Dr. Ranjana Advani is a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University specializing in the field of lymphoma. She holds an endowed chair (Saul Rosenberg Professor) and oversees all aspects of treatment of the vast majority of adult lymphoma patients. She also serves as the disease management group leader for lymphoma and supervises the clinical program. Her primary research interests include improving care for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients by optimizing front line regimens, developing novel agents and targeted therapy for refractory and recurrent disease, advancing correlative studies involving biomarkers, and addressing long-term outcomes. She leads multi-institutional efforts as a national study Principle Investigator (PI) or Co-PI on several targeted therapies, translational and imaging studies and has published extensively in the peer reviewed literature. She is a member of the lymphoma core committee for the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and the NCCN guidelines committee for Non Hodgkin Lymphoma and Hodgkin Lymphoma (vice chair), member of ODAC (Oncology Drug Advisory Committee) to the FDA, and has completed a term serving as the co-chair of the National Cancer Institute Lymphoma Steering Committee.

Dr. Alencar is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and the Chief Medical Officer at University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is a member of the lymphoma program at Sylvester and the lymphoma committee at the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology with a focus on clinical research of b-cell lymphoid malignancies with special interest in minorities, particularly elderly and Hispanics. His research focus is on the application of novel agents to improve responses and minimize toxicity on the care of elderly patients. As the hematology section lead for the Sylvester’s Global Oncology Program, Dr. Alencar serves as an important bridge to the United States for Latin American hematologists being a constant presence in meetings, lectures, as well as tumor board and second opinions. These collaborations have led to a large multinational study evaluating the impact of genetic changes and ancestry on outcomes of Hispanic patients with blood disorders.

Associate Professor of Medicine, Vice Chief of Operations, Division of Hematology

Specialty Areas

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Chronology

Bachelor of Arts: Wesleyan University, 1989-1993; MD: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1996 – 2000; Internal Medicine Resident: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2000-2003;  Internal Medicine Chief Resident: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2003-2004; Hematology-Oncology Fellowship: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2004-2007; Medical Instructor: Duke University, 2007-2008: Assistant Professor: Duke University, 2008-2013; Associate Professor: Duke University, 2013-2017; Medical Director of Inpatient Hematologic Malignancy Services: Duke University, 2015-2017; Associate Professor: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2017-present; Director of Lymphoma Program: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2017-present.

Research and Clinical Interests

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, Cutaneous Lymphoma, Mycosis Fungoides, Sezary Syndrome; Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy and clinical trials; Treatment of the older lymphoma patient

Personal Statement

My research and clinical work focus on the care of patients with all types of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma including cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (mycosis fungoides). This is a job I love. On my clinic days, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to see many wonderful patients and their families while working hard to help them through the difficult process of getting diagnosed and treated with cancer. Then, on the non-clinic days, I can use my intellectual side as I continue to work for my patients by conducting research to find ways to better treat and cure lymphoma.

Noa Biran, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center. She joined the Multiple Myeloma Division at John Theurer Cancer Center in September 2014.  The John Theurer Cancer Center Multiple Myeloma program is internationally recognized and cares for approximately 3000 patients with multiple myeloma per year on active therapy, and the translational and clinical research performed at the JTCC led to the FDA approval of nearly all of today’s therapies for multiple myeloma.

Dr. Biran previously served as Chief Fellow of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the  Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.   Dr. Biran is actively involved in a high-volume clinical practice and is a clinical investigator focusing on patients with multiple myeloma and plasma cell dyscrasias. She is currently the principal investigator of investigator initiated as well as industry sponsored clinical studies.  Her primary research interest is in high-risk multiple myeloma as well as in harnessing the immune response in the advanced myeloma.  Her research efforts also focus on improving quality of life, evaluating for cognitive changes related to therapy and reducing time on therapy for patients with multiple myeloma. Her research has been presented at international and national conferences such as the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology,  and the Society of Hematologic Oncology. She is widely published in journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology,  Blood, The Lancet Hematology, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplant, PLoS One, British Journal of Hematology, and the American Journal of Hematology.

Dr Costa obtained a medical degree and subsequently PhD from Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. He trained in Hematology and Medical Oncology at University of Colorado and in Blood and Marrow Transplantation at Mayo Clinic, Rochester- MN. He is currently Professor of Medicine and Senior Clinical Investigator at University of Alabama at Birmingham O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center where he also direct the Multiple Myeloma Research and Treatment Program. Dr Costa leads several multi-institutional and international projects exploring new cellular and immunotherapies and minimal residual disease in myeloma.

Rafael Fonseca, MD, is the Getz Family Professor of Cancer, Professor of Medicine, Chief Innovation Officer, a consultant in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors and Board of Trustees. He earned his MD at Universidad Anahuac, Mexico. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Miami, FL, and a fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Rochester, MN. He was named a clinical investigator for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Fund. He is a visiting healthcare fellow at the Goldwater Institute.

Christina Hughes, PhD, is the Senior Director, US Medical Myeloid, Reblozyl Lead at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). Prior to this role, she was the Director of Worldwide Medical Affairs in Hematology at BMS, where she was the lead for LR MDS. Before working at BMS, she was in the medical communications space for 8 years, following an academic career in cancer research. She performed her graduate research at Harvard University, and her postdoctoral work was at The Rockefeller University.

Dr. Malin Hultcrantz, MD PhD, is an Assistant Professor and board-certified hematologist who specializes in the treatment of multiple myeloma and related plasma cell disorders. Her clinical research aims to optimize treatment strategies for patients with multiple myeloma and improve patients’ quality of life. She is the principal investigator for trials involving novel immunotherapies and biomarker driven therapies. Dr. Hultcrantz has extensive experience in epidemiological research in multiple myeloma and the precursors disorders MGUS and smoldering multiple myeloma.

I am a medical oncologist whose practice is devoted to caring for people with lymphoma. I have clinical expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and my research focus is on mantle cell lymphoma. I work closely with a team of lymphoma experts from many different departments. We are dedicated to providing personalized and compassionate care to our patients.

The lymphoma team’s mission is not only to provide the best care but also to push the envelope in terms of improving outcomes for our patients. I am grateful to be involved in clinical trials research aimed at improving treatments for patients with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Because of our innovative research program, we are able to deliver therapies that are not yet available anywhere else. Many of these treatments are less toxic and more effective than standard treatments. Currently, I am the principal investigator of clinical trials that incorporate novel biologically targeted therapies. These include ibrutinib (Imbruvica®), brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris®), lenalidomide (Revlimid®), and venetoclax (Venclexta™).

When people come to Memorial Sloan Kettering for their diagnosis and treatment, they benefit from the unparalleled experience and expertise of an entire group of people focused on their care. We regularly consult with one another to develop optimal treatment plans that align with our patients’ individual diagnoses, circumstances, and personal goals. As their doctor, I consider myself my patients’ advocate and guide throughout their entire journey, and I feel privileged and humbled to be a part of their lives.

Dr. Ann LaCasce completed training in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where she later served as a Chief Medical Resident in 2000.  After her fellowship in medical oncology at Dana-Farber/Partners, she joined the lymphoma group at Dana Farber.  She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and performs clinical research in lymphoma with a focus on Hodgkin lymphoma and aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.   She serves on the Alliance Lymphoma Committee, the NCCN Lymphoma Guideline Panel and is chair elect of the Lymphoma Research Foundation Scientific Advisory Board. She has a longstanding interest in medical education, and in 2011, she assumed the role of Program Director of the Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care Fellowship. In addition, she has a strong interest in young adults and co-directs the Center for Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology at Dana Farber.

Dr. C. Ola Landgren, Professor of Medicine, Chief of Myeloma Program, Leader of Experimental Therapeutics Program at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Miami (SCCC-UM).

Over the past several years, he designed and conducted a series of studies to define biological mechanisms of transformation from myeloma precursor disease (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance [MGUS] and smoldering myeloma) to multiple myeloma. Beyond traditional clinical criteria for complete remission, he developed strategies to define minimal residual disease (MRD) detection post-therapy in multiple myeloma using cell-, molecular-, and imaging-based methods. He has a strong track-record in drug development and served as a principal investigator for many clinical trials, with particular focus on early drug development and correlative science.

He leads the clinical and research operations along with the development of the Myeloma Program at SCCC-UM. He is a frequent speaker and faculty member for national and international meetings on myeloma and hematologic malignancies. He is a member of several editorial boards and serves as a reviewer for grants and several high-impact journals. As a Program Member of the Cancer Center Support Grant, he participates in research activities as an independent investigator, a leader of research governance committees, and on multi-disciplinary research teams.

As the Director of the Multiple Myeloma and Amyloidosis Program at Columbia University, I have focused on establishing a highly innovative clinical translational research program that will be considered transformative in the field of cancer-associated bone disease. This included extensive work in early drug development with bench-top to bedside research in plasma cell dyscrasia.

My translational research focuses on identifying novel targets for treating multiple myeloma bone disease (MMBD), which occurs in 80% of myeloma patients leading to significant morbidity and debilitation. Our laboratory identified MMP13 as a critical inducer of osteolysis in myeloma and described a completely novel pathway of OCL activation involving MMP-13 binding to PD-1H expressed by osteoclasts. Our findings will serve as the basis for novel treatment strategies in MMBD and other pathologic conditions characterized by increased bone resorption. Given the role of PD-1H as an immune checkpoint molecule, it is also conceivable that MMP-13 contributes to the immunosuppressive bone marrow microenvironment typical of multiple myeloma. The collaboration with other disciplines at Columbia University focusing on bone remodeling is critical to transfer our findings from bench to bedside. Therefore our research will greatly benefit from participation in the Columbia University Skeletal and Arthritis Center (SARC). My previous collaborations with members of this research community studying skeletal and joint diseases facilitated by SARC resulted in multiple publications and NIH grants. The resources of the SARC will substantially support my research, and I imagine that the Center will stimulate new collaborations and investigators to the field.

John P. Leonard, M.D., is the Richard T. Silver Distinguished Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology and Senior Associate Dean for Innovation and Initiatives at Weill Cornell Medicine. He is Executive Vice Chairman of the Weill Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where he also serves as Attending Physician.

An expert in hematology and oncology, Dr. Leonard’s research has been published in numerous medical journals, and he has served as a member of the editorial boards of Blood and the Journal of Clinical Oncology, leading international journals in these fields. He is Chair of the Lymphoma Committee of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (formerly CALGB, ACOSOG and NCCTG), a multicenter cooperative group and key component of the National Cancer Institute’s National Clinical Trials Network. Dr. Leonard has been an elected member of the American Board of Internal Medicine subspecialty board for Hematology, and he has also been elected to membership in the American Society of Clinical Investigation. He has served as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board and Board Member of the Lymphoma Research Foundation and Board Member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society/New York City Chapter. In 2017 he received the Miriam G. Wallach Award for Excellence in Humanistic Medical Care from New-York Presbyterian Hospital.
Dr. Leonard’s primary research interest is in the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of lymphoma and related hematologic malignancies, and he has lectured at major international meetings on these topics. Much of his work has involved the development of novel therapies for lymphoma, including monoclonal antibodies, other immune-based treatments, targeted agents and other innovative approaches. He also has studied prognostic, imaging and survivorship issues for lymphoma patients. Dr. Leonard performed his undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins University and received his medical degree at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, VA. He completed his residency in medicine at the New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY. He completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Cornell, and served as the chief medical resident at the New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center.

Matthew Lunning D.O., FACP, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and was recently appointed as an Associate Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Director of the Clinical Research Center (CRC).

He received his medical degree from Des Moines University in 2006.  Dr. Lunning completed his internal medicine residency at UNMC where he served as Chief Medical Resident.  He completed his Hematology/Oncology fellowship and served as the Hematology Chief Fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  Dr. Lunning returned to UNMC in 2013 and been active in clinic research, research mentoring, education, and patient care. Dr. Lunning was the recipient of the Distinguish Scientist Award in 2019.

Dr. Lunning has served on several National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s guidelines committees including the Immunotherapy Toxicity & T-cell lymphoma panels. He has served as an invited member of ASCO’s Cancer Education Committee on the Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.  He is the co-organizer of the Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference.