Medical Director, Hematology, Atlantic Health System Cancer Care
Atlantic Health SystemClinical Trials, Epigenetics, hematologic malignancies, Hematology, Medical Oncology
Triple board-certified in internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology, Dr. Mohamad Cherry is medical director of Hematology at Atlantic Health System Cancer Care. He joined Atlantic Hematology Oncology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center's Stephenson Cancer Center, bringing years of clinical knowledge and expertise. With specialty training from some of the nation's most skilled clinicians, Dr. Cherry attained some of his clinical training at the leukemia department at MD Anderson and his fellowship in hematology/oncology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center's Stephenson Cancer Center. He performed two residencies - an internal medicine residency at Staten Island University Hospital and a laboratory medicine residency at the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Lebanon. Previously, Dr. Cherry attained his medical degree at Lebanese University and performed his internship at Sacre Coeur Hospital-Lebanese University. He also earned a master of science degree in clinical and translational research from University of Oklahoma College of Public Health. Dr. Cherry remains on staff as clinical associate professor of hematology/oncology at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center's Stephenson Cancer Center. He is also the director of its hematology/oncology fellowship program and co-chairs the Academy of Teaching Scholars Faculty Development, Education and Mentoring Committee. Other administrative roles include co-chair of the leukemia working group at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute Blood Cancer Consortium. As a principal investigator of multiple clinical trials, Dr. Cherry has performed groundbreaking research in niche areas that include epigenetics and development of new therapeutics in relapsed and refractory blood cancers. He has developed teaching materials and book chapters, and has lectured both nationally and internationally. Dr. Cherry continues to serves as a mentor and an advisor to fellows, residents and medical students. He contributes to continuing education, public health, and professional development, and has won awards and funding for both his research and his clinical pursuits.
Hematology and Medical Oncology at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital
Northwestern MedicineGastroinestinal cancer, Genitourinary Cancers, Hematology, Medical Oncology
Dr. George received a doctor of medicine from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 1996. He completed a residency at University of Colorado and a fellowship in hematology and oncology at University of Chicago in 2002. Dr. George is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine- Hematology and the American Board of Internal Medicine- Medical Oncology. He has a special interest in genitourinary cancers and gastrointestinal cancers.
Ensign Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and Professor of Pharmacology; Deputy Director, Yale Cancer Center; Chief of Medical Oncology, Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital; Assistant Dean for Translational Research, Yale School of Medicine; Director, Center for Thoracic Cancers, Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital; Co-Principal Investigator and Community Outreach Co-Leader, Cancer Disparities Firewall Project
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalASCO 2024, Immunotherapy, Lung Cancer, Medical Oncology
Dr. Herbst’s primary mission is the enhanced integration of clinical, laboratory, and research programs to bring new treatments to cancer patients. He has led the Phase I development of several of the new generation of targeted agents for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including gefitinib, erlotinib, cetuximab, and bevacizumab. More recently, he participated in the successful registration of pembrolizumab for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer, following the successful Yale-led KEYNOTE 10 study of the immune therapy drug commonly used to treat other cancers. He was co-leader for the BATTLE-1 clinical trial program, co-leads the subsequent BATTLE-2 clinical trial program, and served as a Co-program Leader of the Developmental Therapeutics Program for the YCC Support Grant. Dr. Herbst’s laboratory work is focused on immunotherapy angiogenesis; dual epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibition in NSCLC, and targeting KRAS-activated pathways. More recently, he has explored predictive biomarkers for the use of immunotherapy agents. This work has been translated from the preclinical to clinical setting in multiple Phase II and III studies which he has led. After earning a B.S. and M.S. degree from Yale University, Dr. Herbst earned his M.D. at Cornell University Medical College and his Ph.D. in molecular cell biology at The Rockefeller University in New York City, New York. His postgraduate training included an internship and residency in medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. His clinical fellowships in medicine and hematology were completed at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, respectively. Subsequently, Dr. Herbst completed a M.S. degree in clinical translational research at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Herbst is an author or co-author of more than 275 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, abstracts, and book chapters. His work has been published in many prominent journals, such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Nature. His abstracts have been presented at the annual meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the World Conference on Lung Cancer, the Society of Nuclear Medicine Conference, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. Dr. Herbst was a member of the National Cancer Policy Forum (1998-2014) for which he organized an Institute of Medicine meeting focused on policy issues in personalized medicine. He is a member of ASCO and, as a member of AACR, he chairs the Tobacco Task Force. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and an elected member of the Association of American Physicians. Dr. Herbst is also a member of the medical advisory committee for the Lung Cancer Research Foundation and chair of the communications committee for ASCO and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. He is currently the Vice Chair for Developmental Therapeutics for the Southwestern Oncology Group (SWOG) Lung Committee, Principal Investigator of the SWOG 0819 trial, and steering committee chair for the Lung Master Protocol (Lung MAP). Dr. Herbst was awarded the 2010 Waun Ki Hong Award for Excellence in Team Science by the Division of Cancer Medicine, UT-MDACC. The Alvin S. Slotnick Lecture Award for notable contributions to lung cancer research was bestowed upon him by Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center in 2014. That same year, the Bonnie Addario Foundation honored him with the Annual Addario Lectureship Award and the Bonnie J. Addario Excellence in Collaboration and Innovation Award. In 2015, the Clinical Research Forum presented his project “Predictive Correlates of Response to the Anti-PD-L1 Antibody MPDL3280A in Cancer Patients” its top Clinical Research Achievement Award in the United States for 2015. For his lifetime achievement in scientific contributions to thoracic cancer research, Herbst was awarded the 2016 Paul A. Bunn, Jr. Scientific Award by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer at IASLC 17th World Conference on Lung Cancer in Vienna, Austria. His work has been funded by ASCO, AACR, the United States Department of Defense, and the National Cancer Institute. In 2015, his team at Yale was awarded a lung cancer SPORE by the NCI, and he serves as a principal investigator for the AACR/ Stand Up to Cancer Dream Team grant. EDUCATION & TRAININGMMS Harvard University, Clinical Translational Research (1997)MD Cornell University Medical College (1991)PhD Rockefeller University (1990)BS Yale University, Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry (1984)MS Yale University, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (1984)Fellowship Brigham and Women`s HospitalFellowship Dana Farber Cancer InstituteResidency Brigham and Women`s HospitalHONORS & RECOGNITIONElected to the Association of American PhysiciansAAP (2015) Addario Foundation Lectureship AwardBonnie Addario Foundation (2014) Alvin S. Slotnick Lecture Award for notable contributions to lung cancer researchDana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center (2014) Best Doctors, New York Magazine(2014) Honorary Professor, University College London Cancer CenterUniversity College London (2012) Sikand OratorYale University (2011) PROFESSIONAL SERVICENational Cancer Institute (2012 - Present)Thoracic Malignancy Steering Committee - National Cancer Institute
Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Chief Translational Research Officer, Yale Cancer Center; Chief, Head and Neck Cancers/Sarcoma; Co-Leader, Developmental Therapeutics, Yale Cancer Center
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalHead And Neck Cancer, Medical Oncology, Sarcoma
Barbara Burtness, MD is a Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) at the Yale School of Medicine, Chief Translational Research Officer, and Associate Cancer Center Director for Translational Research at the Yale Cancer Center. She serves as Co-Leader of the Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division Chief for Head and Neck/Sarcoma Oncology, and Director of the Yale Head and Neck Specialized Program of Research Excellence. Dr. Burtness is internationally recognized for her research in head and neck cancer. She chairs the ECOG-ACRIN Cooperative Group Head and Neck Cancer Therapeutics Committee and the ECOG-ACRIN Task Force for the Advanc, and leads national and international trials of targeted therapy in head and neck cancer. Her laboratory studies synthetic lethal therapeutic strategies in head and neck cancer and the targeting of aurora kinase A to overcome adaptive resistance to EGFR inhibition and - in lung cancer- to direct KRAS inhibition.
Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Chief, Experimental Therapeutics; Associate Cancer Center Director, Experimental Therapeutics
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalDrug Development, Experimental Therapeutics, Medical Oncology
Patricia LoRusso brings more than 25 years of expertise in medical oncology, drug development, and early phase clinical trials. Prior to her Yale appointment, she served in numerous leadership roles at Wayne State University鈥檚 Barbara Karmanos Cancer Institute, most recently as director of the Phase I Clinical Trials Program and of the Eisenberg Center for Experimental Therapeutics.
Associate Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Chief, Patient Experience Officer; Medical Director, Survivorship Clinic
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalCancer, Cancer Prevention and Control, Medical Oncology, Survivorship
am board certified in both medical oncology and hospice and palliative medicine, which I feel helps me treat the "whole person" and not just a disease. As the Chief Patient Experience Officer at Smilow Cancer Hospital, I enjoy thinking about improving care, especially where the provider and patient experience overlaps. As a breast oncologist, I have a busy practice and enjoy taking care of women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. As the director of the Yale Survivorship Clinic, one of the nation鈥檚 only multi-disciplinary clinics specializing in cancer survivorship, I learn from patients about key issues after treatment and this informs my role as Chair of the NCCN Survivorship Guidelines. My research focuses on healthy lifestyles and quality of life after cancer. I am a facilitator for Relationship-Centered Communication Workshop that address how we develop therapeutic relationships with our patients and each other. Learn more about Dr. Tara Sanft>> Education & Training Fellowship Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois (2010) Fellowship Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois (2010) Resident Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2007) MD Medical College Wisconsin (2004)
Professor of Clinical Medicine (Medical Oncology); Associate CEHE Director, Clinical Research
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalCancer Prevention and Control, Clinical Medicine, Disparities, Health Equity, Medical Oncology
Dr. Silber is the Associate CEHE Director for Clinical Research. As a medical oncologist who serves as the Medical Director and Physician Champion of the Centers for Disease Control/Connecticut Department of Public Health's 5-year provider supported grant at Yale New Haven Hospital entitled, The Connecticut Cancer Screening Program (CCSP), she designed the Comprehensive Breast Cancer Outreach and Support Program for Underserved Women, which is a culturally competent program supported by the Breast Cancer Alliance of Greenwich. She has supervised Community Health Educators dating back to 1996, when she received a national Komen award for the Sister to Sister Program, and has been recognized for expertise in breast cancer among African American women. She has directed a cancer clinic for the uninsured and underinsured for two decades and have formed community relationships, which require many years to nurture and demonstrate constancy. This year, she became the principal investigator of the Avon-Pfizer Metastatic Breast Cancer Grants Program: Identify-Amplify-Unify. This program assists organizations that provide information and services to help patients in navigating the medical and emotional challenges associated with their disease. Dr. Silber was awarded this grant from a highly competitive pool of 23 non-profit organizations nationally. Also, this year, CT Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) awarded a grant to fund a novel program called 鈥淏reast Cancer S.W.A.T. Team- We鈥檝e got your back!鈥. Learn more about Dr. Silber>> As a principal investigator, she assists economically disadvantaged breast cancer patients to adhere to treatment using medical legal partnership. This year, she was selected to participate as a leadership fellow of the Connecticut Health Foundation. The fellowship was established in 2005, and brings together diverse individuals from multiple sectors who are dedicated to achieving health equity. Each year, the foundation selects up to 20 participants into this competitive ten-month program. Throughout this program, her project has been to increase clinical trial participation among ethnic minorities and capitalize on opportunities created by the Affordable Care Act. On May 1, 2015, she was named Assistant Clinical Director for Diversity and Health Equity at Yale Cancer Center and focuses on engagement with community partners in improving education for prevention and screening and access to cancer care for diverse populations within the local community as well as Greater New Haven area.
Professor of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology); Associate Cancer Center Director, Clinical Research; Director, Clinical Trials Office; Chief Clinical Research Officer, Yale Cancer Center
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalClinical Research, Clinical Trials, Drug Development, Medical Oncology
An international leader in the clinical care of patients with breast cancer, Dr. Krop joined Yale from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where he was the Associate Chief of the Division of Breast Oncology and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Nationally, he serves as Chief Scientific Officer for the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium and the Co-Vice Chair for Correlative Science for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. His research efforts have advanced the field through clinical trials that define the next generation of therapies for patients. Dr. Krop serves as a member of the NCI Breast Cancer Steering Committee and the Data Monitoring Committee for ECOG/ACRIN. He also serves on the Data and Safety Monitoring Boards for multiple phase III trials. Education & Training: PhD-Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology MD-The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Medicine
Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Clinical Research Leader, Melanoma Program; Co-Leader, Cancer Immunology, Yale Cancer Center; Co-Director, Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalCancer Immunology, Medical Oncology, Melanoma
Dr. Mario Sznol is a Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology). Dr. Sznol, formerly with the National Cancer Institute, has an international reputation in cancer drug development. Dr. Sznol's expertise and experience is in cancer immunotherapy, drug development for cancer, and treatment of patients with melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. He is working to expand the opportunities for clinical trials at the Yale Cancer Center, particularly those focusing on immunotherapy and novel agents. Education & Training: Fellow-Mount Sinai College of Medicine (1987) Resident-Baylor College of Medicine (1985) MD-Baylor College of Medicine (1982) BA-Rice University (1979)
Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and of Dermatology; Director, Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer, Yale Cancer Center; Vice Chair for Translational Research, Internal Medicine; Chief, Division of Skin and Kidney Cancer; Associate Cancer Center Director, Education, Training and Faculty Development; Deputy Section Chief, Medical Oncology
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalMedical Oncology, Melanoma, Skin Cancer
Dr. Kluger is a medical oncologist who sees patients with melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. Her research interests focus on developing new drug regimens and biomarkers predictive of response to therapies in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. She participates in a number of clinical trials studying new agents for the treatment of these diseases, both targeting the immune system and the cancer cell. She runs an active research laboratory that studies tumor and immune cells from patients treated with novel therapies to determine mechanisms of resistance to therapy and mediators of toxicity from immune checkpoint inhibitors. The laboratory also conducts pre-clinical studies to improve treatment regimens for patients with melanoma, renal cell carcinoma or brain metastasis. Please visit the lab website at: https://sites.google.com/yale.edu/hklugerlab/home?authuser=3 Education & Training: Fellow-Yale University School of Medicine (2002) Resident-University of New Mexico (1995) MD-Tel Aviv University (1993)
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology); Director, Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center; Chief, GI Medical Oncology; Vice Chief, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Medical Oncology
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalGastrointestinal Cancers, Medical Oncology, Neuroendocrine
Dr. Kunz joins Yale from Stanford University School of Medicine where she was Director of the Stanford Neuroendocrine Tumor Program, Leader of the Endocrine Oncology Research Group, and Director of the Neuroendocrine Tumor Fellowship. Beyond her record of accomplishment in GI Oncology, Dr. Kunz is an international leader in the clinical care of patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and is advancing the field through clinical trials and translational science that are defining the next generation of therapies for patients with this rare diagnosis. Education & Training: Oncology Fellow-Stanford University (2008) Chief Resident-Stanford University (2005) Internal Medicine Resident-Stanford University (2004) MD-Dartmouth Medical School (2001) BA-Dartmouth College, Biology (1994)
Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and of Urology; Chief, Genitourinary Oncology
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalBladder Cancer, Genitourinary Cancer, Medical Oncology, Prostate Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Urology
As Professor of Medicine and Urology at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Daniel P. Petrylak is a pioneer in the research and development of new drugs and treatments to fight prostate, bladder, kidney and testicular cancer. For patients fighting these types of cancers, Petrylak finds recent developments in the field of immunotherapy particularly promising. “Up until recently, bladder cancer had not seen any major advancement in more than 30 years,” he says. “Studies are ongoing, but interim results are exciting so far.” At the Smilow Cancer Hospital, Dr. Petrylak’s position as a national leader on clinical trials for men with prostate and bladder cancer has opened up a world of treatment options for patients in New England. “We offer the latest investigational drugs for these conditions, while providing the highest level of care,” he says. Dr. Petrylak received his MD from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and joined the Yale faculty in 2012. In addition to his role as professor, he is also a member of the Cancer Signaling Networks Research Program at Yale Cancer Center, which studies how cancer stem cells are regulated in the body and communicate with surrounding tissue. Roughly 40 physicians and scientists in the program work together to develop the best methods for matching patients with the appropriate cancer drugs. One of Dr. Petrylak’s key goals is to continue to successfully translate basic research into clinical practice. “One of the most significant accomplishments in my career was moving docetaxel (an antineoplastic agent) therapy for the most advanced form of prostate cancer from phase I to III,” he says. “We ran a trial which supported its approval for the most advanced form of prostate cancer.” Dr. Petrylak currently serves as either the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on seven Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) clinical trials for genitourinary cancers. To date, he has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles on prostate and bladder cancer research.
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology); Associate Director, Medical Oncology-Hematology Program; Research Director, Center for Thoracic Cancers; Chief, Thoracic Oncology
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalLung Cancer, Medical Oncology
Dr. Sarah Goldberg is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the section of Medical Oncology at the Yale School of Medicine. As a thoracic oncologist she cares for patients with cancers of the chest including lung cancer, mesothelioma and thymoma. She is the Division Chief of Thoracic Oncology, the Research Director for the Center for Thoracic Cancers, and the Associate Program Director for the Medical Oncology-Hematology Fellowship Program at Yale. She received her medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and completed a Masters in Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health. She conducts clinical and translational research on lung cancer with a focus on investigating biomarkers and novel treatment strategies in non-small cell lung cancer. Her specific research interests include EGFR mutation positive lung cancer, immunotherapeutics for lung cancer, and brain metastases. Education & Training: Fellow-Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital (2012) Resident-Massachusetts General Hospital (2009) MD-Mount Sinai School of Medicine (2006) MPH-Harvard School of Public Health
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology), Louis Goodman and Alfred Gilman Yale Scholar
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalCancer Immunology, Kidney Cancer, Medical Oncology
David Braun, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and a member of the Center of Molecular and Cellular Oncology (CMCO) at Yale Cancer Center. Dr. Braun cares for patients with kidney cancers. He received his PhD in Computational Biology from the Courant Institute of Mathematical Science at New York University and his medical degree from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He completed his residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he received the Dunn Medical Intern Award and served as Chief Medical Resident before completing fellowship training in adult oncology through the Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare program where he was appointed the Emil Frei Fellow and the John R. Svenson Fellow.
Dr. Braun joined Yale from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where he was an Instructor in Medicine with clinical and scientific interest in understanding and improving immune therapies for kidney cancer. He has a longstanding interest in integrating experimental and computational approaches to biomedical research and is currently studying mechanisms of response and resistance to immune therapy in kidney cancer, with the goal of developing novel therapies. He continues this work as part of the CMCO, which fosters and mentors physician-scientists as they advance their laboratory-based research programs to bridge fundamental cancer biology with clinical investigation for the translation of basic discoveries into better treatments or diagnosis.
United Technologies Corporation Professor in Cancer Research and Professor of Immunobiology, of Dermatology and of Medicine (Medical Oncology)
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalCancer Immunology, Medical Oncology
Dr. Lieping Chen is an immunologist interested in basic T cell biology, cancer immunology, and translational research to develop new treatments for human diseases including cancer. Prior to joining Yale, he was a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Mayo Clinic, and a scientist in Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute.
Dr. Chen has published over 370 peer-reviewed research articles. His work in the discovery of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway for cancer immunotherapy was cited as the #1 breakthrough of the year by Science magazine in 2013. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer.
Anthony N. Brady Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Chief Translational Research Officer, Yale Cancer Center; Chief, Head and Neck Cancers/Sarcoma; Co-Leader, Developmental Therapeutics, Yale Cancer Center; Associate Cancer Center Director for Translational Research, Yale Cancer Center
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalASCO 2024, Head And Neck Cancer, Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
Barbara Burtness, MD, is a Yale Medicine medical oncologist who sees patients at Yale Cancer Center. She has made it her life’s mission to help people diagnosed with head and neck cancer, which can be a devastating disease even after it is cured—it can impact a person’s appearance, as well as the ability to speak, swallow, and eat.
“Patients often encounter unpleasant outcomes that can include difficulty swallowing solid foods, impaired nutrition, aspiration, and feeding tube dependence,” says Dr. Burtness. “Younger patients may have to deal with these side effects for decades after cancer treatment.”
A careful treatment approach can help prevent these problems. She and her team evaluate the tumor location and decide which primary treatment (surgery or radiation therapy) will best cure the cancer and cause the fewest possible negative outcomes.
A professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Burtness’ research lab is actively studying new cures for head and neck cancers. “We want to help improve these patients’ quality of life,” she says.
President Emeritus of the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalASCO 2024, Developmental Therapeutics, Gastrointestinal Cancers, Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Women's Health
Dr. Kunz is an international leader in the treatment and clinical research of patients with GI malignancies and neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). She holds several leadership positions in the field including President Emeritus of the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society, recent past Chair of the Neuroendocrine Tumor Taskforce of the National Cancer Institute, and member of the FDA’s Oncology Drug Advisory Committee. She also currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief for JCO Oncology Advances. In addition to her focus on NETs, she is a leading voice for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in medicine. She served as the Vice Chief of DEI for the Section of Medical Oncology at Yale School of Medicine and, in 2021, she was awarded ‘Woman Oncologist of the Year’ by Women Leaders in Oncology for her work in promoting gender equity.
Associate Director of Innovative Medicine
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalASCO 2024, Cancer, DNA Repair, Experimental Therapeutics, Lymphoma, Medical Oncology, Tumor
Oncologist Patricia LoRusso, DO, associate director of innovative medicine at Yale Medicine, has expertise in testing new treatments on patient volunteers who have advanced stages of cancer. Her passion is bringing research breakthroughs into the clinic to help patients with different types and stages of cancer.
The clinical trials at Yale Cancer Center offer access to experimental drugs that are sometimes a patient’s last and best hope, says Dr. LoRusso. Therapies that prove successful can advance through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process. “Many of the drugs tested here will help generations of cancer patients,” says Dr. LoRusso. In her career, 14 cancer drugs she has performed clinical trials on, which she refers to as her “children,” have gone on to gain FDA approval.
Dr. LoRusso leads the Phase I clinical trials infusion center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven. She infuses the center with a warm, team-focused approach that puts patients at the center of care. “We’re improving patients’ lives in Connecticut and beyond,” says Dr. LoRusso.
Co-Director, Colorectal Program in the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalASCO 2024, DNA Repair, Gastroinestinal cancer, Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Pancreatic Cancer, Rectal Cancer
Michael Cecchini, MD, is a medical oncologist who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers, including (but not limited to) colorectal, bile duct, pancreas, esophageal, and stomach cancers. He often cares for patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancers and is an investigator in multiple research trials to help them get treatments that are not always available elsewhere.
“Taking care of patients and spending the time to get to know them is the best part of my job,” Dr. Cecchini says. It helps to draw upon the diverse expertise of colleagues at Smilow and those in non-cancer specialties, he adds. “At Yale we have an excellent multidisciplinary team that will work hard to treat your cancer, manage your symptoms, and deliver the care you deserve as a patient.”
Dr. Cecchini was inspired to become a cancer specialist partly because he wanted to have opportunities to perform research to improve options for his patients. “Few specialties are so integrated with close patient relationships and translational research that can dramatically improve the lives of our patients and minimize side effects,” he says. His translational research includes clinical and lab projects to study DNA damage and the immune response, primarily for colorectal cancer. He is the recipient of a Young Investigator Award from the Conquer Cancer Foundation for research focused on metastatic gastric cancer and 2020 Scholar on the Yale Cancer Center K12 Calabresi Immuno-Oncology Training Program.
Professor of Medicine and Urology at Yale School of Medicine
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalASCO 2024, Bladder Cancer, Immunotherapy, Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Obesity, Prostate Cancer
As Professor of Medicine and Urology at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Daniel P. Petrylak is a pioneer in the research and development of new drugs and treatments to fight prostate, bladder, kidney and testicular cancer. For patients fighting these types of cancers, Petrylak finds recent developments in the field of immunotherapy particularly promising. “Up until recently, bladder cancer had not seen any major advancement in more than 30 years,” he says. “Studies are ongoing, but interim results are exciting so far.”
At the Smilow Cancer Hospital, Dr. Petrylak’s position as a national leader on clinical trials for men with prostate and bladder cancer has opened up a world of treatment options for patients in New England. “We offer the latest investigational drugs for these conditions, while providing the highest level of care,” he says.
Dr. Petrylak received his MD from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and joined the Yale faculty in 2012. In addition to his role as professor, he is also a member of the Cancer Signaling Networks Research Program at Yale Cancer Center, which studies how cancer stem cells are regulated in the body and communicate with surrounding tissue. Roughly 40 physicians and scientists in the program work together to develop the best methods for matching patients with the appropriate cancer drugs.
One of Dr. Petrylak’s key goals is to continue to successfully translate basic research into clinical practice. “One of the most significant accomplishments in my career was moving docetaxel (an antineoplastic agent) therapy for the most advanced form of prostate cancer from phase I to III,” he says. “We ran a trial which supported its approval for the most advanced form of prostate cancer.”
Dr. Petrylak currently serves as either the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on seven Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) clinical trials for genitourinary cancers. To date, he has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles on prostate and bladder cancer research.