board-certified hematologist & medical oncologist and shortly into his professional career became regarded as a seasoned thought leader for his media presence as the 'TheOncDoc’, where he educates over half a million followers on cancer concepts and the latest therapies through relatable, entertaining content. As the host of the innovative podcast 'Target: Cancer Podcast', Dr. Juneja picks the brains of a wide range of distinguished guests, from Pulitzer Prize winners and selling authors, to celebrities and biomed entrepreneurs. Dr. Juneja has been featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, WebMD, The Washington Post; is an active international Keynote speaker and provides content as a Contributor for Entrepreneur Magazine. In 2022 he co-founded Medfluencers, a health medical specific marketing company named Medical Marketing & Media's 100 Ones to Watch for its focus on effectively utilizing visible healthcare creators in a responsible and compliant manner.

Dr. Juneja has partnered on national education campaigns with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Medical Cancer Institute, and DC-based Alliance for Patient Access. In 2022 he was invited by the White House to participate on their Healthcare Leaders in Social Media Roundtable. His accomplishments include being a 2020 Business Reports Forty under 40 award recipient, and in 2023 nominated for the annual ‘Disruptive Innovators in Oncology’ award by Healio and HemOncToday. Dr. Juneja currently practices alongside his wife Lauren at the Mary Bird Cancer Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where they are grateful parents to three vivacious young boys. There, he applies his passion for righting community healthcare inequity and disparities, partnering regularly with the LA Department of Health and Mayor's office to optimize healthcare access and outreach.

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Thomas Reske, MD, PhD
Program Director
School of MedicineLSU Health New Orleans
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Evan S. Smith, MD
Gynecologic Oncologist
Woman's Hospital

Appointed Fellows

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Leigh V. Deshotels, MD
Tulane University School of Medicine

1801 Research Boulevard Suite 400
Rockville, MD 20850
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