Scientific Committee 2019

David Maloney MD, PhD is the Leonard and Norma Klorfine Endowed Chair for Clinical Research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and the Medical Director at the Bezos Family Immunotherapy Clinic, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in Washington, USA. He is also a Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington.

Dr Maloney completed his MD, PhD and a Medical Oncology fellowship at Stanford University, California. He also undertook an Internal Medicine fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts.

Dr Maloney’s research is focused on the development of immunotherapies for patients with lymphoid cancers, including lymphomas, leukemias and myeloma. He is currently leading a clinical trial that is evaluating the use of CAR-T cells for patients with CD19 positive malignancies, including ALL, CLL and NHL.

John Gribben MD, DSc, FRCPath, FRCP, FMedSci is a Consultant Haematologist and Medical Oncologist at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.

Professor Gribben completed his MD at the University of Glasgow, and his DSc at University College London. He continued his training at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School and was appointed to the Faculty at Harvard Medical School before returning to London in 2005.

Professor Gribben’s primary research interests include the immunotherapy of cancer (including stem cell transplantation), the identification of B-cell tumor antigens, and the detection and treatment of measurable residual disease (MRD) in leukemia and lymphoma.

Yi Lin MD, PhD is a clinical haematologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, USA. 

Dr Yin completed her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minnesota, and then undertook her MD at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. She undertook her residency and a fellowship in Haematology and Medical Oncology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine where she now works.

Frederick Locke MD is a medical oncologist and translational researcher in the Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.

Dr Locke completed his MD at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. He then undertook a residency at Detroit Medical Center and a Haematology/Oncology fellowship at the University of Chicago Medical Center. 

Dr Locke’s research focuses on developing strategies to promote T cell responses against tumour associated antigens for patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma. He is a lead investigator for two national multi-center phase I/II studies treating aggressive lymphoma patients with anti-CD19 CAR T cells and the site PI of a randomized multi-center trial testing infusion of tumor (marrow) infiltrating lymphocytes for multiple myeloma.

Noelle Frey, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. She has clinical expertise in leukemia, MDS, lymphoma and ASCT.

Dr Frey completed her MD at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City, NY. She then undertook a fellowship and residency at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. In addition, Dr Frey completed an MS in Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2012.

Dr Frey’s research focuses on early phase clinical trial design and translational research for patients with hematologic malignancies and those undergoing ASCT. She is involved in numerous clinical trials, including exciting CAR T-cell trials in ALL and CLL. Dr Frey has many publications in this area, including the cellular kinetics of CAR T-cell treatment and cytokine release syndrome.

Caron Jacobson MD is the Medical Director of the Immune Effector Cell Therapy Program at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center in Massachusetts, USA. She is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. 

Dr Jacobson completed her medical degree at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, USA, followed by residencies at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. She completed her fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where she now works. 

Reuben Benjamin, MD, is a Consultant Haematologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer at King’s College Hospital, London.

Dr Benjamin completed his Haematology training at University College Hospital, London, UK and then worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.

Elizabeth Budde, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope, California, USA.

Dr Budde obtained her medical degree and PhD from Duke University of Medicine, North Carolina, USA. She carried out a residency at Washington University School of Medicine, Missouri, USA, followed by a fellowship at the University of Washington / Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Washington, USA.

Elise Chong, MD, is the inaugural Bruce D. Cheson, MD Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.

Dr Chong obtained her MD from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and subsequently completed her residency there before starting her fellowship.

Dr Marco L. Davila, MD, PhD is an associate member and physician scientist at the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.

He gained both his MD and PhD in immunology at Duke University. He completed his residency at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, and his research and clinical fellowships in medical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

His research uses animal models of cancer to develop gene-engineered cell therapies.

Peter Emtage, PhD, is the Global Head of Cell Therapy Research at Kite, a Gilead company.

Prior to Kite, Dr Emtage served as the Chief Scientific Officer at Cell Design Labs and held senior positions at Intrexon, MedImmune and Femta Pharmaceuticals. He received his PhD in Molecular Virology, Immunology and Inflammation at the McMaster University, Ontario, Canada.

Ian Flinn, MD, PhD, is Director for the Sarah Cannon Center for Blood Cancer at Tennessee Oncology, Tennessee, USA and for the TriStar Centennial Medical Center, Tennessee, USA.

Dr Flinn completed his medical degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Maryland USA. He then carried out a residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center, Michigan USA; followed by a fellowship in Oncology and Hematology and a PhD in Clinical Investigations from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Joseph Fraietta, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.

Dr Fraietta obtained his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA under the supervision of Dr Peter D. Katsikis.

Matthew Frigault, MD, is a Medical Oncologist in the Hematologic Malignancy Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Massachusetts, USA, as well as Administrative Director of the Cellular Therapy Service. He is also an instructor at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts, USA.

Dr Frigault completed his MD at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA. He completed his oncology fellowship at the combined Massachusetts General Hospital / Dana Farber Cancer Institute where he worked with Dr Marcela Maus. He also carried out post-graduate training at the Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA in Dr Ivan Borrelo’s laboratory.

Rebecca A. Gardner, MD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington, Washington, USA. She is also an attending physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Washington, USA.

Dr Gardner received her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Maryland, USA. She carried out a residency in Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine, Utah, USA, followed by a fellowship in Hematology at the University of Washington School of Medicine where she currently works.

Jordan Gauthier, MD, is an assistant member at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Washington, USA.

Dr Gauthier received his MD from Université de Rennes I, Rennes, France, before carrying out a MSc in Biomedical Sciences at The Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. He carried out a residency and fellowship at the CHRU Lille Centre Biologie Pathologie, in France and a further fellowship at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Washington, USA.

Saar Gill, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.

Dr Gill obtained his medical degree from the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. He undertook residencies in Internal Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia and Haematology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Dr Gill then undertook a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr Robert Negrin at Stanford University, California, USA, followed by a fellowship in BMT and Cellular Therapy under Dr David Porter at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA. He also worked in the laboratory of Dr Michael Kalos, focusing on chimeric antigen receptor T cells for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia before forming his own research group.

William Go, MD, PhD is a member of the leadership team of A2 Biotherapeutics, where he serves as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development.

He initially gained a biology degree from Carleton College, and later trained in medicine and achieved a doctorate from the University of California.

LaQuisa Hill, MD, is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA. She is also an Assistant Professor at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Dr Hill received her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. She then carried out her residency in Internal Medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.

Hardikkumar Jetani, PhD is a postdoctoral researcher at the University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. 

Dr Jetani studied at Gujarat University, India, before joining Intas Pharmaceuticals as a Research Associate. He then completed his PhD fellowship at the Graduate School of Life Sciences at the University of Würzburg, focusing on T-cell engineering.

Daniel Lee, MD, is an assistant professor at the University of Virgina, Virginia, USA and the director of Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy.

Dr Lee obtained his MD from the University of Texas Health Science Center, Texas, USA. He then carried out a postdoctoral fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas, USA, followed by a residency at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas USA, as well as the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr Lee then carried out a combined Pediatric Hematology and Oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, Pediatric Oncology Branch, Maryland, USA and the Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA. After his fellowship, Dr Lee stayed on staff as an assistant clinical investigator before joining the University of Virginia faculty.

Fang Liu, MD, PhD is a physician at the Chengdu Military General Hospital, Sichuan, China.

Sham Mailankody, MBBS, is a Medical Oncologist at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.

Dr Mailankody was awarded his medical degree from K.S. Hedge Medical Academy, Mangaluru, India. He then completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the Med Star Washington Hospital Center, Washington D.C., Washington, before carrying out a fellowship in Medical Oncology at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.

Loretta J. Nastoupil, MD, is an assistant professor at The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas, USA. She is also the Director of the Department of Lymphoma / Myeloma.

Dr Nastoupil obtained her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Texas, USA. She then completed an internal medicine residency at Washington University, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Missouri, USA followed by a Hematology-Medical Oncology fellowship at Emory University, Georgia, USA.

Tonia Nesheiwat, PharmD, is the Executive Director of Medical Affairs at Legend Biotech, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.

Dr Nesheiwat completed her Doctorate in Pharmacy at Rutgers University, New Jersey. After this, she held Postdoctoral positions then transitioned to Novartis Oncology as a Clinical Manger, before moving to Celgene in the Medical Affairs department.

Krina Patel, MD, is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas USA.

Dr Patel obtained her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Texas, USA. She carried out a residency in Internal Medicine at The University of Texas UT Health, Texas, USA before carrying out a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Claire Roddie, MD, PhD, is a Consultant Haematologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Haematology at University College London, London, UK.

Dr Roddie completed her PhD in Cellular Immunotherapy at University College London in the laboratory of Professor Karl Peggs. She then undertook a Clinician Scientist post in Dr Martin Pule’s Laboratory to work on the UCL CAR T-cell program.

Scott Rodig, MD, PhD, is the Director of the Tissue Biomarker Laboratory of the Center for Immuno-Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts, USA and the Director of the Hematopathology Fellowship at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. He is also an Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts, USA.

Dr Rodig, completed is medical degree and PhD at Washington University School of Medicine, Missouri, USA, followed by a residency at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts, USA.

Rayne Rouce, MD, is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas and is also a Physician at the Texas Children’s Cancer Center.

Dr Rouce obtained her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. She completed her Pediatrics internship and residency at the same institute, before carrying out her fellowship in Pediatric Hematological Oncology at the Baylor College of Medicine where she currently works.

Bianca Santomasso MD, PhD is a neuro-oncologist at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.

Dr Santomasso completed her MD at Weill Cornell Medical College and her PhD at Rockefeller University. She completed her Neuro-Oncology fellowship at the Memorial Sloan Cancer Center.

Her research interests include developing new ways to use the immune system to treat glioblastoma. 

Barbara Savoldo, MD, PhD, is Assistant Director of the Lineberger Immunotherapy Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.

Dr Savoldo received her MD at the University of Parma, Italy, before carrying out a fellowship there in the field of hematology. She then undertook a PhD at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

Jordan Schecter, MD, is the Executive Medical Director at Johnson & Johnson.

Dr Schecter received his medical degree from Brown University, Rhode Island, USA.

Stephen Schuster, MD, is the Robert and Margarita Louis-Dreyfus Associate Professor in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Clinical Care and Research and is also director of the Lymphoma Program at the Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.

Professor Schuster graduated with a medical degree from the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, USA and then completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital. He then completed clinical and research fellowships at the Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research at the Jefferson Medical College, before serving as director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, and as the director for Clinical Programs for the Division of Hematology. He then joined the University of Pennsylvania.

Tanya Siddiqi, MD, is the Director of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Program at the Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, California USA. She is also an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in City of Hope, California, USA.

Dr Siddiqi received her medical degree at Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center, Connecticut, USA. This was followed by fellowships in Hematology / Oncology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts, USA and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation at City of Hope, where she now works.

Bijal Shah, MD, is a Hematologist and Oncologist, associated with the Moffitt Cancer Center, Florida, USA.

Dr Shah received his MD from the University of South Florida, Florida, USA. He then undertook a residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Duke University, North Carolina, USA, followed by a training fellowship at the Moffitt Cancer Center where he currently works.

Nirali Shah, MD, is an Associate Research Physician at Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA.

Dr Shah obtained her medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Illinois, USA. She then completed a dual residency program in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital Boston and Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts, USA.  

She then joined the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellowship training program between the National Cancer Institute, Pediatric Oncology Branch and Johns Hopkins University where she currently works.

Nirav Shah, MD, is an associate professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, USA. He is also affiliated with the Froedtert Hospital, Wisconsin, USA.

Dr Shah obtained his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Illinois, USA. He then undertook a residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts, USA; followed by a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.

Edward A. Stadtmauer, MD is a practicing physician and Section Chief of Hematologic Malignancies at the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA.

Dr Stadtmauer gained his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and undertook residency at the Bronx Municipal Hospital, Albert Einstein College. He also holds a fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, he has research expertise in Clinical Trials and Bone Marrow Transplant, resulting in the publication of a variety of papers in esteemed journals within the field, such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Most notably, throughout his career, Dr Stadtmauer has been recognized by America’s Top Doctors, Best Doctors in America and Philadelphia magazine’s annual Top Docs.

Wan-Hong Zhao, MD, PhD, is an associate director of hematology at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University of Xi’an, China.