Hematology Oncology of Indiana, a Division of American Oncology Network

• Partner

Indy Hematology Education Inc.

• President and CEO

Marian University: Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine

• Clinical Professor

Ruemu E. Birhiray, MD is an attending physician in medical oncology, hematology, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at Hematology-Oncology of Indiana, and at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. After completing his internal medicine residency at Columbus Hospital in Chicago where he also served as Chief Medical Resident in 1994, he was a postgraduate fellow in bone marrow transplant at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and in medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland where his research included gene therapy and adoptive cellular immunotherapy strategies in bone marrow transplantation. Dr. Birhiray’s professional experience has also included serving as an attending physician, and Director of bone marrow transplantation and a member of Marshfield Clinic, Wisconsin and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin from 1998 to 2001. Additionally Dr. Birhiray was appointed an Associate Professor of bone marrow transplantation at Rush University, Chicago, Illinois in 2001, prior to joining Hematology Oncology of Indiana. Subsequently, Dr. Birhiray, served as and director of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Institutional Principal Investigator for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project of the National Cancer Institute at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Indianapolis. Currently, he is also, Clinical Professor, Marian University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, and an Editorial Board Member of The Journal of Blood Transfusion and Hematopathology. Projects for which Dr. Birhiray is principal investigator include reduced intensity allogeneic transplantation in hematologic malignancies, and a trial of Interferon A, CHOP, and rituximab therapy in advanced-stage follicular lymphoma, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Additional collaborations have included major phase III clinical trials. Additionally Dr. Birhiray founded the Clinical research program at Hematology Oncology of Indiana. His awards include, “Intern of the year” from Columbus Hospital, Hope award from the Indiana Wellness community and named “best physician” by the Indianapolis monthly magazine and “top doctor” by Castle Connelly. In 2002, Dr. Birhiray founded and has served as Chair of the annual “Indy Hematology Review”, a nationally respected program providing education for hematologists and oncologists nationally and regionally, and he is also President and CEO of Indy Hematology Education, Inc. A member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, and the American Medical Association, Dr Birhiray has published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Leukemia, Gene Therapy and Therapeutic Apheresis, Journal of Blood Transfusion and Hematopathology, Human Immunology, Familial Cancer, Annals of Pharmacotherapy, American Journal of Health System Pharmacists, Pharmacotherapy, in addition to multiple abstracts. Dr. Birhiray is married to Donna Marie (nee Baynard) since 1995, and they are blessed with 3 children, a daughter, Maya, born in 1999, and a son, Dirin, born in 2003, and an older daughter Meaghan who was born in 1990.

Moffitt Cancer Center

• Department Chair, Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

• Program Lead, Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

• Program Co-Leader, Immuno-Oncology; Chair, Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy.

Dr. Locke is a medical oncologist and translational researcher in the Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy. He leads the Immune Cell Therapy (ICE-T) initiative at Moffitt, an integrated cross-departmental translational team. Dr. Locke is a clinical research leader in the field of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, acting as a national P.I. for several pivotal trials of anti-CD19 CARs for lymphoma. In addition, Dr. Locke is translating findings from his laboratory into new cellular immunotherapies such as the Moffitt created whole protein survivin tumor vaccine for multiple myeloma. Dr. Locke graduated with a B.S. in Physiology from Michigan State University, and with an M.D. from Wayne State University. He stayed at Wayne State and the Detroit Medical Center for Internal Medicine residency training and then served as Chief Medical Resident at Detroit Receiving. Dr. Locke received Medical Oncology, clinical research, and laboratory research training at the University of Chicago. Dr. Locke provides care for multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and leukemia patients. He oversees both autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants as well as cellular immunotherapy treatments such as CAR T cell Therapy.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

• Chief of Staff

• Director of Translational Research, Adult Leukemia Program

• Institute Physician

Harvard Medical School

• Professor of Medicine

Richard Stone, MD, is the Lunder Family Chair in Leukemia and Chief of Staff at Dana- Farber Cancer Institute. He is also Director of Translational Research for the Adult Leukemia Program, at DFCI, and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Stone is nationally recognized for translational and clinical research in blood and bone marrow malignancies including acute leukemia, myeloproliferative disorders and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). He has had a significant leadership role in the development of at least five recently approved agents for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

In addition to his work at Dana-Farber, Dr. Stone is a Vice Chair of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) MDS panel and is also a member of the NCCN AML panel. He previously served as the Chair of the Alliance Leukemia Committee, Chair of the Medical Advisory Board of the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation, and the Chair of the ABIM Oncology Board.

Dr. Stone has participated extensively in teaching medical students, residents, and fellows, as well as graduate medical education courses on leukemia and related disorders. He is the author of many academic papers that have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Blood, Leukemia as well as numerous other journals. He has also served on the editorial boards of Leukemia Research, Blood and Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Dr. Stone earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1981. He completed his internal medicine residency training and served as Chief Medical Resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He completed his hematology-oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

• Director of Basic and Correlative Science, Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center

• Kraft Family Chair

• Director, Multiple Myeloma Immune Effector Cell Therapy

• Senior Physician

Harvard Medical School

• Professor of Medicine

Dr. Munshi received his MD from Maharaja Sayjirao University, India, in 1984. He completed his postgraduate training in Internal Medicine at SSG Hospital and Maharaja Sayjirao University, followed by fellowships at Johns Hopkins Oncology Center and Indiana University Medical Center. In 2001, he joined Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is currently the Director of Basic and Correlative Science, Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center.

Mission Cancer + Blood

• Physician

• Director of Clinical Trials

Dr. Graff obtained her master’s degree in Immunology from Loyola University in Chicago and earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine credentials from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, Florida in 2009. 

She completed her residency training in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital. She has led several clinical research projects and has published many original oncology and hematology articles. Dr. Graff is board certified in Medical Oncology.

Dr. Graff has worked at Mission Cancer and Blood in Des Moines IA for over 11 years and specializes in CLL and NHL.

Dr. Graff serves on multiple National Lymphoma Advisory Boards, NHL Advisory Council and LBCL Steering Committee. She is a member of ECOG Clinical Trial Organization, Lymphoma Working Committee for the CIBMTR and sits on the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF). She has paired with LLS doing patient education for rural cancer patients as well as CAR-T and bispecific education for community oncologists. Dr. Graff is the Executive Director of the Cellular Therapy program for Exigent Research as well as co-chair for the malignant hematology council for Exigent Research. Dr. Graff serves as the Primary Investigator for multiple clinical trials both past and present and is the Director of Clinical Trials at Mission Cancer and Blood/UIHSMG.

The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders

• Medical Director

• Founder

American Oncology Network

• Chief Medical Officer

Georgetown University

• Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine

Ralph V. Boccia, MD, FACP: Dr Boccia is Medical Director for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Bethesda, Maryland, and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He is also Chief Medical Officer for the International Oncology Network (ION), and serves as chairman for ION’s Medical Advisory Panel. He is a member of the American Oncology Network and its Advisory Board and is the Medical Director for its clinical research program (AOR). Dr. Boccia completed training in internal medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)– affiliated hospitals. His hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplant fellowships were completed at the combined UCLA-VA Program and the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He is board certified in internal medicine, hematology, medical oncology. He is a member of the American College of Physicians, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Society of Hematology. With his vast experience and research, Dr Boccia has published more than 200 articles in journal such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, New England Journal of Medicine, Cancer, Blood, Annals of Internal Medicine, Lancet, and Oncology amongst others. He is listed in Who’s Who in America and has been voted into Washingtonian’s Best Physicians in Washington and Consumers’ Checkbook’s Guide to Top Doctors in Washington, DC every year since 1992.