CLL Advisory Committees

Christopher D'Andrea, PA-C, is a physician assistant in hematology oncology at Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center.  Primarily managing clinic patients within the lymphoma department, he also provides care on the lymphoma/multiple myeloma and leukemia inpatient services. Additionally, Mr. D’Andrea helps staff the cancer associated thrombosis clinic, and perform and teach bone marrow biopsies. He has presented at conferences on lymphoma including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, as well as participated in local advisory board meetings.

Mr. D’Andrea earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University in psychology and subsequently worked as a behavioral therapist for many years before pursuing a career as a physician assistant. He has been a physician assistant at Cleveland Clinic with the lymphoma team since completing his master’s degree in physician assistant studies at DeSales University in 2014.

Alison Duffy, PharmD, BCOP, is a hematology/oncology clinical pharmacy specialist and associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy with a practice site at The University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center within inpatient and outpatient oncology. She serves as PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency program coordinator, and has authored clinical outcomes, practice-based, and educational methods and outcomes-related research. Dr. Duffy has delivered various local, regional, and national oncology related presentations and has served on Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) committees. 

Dr. Duffy graduated from the University of Rhode Island School of Pharmacy and completed her PGY1 pharmacy practice residency and PGY2 hematology/oncology pharmacy residency at University of Cincinnati Health in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Amy Goodrich, RN, MSN, CRNP-AC, is a nurse practitioner in the Hematologic Malignancies Program at The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore, Maryland where she manages patients with various types of hematologic malignancies, concentrating on the lymphomas. Goodrich also oversees the Cancer Center’s research nurses and is very involved in research operations. She has presented extensively on hematologic malignancies, new agents, symptom management, and a variety of topics important to oncology nursing. 

She earned her undergraduate nursing degree from the University of Pittsburgh and earned her master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Hill is the Director of the Lymphoid Malignancies Program at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute.  He received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and earned his Ph.D. in genetics through work done at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.  He received his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine where he also completed his residency in Internal Medicine.  He conducted his hematology/oncology fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic.   His clinical and research focus is in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and lymphoma.  He is the principal investigator of multiple on-going clinical trials of new cancer treatments including novel cellular therapies.  He serves as the Chairman of the Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Committee within the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, co-director of the Lymphoid Malignancies Center of Excellence and serves on the editorial board of several peer reviewed journals. He is Associate Professor of Medicine of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine is an active member of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, American Society of Hematology (ASH), National Cancer Institute (NCI) cooperative groups in leukemia and lymphoma, the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) as well as a committee member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN).

Dr. Huntington is a clinician and researcher at the Yale School of Medicine specializing in the care of patients with lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Prior to joining Yale, he completed his hematology-oncology training and received a Master of Science in Health Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Huntington serves as an investigator on clinical trials evaluating novel cancer therapeutics and is an active member of Yale’s Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy, and Effectiveness Research (COPPER) Center, where he leads research focused on improving the delivery of complex cancer therapies in real-world clinical settings.

Ben Kosewski, MS, MBA, is the executive director of cancer services at the Western Maryland Health System (WMHS) Schwab Family Cancer Center, which serves patients in the tri-state region of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Mr. Kosewski is integral in the development of the WMHS Center for Breast Care, a program that earned accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers in March 2018. He was also recently appointed to the Maryland State Council on Cancer Control. Prior to his role, Mr. Kosewski worked as a program and services manager in the cancer service line for a community hospital in Bellevue, Washington. He holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling.

Leora Lowenthal, LICSW, OSW-C, MPA, has been working in healthcare for 23 years and currently serves as program leader for hematology & oncology social work at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In addition to her clinical work, she has served on several boards including three years as education director for the Association of Oncology Social Work. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Board of Oncology Social Work Certification and is a member of the Medical Advisory Council for the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation.

Ms. Lowenthal holds master's degrees in social work and public administration respectively, and a post-graduate certificate in bioethics and the medical humanities.

Dr. Munoz specializes in treating lymphomas, and he is the director of the Lymphoma Program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He is triple-board-certified in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology. Dr. Munoz studied medicine at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru. Subsequently, he completed his residency and fellowship in hematology-oncology at Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan. Dr. Munoz also earned a master’s degree in patient-based research and had an investigational cancer therapeutics fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston before he relocated to Arizona to spearhead the development of chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T cells. He has been the principal investigator in multiple cutting-edge lymphoma trials, including immunotherapy and CAR T-cells. Dr. Munoz has published in major medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Reviews, Blood, and JAMA. Dr. Munoz's personal goal is the development of non-chemotherapy agents, via novel clinical trials, to serve patients suffering from lymphoma.

Christopher Nelson is an acute care nurse practitioner who has been working in oncology since 2007.  He is board certified in acute care and holds certificates in oncology and hyperbaric medicine. Nelson received his master’s degree in nursing in 2011 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He also received a master’s in business administration in strategic leadership from Dakota Wesleyan University in 2017. Nelson holds several committee positions at Avera St Luke’s Hospital, where he is currently employed. Prior to that, he was a certified nurse practitioner and director of Information Technology at Conklin Regional Cancer Center in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Dr. Nobre is a clinical pharmacy specialist at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her primary practice site in ambulatory leukemia and lymphoma is located in the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, where she focuses on oral anticancer medications. Dr. Nombre earned her PharmD degree from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy in 2011. She then completed a pharmacy residency at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut in 2012, followed by an oncology pharmacy residency at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore, Maryland in 2013.

Dr. Nobre is a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA), and Maryland Society of Health System Pharmacists (MSHP). She previously served as vice-chair of HOPA’s Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist Self-Study/Webinars Subcommittee. Dr. Nobre is a preceptor for the PGY1-Pharmacy and PGY2-Oncology residency programs at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Pagel is a 2019 Seattle Met Top Doctor Award winner. Dr. Pagel is an international hematology expert with a world-class reputation for research and excellence in patient care. He is dedicated to individualized patient care that is based on mutual respect and trust. He is incredibly excited to be a part of the Swedish Cancer Institute. Dr. Pagel feels the work being done here is life-changing for patients and will deliver new advancements in cancer treatment for patients in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Prior to joining Swedish, Dr. Pagel spent more than a decade as an associate member of the Clinical Research Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and associate professor in the Medical Oncology Division at the University of Washington.

Timothy S. Pardee, MD, PhD, is a practicing hematologist and medical oncologist with a clinical focus on acute and chronic leukemias; associate professor of internal medicine, section on hematology/oncology and cancer biology; director of leukemia translational research; and co-leader of the hematology disease-oriented group at Wake Forest University Medical School. In addition to his clinical duties, Dr. Pardee heads an NCI-funded research program focused on the role of cellular metabolism in leukemia cell survival and resistance to therapy as well as novel therapeutics. He is active in clinical trials with a specific interest in the development of CPI-613, a first-in-class mitochondrial metabolism inhibitor. He conducted and published the first-in-human phase I clinical trial using CPI-613—building on clinical and preclinical work—he then completed a phase I trial of this agent in combination with high-dose cytarabine and mitoxantrone for patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia.

Dr. Pardee is an active member of the Leukemia Correlative Science Committee for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, and a recipient of numerous teaching and clinical awards including recognition in the “Best Doctors in America List” (2015-2016, 2017-2018); a 2015 Master Teacher Award from the house staff of the Department of Medicine at Wake Forest University; and the 2016 Best Teacher and Role Model Award from the third year medical school class. He was awarded a KO8 in 2012 for his work in AML metabolism and novel therapeutics, and in 2016, an R01. He continues to work clinically and preclinically to bring better treatments to patients suffering from acute and chronic leukemias.

Alison Mayer Sachs is nationally recognized for her leadership in the field of oncology social work and has served on the board of the Association of Oncology Social Work. She presently sits on The American Cancer Society’s Western Division, Desert-Coastal Board; the Scientific Advisory Board of the Go2Foundation For Lung Cancer; the Medical Advisory Board of Zero-The End of Prostate Cancer; and the Coachella Valley’s Desert Cancer Foundation. As the director of community outreach and cancer support services at Eisenhower Lucy Curci Cancer Center, Mayer Sachs and her team are responsible for the development, design, and implementation of community outreach events, community education programs, oncology social work services, nursing navigation and disease prevention and health promotion programs. Mayer Sachs has lectured extensively on the importance of support and education for cancer patients, their loved ones, and the community, and she is adjunct faculty in Eisenhower’s Graduate Medical Education Residency Program. Since 2018, Mayer Sachs has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology’s special section, “The Art of Psychosocial Oncology.”

Jolynn K. Sessions, PharmD, BCOP, is the oncology clinical pharmacist for Mission Health System in Asheville, North Carolina, and associate professor of clinical education at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy’s Asheville satellite campus. Previously, Dr. Sessions served as oncology clinical coordinator, oncology PGY2 residency director, and clinical pharmacist at Emory Hospital/Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta. Her first job out of specialty residency was at Grady Health System in Atlanta where she developed the role of an oncology clinical pharmacist and established both clinical and distributive services.

She is a member of the Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association and has served as treasurer, board of directors, chair, and vice chair of the Continuing Education Committee. She is also a member of the North Carolina Oncology Pharmacists Association.

Dr. Sessions is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. She completed a PGY1 residency at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and a PGY2 residency at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Dr. Shapira is the chief medical officer at Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA). She oversees clinical operations, which include quality of care and patient safety, coordination of clinical care, development of clinical information support systems, and physician engagement in strategic initiatives to provide value-based quality care. As the medical director of RCCA Specialty Pharmacy, Dr. Shapira is responsible for promoting and coordinating research and development in medicines management to ensure pharmacy service staff work with clinical staff to proactively promote safe and cost-effective drug therapies. Her role also includes overseeing and expanding the research portfolio and implementation of innovative programs to advance quality improvement and new models of care.

Dr. Shapira came to RCCA from the State University of New York, where she was the chief of the Division of Hematology Oncology and the director of the Cancer Institute at the State University New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. Earlier, she worked for nine years as the director of cancer genetics at Northwell Health System and was an associate professor of medicine at Hofstra University.

Dr. Shapira is an associate professor of medicine and cell biology for the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. Prior to her work in academic medicine, Dr. Shapira served in clinical practice in rural Lake Village, Arkansas. She received her medical degree in 1990 from the Carol Davila Medical School in Bucharest and completed her residency training in internal medicine at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. She also completed a fellowship in hematology oncology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

Jennifer Wang, LCSW, is an oncology social worker at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, where she works with patients and families at the Cancer Survivorship Center. Ms. Wang meets with patients for individual and family counseling, facilitating support groups as well as linking patients with community resources. She has a background in private practice, counseling patients with a relational framework.

Dr. Zinkeng Asonganyi (aka “Dr Z”) oversees all facets of ambulatory practice at the University of Texas Medical Branch, including retail and specialty pharmacy services, outpatient infusion, and the integration of pharmacists into ambulatory clinics. Prior to this role, Dr. Asonganyi served as the senior pharmacy manager at Anne Arundel Medical Center (Luminis Health) in Annapolis, Maryland, overseeing the oncology department, investigational drug services, and outpatient pharmacy operations, including the development of a specialty pharmacy business. Dr. Asonganyi is an active participant in the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and several local pharmacy organizations.

Dr. Asonganyi is a 2012 graduate of the University of Findlay College of Pharmacy in Ohio, and he has been a health system pharmacy administrator for most of his career. He is passionate about controlling pharmaceutical expenses through supply chain and formulary management as well as revenue cycle management for both medical and pharmacy benefits.

Nikki Barkett, RN, BSN, OCN, is the Malignant Hematology Nurse Navigator at the University of Arizona Cancer Center.

She has presented on managing “Relapsed/Refractory Myeloma in the Era of New Agents for Treatment,”  “Multiple Myeloma: An Update on the Disease, Diagnosis, and Treatments,” and managing treatment side effects for patients living with lymphoma. She is also a co-author on a case report and literature review looking at survival rates among patients with refractory IgD multiple myeloma treated with daratumumab, and a contributing author for “Building Blocks of Hope, Strategies for Patients and Caregivers Living with MDS.”

Nikki is currently a member of the Financial Toxicity Committee at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, evaluating the use of screening tools to proactively identify patients at high-risk for financial distress, improving health literacy by educating and evaluating patients at key time points throughout their cancer journey, and evaluating the efficacy of an insurance navigator housed within the clinic.

Dr. Fontaine is Chief Medical Officer for New Mexico Oncology Hematology Consultants, Ltd in Albuquerque. NMCC was the first practice in the nation to receive accreditation as an Oncology Medical Home by NCQA. And their commitment to excellence has also helped them earn the title of “Top Cancer Center” by readers of the Albuquerque Journal twice in the last three years.

Dr. Fontaine joined the practice in 2006, and she is board Certified in Medical Oncology and Hematology and is certified by City of Hope for cancer genetics. Dr. Fontaine also holds a Physician Executive MBA from the University of Tennessee.  Dr. Fontaine’s peers throughout the Albuquerque medical community recognize both her dedication to her patients and her expertise as a clinician, and they have voted her “Top Medical Oncologist” in Albuquerque the Magazine’s Top Docs poll seven times, with her most-recent win in 2019.

Dr. Fontaine is a member of the American Medical Association and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.  She devotes her spare time to educating her peers and patients on hereditary cancer risk in addition to playing the piano and hiking.

Victor Gonzalez is the Director of Support Services and Alliances at the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF). He joined the organization in 2013. In his role at LRF, Victor oversees the organization’s patient and caregiver services, including the LRF Helpline, Clinical Trials Information Service, Lymphoma Support Network, and the development of LRF’s extensive library of publications. He has over a decade of experience in providing direct support to those affected by different health conditions. Prior to joining LRF, Victor worked at the American Cancer Society and the Alzheimer’s Association. Victor received a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from New York University.

Kirollos Hanna, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, is the Director of Pharmacy at Minnesota Oncology and an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr. Hanna also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology (JADPRO).

Dr. Hanna’s research interests are focused on B-cell malignancies and genitourinary cancers. He has published over a dozen peer-reviewed manuscripts in various journals including Pharmacotherapy, AJHP, Drugs, JOPP, AJMC and JHOP.

Dr. Hanna is board certified by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties in Oncology Pharmacy and Pharmacotherapy. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy from Florida A&M University, completed his general residency at St. Thomas Hospital, Nashville, TN and his oncology residency at St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute, Boise, ID.

Dr. Kareem graduated from Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences with a Pharm.D degree Summa Cum Laude in 2008. She completed a specialty Pharmacy Residency in 2009 at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa FL, and became board certified in Oncology Pharmacy in 2014. She is currently pursuing a graduate certification in Precision Medicine with the University of Florida. She has over 10 years of experience in the field of adult hematology oncology, and is an adjunct professor for the University of Florida, and University of South Florida College of Pharmacy precepting pharmacy students and residents over the years.  She is currently a clinical pharmacy specialist at Moffitt Cancer Center specializing in the areas of Malignant Hematology, Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunology.

Kathy W. Oubre, MS, is the Chief Operating Officer for Pontchartrain Cancer Center with locations in Covington and Hammond, Louisiana. In this role, she provides non-clinical leadership for all aspects of the practice, including financial counseling, policy/procedure development, revenue cycle management, advanced care planning, survivorship care and clinical trials.

She is the President of the Coalition of Hematology and Oncology Practices (CHOP) and President-Elect of the Louisiana Medical Group Managers Association. Kathy is also a Board member of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and serves on the COA Government Affairs and Biosimilars Committees. She is a member of the Quality Cancer Care Alliance (QCCA) and serves as the Chair of Pharmaceutical and Operational Purchasing. Kathy is also the Advisory Board President for You Night Empowering Events, which is a year-round cancer survivorship program for women. Other memberships include ACCC and National Community Oncology Dispensing Association (NCODA).

Dr. Shadman is an associate professor of medicine with the medical oncology division at the University of Washington and Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle, WA.  As a lymphoma/CLL expert and investigator, his clinical and research focus is on developing novel therapeutics using targeted therapy and immunotherapy (CAR-T) approaches. 

Bruce Wright lives in Ladera Ranch, California and is a retired commander in the U.S. Navy. He is a Vietnam War Veteran who served three tours of duty; work that exposed him to Agent Orange, which caused his cancers. Bruce also worked in military aerospace for 30 years and has been an active 10-year member of the CLL Society, a non-profit, peer-to-peer support, education, and advocacy organization. He continues to serve in several CLL Society roles including - Chair of the CLL Society’s Patient Advisory Board, Senior Support Group Advisor overseeing 10 groups across the country, Patient Educator, and Veteran Advisor. In this last capacity he has mentored more than 87 veterans and helped them receive the benefits they earned in service to our Nation. Bruce has a deep knowledge of the Department of Veterans Affairs that includes the Veterans Benefits Administration, which oversees disability, insurance, and other benefits as well as the Veterans Health Administration, the largest integrated health care system in the country. Additionally, Bruce participates in SWOG as the Community Advocate representing Military Veterans. SWOG is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) supported organization that conducts clinical trials in adult cancers. Comprising more than 4,000 cancer researchers at more than 650 institutions across the United States and Canada, it is one of the largest of the NCI's clinical trial cooperative groups supported by (NCI) and its National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN).

Bruce is a survivor of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and prostate cancer.

Farrukh Awan, MD, is a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and the director of Lymphoid Malignancies at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in stem cell transplant, cellular therapies (including chimeric antigen receptor [CAR] T-cell therapy), and evaluation of novel therapies for the treatment of patients with lymphoid malignancies.

Dr. Awan is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Society of Hematology. He is also the recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Clinical Career Development Award from the Lymphoma Research Foundation. He has delivered scores of presentations, administered multiple grants and clinical trials, and published numerous academic articles and book chapters.

Dr. Awan is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Medical Oncology, and the American Board of Hematology. He completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at The Ohio State University and his residency in internal medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Dr. Barrientos received her medical degree from the Ponce School of Medicine, where she was the recipient of two Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellowship Awards for her research. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at the Yale-New Haven Hospital of the Yale School of Medicine, and her fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at NY Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, where she also served as chief fellow. She earned a master’s degree in clinical investigation at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences.

Dr. Barrientos is board certified in hematology and medical oncology and is the principal investigator on several clinical trials involving targeted agents. Her work in several pivotal trials led to the approval of several novel therapeutic agents for the management of CLL and lymphoma. Dr. Barrientos has extensively published her research in several medical journals, and she has been honored with several awards, including the American Society of Hematology Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program Award.

Christopher D'Andrea, PA-C, is a physician assistant in hematology oncology at Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center.  Primarily managing clinic patients within the lymphoma department, he also provides care on the lymphoma/multiple myeloma and leukemia inpatient services. Additionally, Mr. D’Andrea helps staff the cancer associated thrombosis clinic, and perform and teach bone marrow biopsies. He has presented at conferences on lymphoma including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, as well as participated in local advisory board meetings.

Mr. D’Andrea earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University in psychology and subsequently worked as a behavioral therapist for many years before pursuing a career as a physician assistant. He has been a physician assistant at Cleveland Clinic with the lymphoma team since completing his master’s degree in physician assistant studies at DeSales University in 2014.

Alison Duffy, PharmD, BCOP, is a hematology/oncology clinical pharmacy specialist and associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy with a practice site at The University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center within inpatient and outpatient oncology. She serves as PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency program coordinator, and has authored clinical outcomes, practice-based, and educational methods and outcomes-related research. Dr. Duffy has delivered various local, regional, and national oncology related presentations and has served on Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) committees. 

Dr. Duffy graduated from the University of Rhode Island School of Pharmacy and completed her PGY1 pharmacy practice residency and PGY2 hematology/oncology pharmacy residency at University of Cincinnati Health in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Amy Goodrich, RN, MSN, CRNP-AC, is a nurse practitioner in the Hematologic Malignancies Program at The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore, Maryland where she manages patients with various types of hematologic malignancies, concentrating on the lymphomas. Goodrich also oversees the Cancer Center’s research nurses and is very involved in research operations. She has presented extensively on hematologic malignancies, new agents, symptom management, and a variety of topics important to oncology nursing. 

She earned her undergraduate nursing degree from the University of Pittsburgh and earned her master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Huntington is a clinician and researcher at the Yale School of Medicine specializing in the care of patients with lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Prior to joining Yale, he completed his hematology-oncology training and received a Master of Science in Health Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Huntington serves as an investigator on clinical trials evaluating novel cancer therapeutics and is an active member of Yale’s Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy, and Effectiveness Research (COPPER) Center, where he leads research focused on improving the delivery of complex cancer therapies in real-world clinical settings.

Dr. Carmen Janes is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.  Her primary practice site is in ambulatory hematologic malignancies at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, with a focus on oral anticancer medications. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy (2011).  She then completed a Pharmacy Residency at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut (2012) followed by an Oncology Pharmacy Residency at the University Of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore, Maryland (2013).

Dr. Janes is a member of the American Society of Health – System Pharmacists (ASHP), Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) and Maryland Society of Health System Pharmacists (MSHP).  She is a preceptor for the PGY1-Pharmacy and PGY2-Oncology residency programs at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and students from various schools of pharmacy.  She also serves as the PGY2 Oncology Residency Program Coordinator.

Dr. Kittai is a clinical assistant professor in the Division of Hematology at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He is a clinical investigator with a focus on chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Richter’s Syndrome, specifically developing clinical trials for patients with these diseases. Dr. Kittai’s research focus is on bringing cellular therapies to patients with high-risk disease. Furthermore, Dr. Kittai is exploring what prognostic features of chronic lymphocytic leukemia are still relevant in the era of targeted therapies.

Onyema Okolo-Taku, MD, is a hematology oncologist at Ironwood Cancer and Research Centers in Gilbert, Arizona.

Dr. Okolo-Taku completed her undergraduate degree at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. earned her doctorate at St. George's University School of Medicine. She completed her residency training in internal medicine at the University of Arizona.

Alison Mayer Sachs is nationally recognized for her leadership in the field of oncology social work and has served on the board of the Association of Oncology Social Work. She presently sits on The American Cancer Society’s Western Division, Desert-Coastal Board; the Scientific Advisory Board of the Go2Foundation For Lung Cancer; the Medical Advisory Board of Zero-The End of Prostate Cancer; and the Coachella Valley’s Desert Cancer Foundation. As the director of community outreach and cancer support services at Eisenhower Lucy Curci Cancer Center, Mayer Sachs and her team are responsible for the development, design, and implementation of community outreach events, community education programs, oncology social work services, nursing navigation and disease prevention and health promotion programs. Mayer Sachs has lectured extensively on the importance of support and education for cancer patients, their loved ones, and the community, and she is adjunct faculty in Eisenhower’s Graduate Medical Education Residency Program. Since 2018, Mayer Sachs has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology’s special section, “The Art of Psychosocial Oncology.”

Dr. Shapira is the chief medical officer at Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA). She oversees clinical operations, which include quality of care and patient safety, coordination of clinical care, development of clinical information support systems, and physician engagement in strategic initiatives to provide value-based quality care. As the medical director of RCCA Specialty Pharmacy, Dr. Shapira is responsible for promoting and coordinating research and development in medicines management to ensure pharmacy service staff work with clinical staff to proactively promote safe and cost-effective drug therapies. Her role also includes overseeing and expanding the research portfolio and implementation of innovative programs to advance quality improvement and new models of care.

Dr. Shapira came to RCCA from the State University of New York, where she was the chief of the Division of Hematology Oncology and the director of the Cancer Institute at the State University New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. Earlier, she worked for nine years as the director of cancer genetics at Northwell Health System and was an associate professor of medicine at Hofstra University.

Dr. Shapira is an associate professor of medicine and cell biology for the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. Prior to her work in academic medicine, Dr. Shapira served in clinical practice in rural Lake Village, Arkansas. She received her medical degree in 1990 from the Carol Davila Medical School in Bucharest and completed her residency training in internal medicine at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. She also completed a fellowship in hematology oncology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

Christopher D'Andrea, PA-C, is a physician assistant in hematology oncology at Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center.  Primarily managing clinic patients within the lymphoma department, he also provides care on the lymphoma/multiple myeloma and leukemia inpatient services. Additionally, Mr. D’Andrea helps staff the cancer associated thrombosis clinic, and perform and teach bone marrow biopsies. He has presented at conferences on lymphoma including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, as well as participated in local advisory board meetings.

Mr. D’Andrea earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University in psychology and subsequently worked as a behavioral therapist for many years before pursuing a career as a physician assistant. He has been a physician assistant at Cleveland Clinic with the lymphoma team since completing his master’s degree in physician assistant studies at DeSales University in 2014.

Alison Duffy, PharmD, BCOP, is a hematology/oncology clinical pharmacy specialist and associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy with a practice site at The University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center within inpatient and outpatient oncology. She serves as PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency program coordinator, and has authored clinical outcomes, practice-based, and educational methods and outcomes-related research. Dr. Duffy has delivered various local, regional, and national oncology related presentations and has served on Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) committees. 

Dr. Duffy graduated from the University of Rhode Island School of Pharmacy and completed her PGY1 pharmacy practice residency and PGY2 hematology/oncology pharmacy residency at University of Cincinnati Health in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Amy Goodrich, RN, MSN, CRNP-AC, is a nurse practitioner in the Hematologic Malignancies Program at The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore, Maryland where she manages patients with various types of hematologic malignancies, concentrating on the lymphomas. Goodrich also oversees the Cancer Center’s research nurses and is very involved in research operations. She has presented extensively on hematologic malignancies, new agents, symptom management, and a variety of topics important to oncology nursing. 

She earned her undergraduate nursing degree from the University of Pittsburgh and earned her master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Huntington is a clinician and researcher at the Yale School of Medicine specializing in the care of patients with lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Prior to joining Yale, he completed his hematology-oncology training and received a Master of Science in Health Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Huntington serves as an investigator on clinical trials evaluating novel cancer therapeutics and is an active member of Yale’s Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy, and Effectiveness Research (COPPER) Center, where he leads research focused on improving the delivery of complex cancer therapies in real-world clinical settings.

Dr. Munoz specializes in treating lymphomas, and he is the director of the Lymphoma Program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He is triple-board-certified in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology. Dr. Munoz studied medicine at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru. Subsequently, he completed his residency and fellowship in hematology-oncology at Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan. Dr. Munoz also earned a master’s degree in patient-based research and had an investigational cancer therapeutics fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston before he relocated to Arizona to spearhead the development of chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T cells. He has been the principal investigator in multiple cutting-edge lymphoma trials, including immunotherapy and CAR T-cells. Dr. Munoz has published in major medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Reviews, Blood, and JAMA. Dr. Munoz's personal goal is the development of non-chemotherapy agents, via novel clinical trials, to serve patients suffering from lymphoma.

Christopher Nelson is an acute care nurse practitioner who has been working in oncology since 2007.  He is board certified in acute care and holds certificates in oncology and hyperbaric medicine. Nelson received his master’s degree in nursing in 2011 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He also received a master’s in business administration in strategic leadership from Dakota Wesleyan University in 2017. Nelson holds several committee positions at Avera St Luke’s Hospital, where he is currently employed. Prior to that, he was a certified nurse practitioner and director of Information Technology at Conklin Regional Cancer Center in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Dr. Nobre is a clinical pharmacy specialist at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her primary practice site in ambulatory leukemia and lymphoma is located in the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, where she focuses on oral anticancer medications. Dr. Nombre earned her PharmD degree from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy in 2011. She then completed a pharmacy residency at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut in 2012, followed by an oncology pharmacy residency at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore, Maryland in 2013.

Dr. Nobre is a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA), and Maryland Society of Health System Pharmacists (MSHP). She previously served as vice-chair of HOPA’s Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist Self-Study/Webinars Subcommittee. Dr. Nobre is a preceptor for the PGY1-Pharmacy and PGY2-Oncology residency programs at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Alison Mayer Sachs is nationally recognized for her leadership in the field of oncology social work and has served on the board of the Association of Oncology Social Work. She presently sits on The American Cancer Society’s Western Division, Desert-Coastal Board; the Scientific Advisory Board of the Go2Foundation For Lung Cancer; the Medical Advisory Board of Zero-The End of Prostate Cancer; and the Coachella Valley’s Desert Cancer Foundation. As the director of community outreach and cancer support services at Eisenhower Lucy Curci Cancer Center, Mayer Sachs and her team are responsible for the development, design, and implementation of community outreach events, community education programs, oncology social work services, nursing navigation and disease prevention and health promotion programs. Mayer Sachs has lectured extensively on the importance of support and education for cancer patients, their loved ones, and the community, and she is adjunct faculty in Eisenhower’s Graduate Medical Education Residency Program. Since 2018, Mayer Sachs has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology’s special section, “The Art of Psychosocial Oncology.”

Dr. Shapira is the chief medical officer at Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA). She oversees clinical operations, which include quality of care and patient safety, coordination of clinical care, development of clinical information support systems, and physician engagement in strategic initiatives to provide value-based quality care. As the medical director of RCCA Specialty Pharmacy, Dr. Shapira is responsible for promoting and coordinating research and development in medicines management to ensure pharmacy service staff work with clinical staff to proactively promote safe and cost-effective drug therapies. Her role also includes overseeing and expanding the research portfolio and implementation of innovative programs to advance quality improvement and new models of care.

Dr. Shapira came to RCCA from the State University of New York, where she was the chief of the Division of Hematology Oncology and the director of the Cancer Institute at the State University New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. Earlier, she worked for nine years as the director of cancer genetics at Northwell Health System and was an associate professor of medicine at Hofstra University.

Dr. Shapira is an associate professor of medicine and cell biology for the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. Prior to her work in academic medicine, Dr. Shapira served in clinical practice in rural Lake Village, Arkansas. She received her medical degree in 1990 from the Carol Davila Medical School in Bucharest and completed her residency training in internal medicine at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. She also completed a fellowship in hematology oncology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center.