Indy Precision Oncology Symposium

Partner, Hematology Oncology of Indiana, a Division of American Oncology Network and President and CEO, Indy Hematology Education Inc. Clinical Professor, Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Indianapolis, Indiana)

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.

Professor and Vice Chair for Translational Research in Gynecologic Oncology and Cancer Biology
MD Anderson Cancer Center

Dr. Anil K. Sood is Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. He serves as co-director of the Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, Director of the multi-disciplinary Blanton-Davis Ovarian Cancer Research Program, and co-lead of the Ovarian Cancer Moon Shot Program. Dr. Sood earned his medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on understanding human cancer biology and translating laboratory discoveries into novel therapeutics. His team has made seminal contributions in tumor microenvironment, nanomedicine, and the neuroendocrine regulation of cancer. He has received recognition for his research accomplishments including the Hunter Award, and the GCF/Claudia Cohen Research Foundation Prize for Outstanding Gynecologic Cancer Researcher. He is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Association of American Physicians (AAP). Dr. Sood was selected as an American Cancer Society Research Professor in 2017, elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in 2021, and the National Academy of Inventors in 2024.

Director for the Center for Neuro-Oncology
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dr. Wen graduated from the Medical College of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, University of London, in 1981. He completed his internal medicine training at the University of London postgraduate hospitals and his neurology residency in the Harvard-Longwood Neurology Training Program. His research is focused on novel treatments of brain tumors, especially targeted molecular agents. His other clinical interests include neurologic complications of cancer.

Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School

Dr. Justin Gainor is the Director of the Center for Thoracic Cancers and Director of Targeted Immunotherapy at the Massachusetts General Hospital. His research focuses on developing novel cancer immunotherapies and immunotherapy combinations. He is the principal investigator of a broad portfolio of first-in-human clinical trials exploring new immunotherapeutic agents. In parallel, he is an active translational researcher addressing problems at the intersection of the clinic and basic science laboratories. His current work focuses on identifying predictive biomarkers of response and resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. He is currently a co-leader of the American Cancer Society-SU2C Lung Cancer Dream Team, whose mission is to identify molecular mechanisms of resistance to cancer immunotherapy.

Associate Professor of Oncology
John Hopkins School of Medicine

Christine L Hann, completed her MD and Ph.D. at Jefferson Medical College/Thomas Jefferson University follwed by an internal medicine residency at the University of Chicago Hospitals. Following a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in Hematology and Oncology, Dr. Hann joined the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center as a member of the Upper Aerodigestive Cancer Program and sees patients with non-small cell and small cell lung cancer. Dr. Hann's research focus is on developing novel therapeutics for lung cancer, particularly small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) such as carcinoid tumors of the lung. As a faculty member she is involved in both clinical and laboratory research. Specific research projects include: 1) Studying mechanisms of resistant to small molecule inhibitors of the antiapoptotic protein, BCL-2 using patient-derived xenograft models. Her preclinical work has led to an NCI-sponsored Phase 1/2 clinical trial combining a BCL-2 inhibitor with a TORC1/2 inhibitors which is currently underway (NCT03366103). 2) Preclinical evaluation of various therapeutics including epigenetic modulators (LSD1 inhibitors) and nanoliposome chemotherapy in SCLC PDXs; 3) Modeling and characterizing chemoradiotherapy resistance in preclinical models of SCLC. She, along with Dr. Luigi Marchionni in Biostatistics and Dr. Phuoc Tran in the Department of Radiation Oncology, were recently awarded a 5-year NCI-sponsored U01 grant to study mechanisms of chemoradiation resistance in SCLC. Dr. Hann is PI of several trials in SCLC and NSCLC and is leading investigator-initiated clinical trials in SCLC and NETs.

Director of Hepatobiliary Cancer
Columbia University Medical Center

Aiwu Ruth He, M.D., Ph.D. is a Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. She earned her M.D. from the Xiangya School of Medicine at Central South University and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine. Dr. He completed postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health under the mentorship of Dr. Simeon Taylor, followed by an internal medicine residency at the Brody School of Medicine and a Hematology/Oncology fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital.

Dr. He is a physician-scientist and adult medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal malignancies, including colorectal, pancreatic, hepatocellular, biliary tract, esophageal, and gastric cancers, with a research focus on hepatobiliary malignancies.

Dr. He leads numerous clinical trials focused on primary liver and biliary tract cancers. She is deeply committed to a programmatic, multidisciplinary approach to clinical practice, ensuring optimal outcomes for her patients across the continuum of care.

Outside of her clinical duties, Dr. He serves as the Director of Hepatobiliary Cancers in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, as well as the Director of Liver Transplant Oncology at the Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation. In these roles, she oversees clinical research on hepatobiliary cancers.

Medical Director of the Genitourinary Oncology Research Program
Weill Cornell Medicine

Scott T. Tagawa, MD, MS, FACP, FASCO, is a Professor of Medicine and Urology at Weill Cornell Medicine, and an Attending Physician at NewYork-Presbyterian – Weill Cornell Medical Center. After earning his BS from Georgetown University, Dr. Tagawa received his Medical Degree at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Medicine. After completing his Internship and Residency training at USC, he became Chief Resident and subsequently underwent fellowship training in Hematology and Medical Oncology, being appointed Chief Fellow for his final two years. Dr. Tagawa had the opportunity to train with international leaders in Genitourinary (GU) Oncology. In August 2005, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, serving as Associate Program Director for the Fellowship Training Program. As Director of Genitourinary (GU) Oncology for the Division of Hematology and Oncology and Director of Medical Oncology for the Deane Prostate Health and Research Center, Dr. Tagawa took the lead in developing genitourinary clinical trials. He was recruited to Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) in 2007. His research covers clinical and translational investigations in genitourinary tumors and thrombosis (blood clotting) in people with cancer. As the Medical Director of the Genitourinary Oncology Research Program, Dr. Tagawa leads clinical trials in the areas of prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer as well as the prevention and treatment of thrombosis with cancer. He specializes in drug development and theranostics in prostate cancer. Dr. Tagawa also serves as leader of the GU Disease Management Team and co-leader of the Experimental Therapeutics Program of the Meyer Cancer Center. He is the WCM principal investigator for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (formerly CALGB), serving on the Board of Directors and as a funded member of the Genitourinary Committee. Additionally, he serves on the editorial boards of many journals, is a member of numerous national and international medical and scientific societies, and has been named on multiple “top doctor” award lists.

Chair of the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Michael Davies, M.D., Ph.D., is an Professor and the Chairman of the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology. He has joint appointments in the Department of Systems Biology and the Department of Translational Molecular Pathology. He is an expert in the management of patients with advanced melanoma, including treatment with immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and chemotherapy, as well as the development of integrated multidisciplinary care plans. In addition to providing standard of care therapies, he has designed and led multiple clinical trials for patients with advanced melanoma. Dr. Davies also leads a translational laboratory research program. His research has identified clinical associations of oncogenic mutations and signaling pathways; novel strategies to overcome resistance to targeted and immune therapies; and new predictors and therapeutic approaches for central nervous system (CNS) metastases from melanoma. Dr. Davies is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and he is the co-leader of the MD Anderson Melanoma Moon Shot Program.

Associate Professor in the Department of Translational Molecular Pathology in the Division of Cancer Medicine
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Dr. Damodaran is a physician-scientist specializing in breast cancer, genomics, and developmental therapeutics. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, with joint appointments in Investigational Cancer Therapeutics and Translational Molecular Pathology. His research focuses on biomarker-driven clinical trials, the application of multi-omics approaches for therapeutic target discovery, and characterization of mechanisms of therapeutic resistance. At MD Anderson, he leads the Breast Medical Oncology department’s biomarker-directed clinical and translational research efforts and serves as the Breast Liaison for the NCI Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) and Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN). He serves/ served as PI for multiple biomarker-enriched clinical trials, including NCI-MATCH Z1F, ELAINE-2, and ELAINE-3. He also serves on the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Board of Internal Medicine, and San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium expert and educational panels.

Deputy Director and Director of Phase 1 Clinical Research

Fred & Pamela Buffet Cancer Center University of Nebraska Medical Center

Dr. Moore is an internationally recognized leader in gynecologic oncology, known for her contributions to early-phase clinical trials and cancer research program development. In her role, Dr. Moore will provide strategic leadership across the cancer center as deputy director and will lead the Phase 1 Oncology Trials Program. Dr. Moore joins the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center from the Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma, where she most recently served as deputy director. Previously, she served as associate director for clinical research and director of the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Phase 1 Drug Development Unit, leading the expansion of early-phase oncology trials, investigator-initiated drug development and multidisciplinary clinical research infrastructure. A prolific investigator, Dr. Moore has authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals and has contributed to practice-changing advances in the treatment of ovarian, endometrial and cervical cancers. Her work has helped shape contemporary standards for drug development and clinical trial design in gynecologic oncology. “I am honored to join the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center at such an important moment in its growth,” Dr. Moore said. “The center has a strong foundation in multidisciplinary cancer care and translational science, and I am deeply aligned with its mission to bring innovative therapies to patients through rigorous, patient-centered clinical research. I look forward to working with faculty, staff and trainees to expand early-phase trials and strengthen the center’s impact locally, nationally and internationally.” Dr. Moore currently serves on the board of directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. She holds leadership positions within NRG Oncology, the Gynecologic Oncology Group Foundation and the International Gynecologic Cancer Research Consortia. Dr. Moore received her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine. She graduated with high honors and was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, followed by fellowship training in gynecologic oncology and a Master of Science in Epidemiology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Chief of Cleveland Clinic’s Cancer Institute

Alex A. Adjei, MD; PhD is Chairman of the Taussig Cancer Institute and the M. Frank Rudy and Margaret D. Rudy Distinguished Chair in Translational Cancer Research at Cleveland Clinic. As Chairman, he is responsible for all clinical, financial, academic, operational, professional and strategic issues pertaining to cancer medicine at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Adjei oversees a staff of over 170 physicians and 40 Advanced Practice Providers, both at the Main Campus and at 18 regional centers.

Chair & Professor of Medicine & Oncology

University of Rochester Medical Center - Wilmot Cancer Institute

Dr. Ruth O'Regan, M.D., is the Chair of Medicine and Charles A. Dewey Professor at the University of Rochester. She additionally serves as Physician-in-Chief of Strong Memorial Hospital and as Associate Director of Education and Mentoring at the Wilmot Cancer Institute at University of Rochester. She previously was Division Chief of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care in the Department of Medicine and as Deputy Director at the Carbone Cancer Center at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH). She served as Chief Scientific officer of the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium guiding the research and scientific mission of the consortium and as Vice-Chair of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Board of Directors. Prior to joining the faculty at UWSMPH she was Director of the Glenn Family Breast Cancer Program at the Winship Cancer Institute and as Vice-Chair for Education and Director of the Hematology Oncology Fellowship program in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University. She additionally served as Chief of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital. Dr. O'Regan earned her Medical Degree from University College, Dublin, Ireland and completed her Internal Medicine residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin and her Hematology/Oncology fellowship at Northwestern University. Her research program focuses on identifying mechanisms of resistance to breast-cancer therapies and on the development of new therapies with a specific focus on triple negative breast cancer.

Deputy Director for Research Programs

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

Heinz-Josef Lenz, M.D., FACP, is the Associate Director for Clinical Research and Co-Leader of the Gastrointestinal Cancers Program at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Lenz is Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine, Section Head of GI Oncology in the Division of Medical Oncology and Co-Director of the Colorectal Center at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.Dr. Lenz received his medical degree from Johannes-Gutenberg Universität in Mainz, Germany, in 1985. He completed a residency in Hematology and Oncology at the University Hospital Tübingen in Germany, a clerkship in Oncology at George Washington University in Washington, DC, and a clerkship in Hematology at Beth Israel Hospital of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. He served subsequent fellowships in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.An active researcher, Dr. Lenz focuses on topics including the regulation of gene expression involved in drug resistance, patients at high risk of developing colorectal cancer, and determination of carcinogenesis, methods of early detection, and better surveillance of these cancers. He is a member of several professional societies, including the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Gastroenterology Association, and the National Society of Genetic Counselors. He also serves on the National Advisory Board of a number of professional organizations. Dr. Lenz is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications and invited papers, reviews, and editorials. He also serves as Co-Chair of the GI Committee and Correlative Science Committee for SWOG. He is a member of the NCI Task Force for Gastroesophageal Cancer, the NCI Steering Committee and the NCI Translational Science Committee. In addition to having an NCI-funded laboratory, he was a recipient of the ASCO Young Investigator Award, the ASCO Career Development Award, and the STOP Cancer Career Development Award. He received in 2021 the USC Mentoring Award as well as highly cited researchers in the world. He has been select as influential leader by the LA Business Journal in 2021 and 2023. As Deputy Cancer Center Director for Research Programs and Co-Director for the Center for Cancer Drug Development, Dr. Lenz oversees the programmatic and clinical activities of the Gastrointestinal Cancers, Genitourinary Cancers, Women’s Cancers, and Leukemia and Lymphoma Programs.