Hematology Oncology of Indiana, a Division of American Oncology Network (Indianapolis, IN)

• Partner

Indy Hematology Education, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN)

• President and CEO

Marian University: Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine (Indianapolis, IN)

• Clinical Professor of Medicine

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.

Indy Hematology Education, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN)

• Vice President

Regional President & CEO, Ascension Michigan – Metro West Region and President, Ascension Medical Group (MI) and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Dr. Wiemann is a medical oncologist and Co-Founder of the Indy Hematology Review. While in Indianapolis, he held several leadership positions at St. Vincent Hospital and Health Center, including Medical Director of Oncology, Chief Medical Officer, and Interim President.

Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA)

• Kraft Family Professor of Medicine

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA)

• Director of the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center

Dr. Ken Anderson is the Kraft Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, as well as Director of the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He trained in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and then completed hematology, medical oncology, and tumor immunology training at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He is a Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Research Scientist and American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor.

Over the last four decades, he has developed laboratory and animal models of multiple myeloma in its microenvironment which have allowed for both identification of novel targets and validation of novel targeted and immune therapies. He has then led efforts to rapidly translate these studies to clinical trials culminating in FDA approval of multiple novel targeted therapies, which have transformed the treatment paradigm and markedly improved patient outcome.

He has also trained generations of researchers and caregivers who are now leading myeloma centers internationally. He has received the American Society of Hematology William Dameshek Prize, the American Association for Cancer Research Joseph H. Burchenal Award, the American Society of Clinical Oncology David A. Karnofsky Award, and the Harvard Medical School Warren Alpert Prize.
He is also recipient of the Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Myeloma Foundation and the Waldenstrom Award at the International Myeloma Workshop. He is a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a member of the National Academy of Medicine as well as Royal College of Physicians and Pathologists, and past President of the International Myeloma Society and American Society of Hematology.

Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)

• Dorotha W. and Grant L. Sundquist Professor in Hematologic Malignancies Research

Stephen M. Ansell, MD, PhD, is a consultant in the Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Dr. Ansell currently serves as chair of the Division of Hematology and the Enterprise Deputy Director of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. He joined the staff of Mayo Clinic in 1999 and holds the academic rank of Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

Dr. Ansell earned his MB, ChB, and PhD degrees at University of Pretoria in Pretoria, South Africa, where he also completed an internship in internal medicine and surgery, a residency in internal medicine, and a fellowship in medical oncology. Dr. Ansell continued his education at University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg where he was a registrar in internal medicine. He then came to the United States and completed a residency in internal medicine and then a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Ansell’s research focuses on investigating the phenotype and activity of intratumoral T-cells and developing strategies to modulate the immune function in lymphomas.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, MD)

• Johns Hopkins Family Professor of Medicine and Oncology

• Director, Division of Hematology

Dr. Brodsky is the Johns Hopkins Family Professor of Medicine and Oncology, and a member of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. He also serves as the Director of the Division of Hematology and the T32 Training Program.

Dr. Brodsky received his medical degree from Hahnemann University. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and his fellowship training in hematology at the National Institutes of Health and in oncology at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Brodsky’s clinical and academic interests relate to bone marrow failure disorders, hemolytic anemias, and complement. He and his colleagues performed the first successful half matched bone marrow transplant worldwide for sickle cell disease in 2007.

He is on the editorial board for Blood, is a Section Editor for UpToDate. He is on the Executive Committee of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and serves as President for ASH.

Community Health Network MD Anderson Cancer Center (Indianapolis, IN)

• Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy

Muna Chemali, PharmD, BCOP is a clinical pharmacy specialist in stem cell transplant and cellular therapy at Community MD Anderson Cancer Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. She graduated from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science University with a PharmD in 2018 and completed both PGY-1 pharmacy practice and PGY-2 hematology/oncology residencies at Indiana University Health.

(Bethesda, MD)

Dr. Childs was the first investigator to show that metastatic kidney cancer could be cured by transplanted allogeneic immune cells through a graft-vs-tumor effect, a seminal discovery that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. He continues to run a translational research lab that conducts first-in-human research in bone marrow transplantation and tumor immunotherapy. He is board certified in medical oncology, has performed more than 600 experimental bone marrow stem cell transplants, holds more than 30 patents related to NK and T-cell based immunotherapy, and has published over 250 original research papers as the lead or senior author.

Mayo Clinic (Rochester MN)

• Assistant Professor of Medicine

Dr Joselle Cook is a hematologist and oncologist, specializing in Myeloma, Amyloid and Plasma cell disorders at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic Rochester in the Division of Hematology. Her research focuses on determining the prevalence and biologic drivers of precursor plasma cell disorders, particularly in understudied and high-risk populations. She initiated the MAGIC study which is the first ever screening study of monoclonal gammopathies in people across the African Diaspora. She also is a researcher in novel immunotherapeutics, specifically oncolytic virotherapy for hematologic malignancies.

Hematology Oncology of Indiana, a Division of American Oncology Network (Indianapolis, IN)

• Nurse Practitioner

INDIANA BLOOD AND MARROW TRANSPLANTATION LLC (Indianapolis, IN)

• Nurse Practitioner

Sandra G. Garofalo MS, APRN, AOCNP – Nurse practitioner, Hematology Oncology of Indiana, a Division of American Oncology Network, Indianapolis IN. She has over 18 years of experience in the field of oncology. She completed her bachelors of science in nursing as well as her masters of science at The Ohio State University. She started her nursing career in hematopoietic stem cell transplant at The Medical University of South Carolina. Since that time, she has had extensive experience in hematological and solid tumor malignancies as well as benign hematology at The James Cancer Center at The Ohio State University. She currently works as a nurse practitioner at Hematology Oncology of Indiana and St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis.

Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)

• Roland Seidler Jr. Professor of the Art of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine

Morie Gertz, professor of medicine, earned his MD from Loyola University, and completed his residency and fellowship at various institutions, including Mayo Clinic. He is board certified in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology.

Dr. Gertz has received numerous honors and awards, such as the Master American College Physicians, the Jan Waldenstrom Medal, and the 2019 Research Career Achievement Award from Mayo Clinic. He has held various academic and leadership positions, such as the chair of the Division of Hematology and the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic, and the president of the staff and the Officers and Councilors of Mayo Clinic. He has been involved in professional memberships and services, such as the American Board of Internal Medicine, the International Myeloma Society, the International Society of Amyloidosis, and the editorial boards of several journals.

Dr. Gertz has a strong record of education and mentorship, curriculum and course development, and presentations at national and international conferences. He has produced over 900 peer reviewed articles in the fields of hematology and oncology.

Georgetown University Medical Center (Washington, DC)

• Professor of Medicine and Pathology

• Director of Division of Coagulation in the Department of Laboratory Medicine

• Director of Therapeutic and Cellular Apheresis

• Unit Director of the Comprehensive Hemophilia and Thrombophilia Treatment Center

Dr. Craig Kessler is a professor, Department of Medicine and Pathology, in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Kessler is the Medical Director of the GUMC Hemophilia Treatment Center. He is also the Director, Coagulation Laboratory, Division of Laboratory Medicine, in the Department of Pathology.

He received his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine and completed his residency at Ochsner Foundation Hospital and Clinic. He completed his fellowship in hematology at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Kessler is an expert in internal medicine and hematology and has special interests in anemias, bleeding disorders, coagulation and platelet disorders, hematologic malignancies, myeloproliferative diseases, thrombophilias and hemophilias, and treatment of hematologic diseases.

Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, FL)

• Vice Chair of the Malignant Hematology Department

• Head of the Leukemia and MDS Section

Dr. Komrokji is the Vice chair of the Malignant Hematology Department at the Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.

He is a senior Member of the Malignant Hematology and Experimental Therapeutics Program at the Moffitt Cancer Center, and Professor in Medicine & Oncologic Sciences at the College of Medicine, at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.

After earning a medical degree in 1996 from the Jordan University School of Medicine, Dr. Komrokji completed an internship and residency at Case Western University, St. Vincent Program. He then completed a fellowship at Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, in Hematology/Oncology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Dr Komrokji is an expert in myeloid neoplasms where he led several clinical trials and lectured worldwide. His work paved the FDA approval for luspatercept in myelodysplastic syndromes and for Pacritinib in myelofibrosis.

He has authored or co-authored more than 325 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 20 book chapters, and more than 700 abstracts in Hematologic Malignancies. He served as member on the MDS Panel of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and is currently a member of the NIH MDS natural history study steering committee and aplastic anemia and MDS foundation board of directors. He was member of the editorial board for Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). He is peer reviewer for several medical journals including Blood Journal, JCO and Leukemia Journal.

Dr. Komrokji’s research interests are in Phase I and II Clinical Trials, and in the outcome research in hematologic malignancies with focus on myeloid neoplasms. His clinical interests are Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), Acute Myeloid Leukemias, and Myeloproliferative neoplasms.

The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center (Chicago, IL)

• Director of Hematologic Malignancies Clinical Research Program

• Professor of Medicine in Hematology/Oncology

Richard A. Larson, MD is Professor of Medicine in the Section of Hematology/Oncology and Director of the Hematologic Malignancies Clinical Research Program at the University of Chicago. He received his medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine in 1977, and completed his postdoctoral training in Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Medical Oncology at the University of Chicago. He has been a member of the faculty in the Section of Hematology/Oncology and the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Chicago since 1983.

University of Nebraska Medical Center (Omaha, Nebraska)

• Interim Chief, UNMC Division of Hematology

• Professor, UNMC Division of Hematology

• UNMC Assistant Vice Chancellor of Clinical Research

Dr. Matt Lunning is the interim chief and a professor in the UNMC Division of Hematology. His work focuses on non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, multiple myeloma, CAR-T/cellular therapy and benign hematology. He is also the UNMC Assistant Vice Chancellor of Clinical Research and was elected to serve on the Nebraska Medicine Medical Executive Committee as an at-large member.

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 has been active in clinical research, research mentoring, education, and patient care and 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.

Community Hospital Oncology Physicians (Indianapolis, IN)

• Adult Nurse Practitioner

Kristi Kay Orbaugh, RN, MSN, RNP, AOCNP, is an Adult Nurse Practitioner for Community Hospital Oncology Physicians in Indianapolis, IN. She received her master's degree in nursing from the Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis and is certified as a nurse practitioner and advanced oncology nurse. She is a frequent speaker on a variety of oncology-related subjects and has presented on the local, regional, national, and international levels. She is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS).

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center(Duarte, CA)

• Associate Professor, Division of Lymphoma, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Tycel Phillips, M.D., is a hematologist-oncologist at City of Hope® Cancer Center Duarte, where he leads clinical trials designed to support the development of innovative targeted therapies for blood cancers.

As a teenager, Dr. Phillips witnessed the impact pancreatic cancer had on his grandmother, whose life of service inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. Later, during his medical residency, he experienced the loss of his mother to breast cancer. Her difficult experience with chemotherapy motivated him to focus on developing cancer treatments that are more tolerable and less harmful to patients. In his work with patients, Dr. Phillips believes in listening carefully to fully understand every patient’s concerns and create the most effective and personalized treatment plan for them.

Dr. Phillips earned his medical degree from Rush University and completed a residency in internal medicine at the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, both in Chicago. His fellowship in oncology and hematology took place at University Hospitals in Cleveland. Prior to joining City of Hope, he served as a clinical associate professor at the University of Michigan, where he held the title of Maria Reinhardt DeCesare Research Professor of Blood Cancers and Bone Marrow Transplantation. Dr. Phillips has authored or co-written more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and received numerous research grants to support his work.

Outside of the clinic, Dr. Phillips enjoys reading, traveling and biking with his children.

Butler University: College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (Indianapolis, IN)

• Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Franciscan St. Francis Health (Indianapolis, IN)

• Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Hematology/Oncology

David Reeves, PharmD, BCOP is a professor of pharmacy practice for the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Butler University and clinical pharmacy specialist in hematology/oncology at Franciscan Physician Network Oncology/Hematology Specialists in Indianapolis, IN.

University of Chicago in the Department of Medicine (Chicago, IL)

• Elwood V. Jensen Professor of Medicine

• Section Chief of Hematology/Oncology

• Co-Leader of the Cancer Service Line

• Co-Director of the Lymphoma Program

Dr. Sonali M. Smith is the Elwood V. Jensen Professor of Medicine, Section Chief of Hematology/Oncology, Co-Leader of the Cancer Service Line, and Co-Director of the Lymphoma Program at the University of Chicago in the Department of Medicine. She is a clinical investigator in lymphoma and a clinical expert in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

As faculty member at the University of Chicago since 2001, she has over 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has written over 25 review articles on lymphoid malignancies. She is particularly interested in targeted agents and pathway inhibitors and has first and senior author publications through cooperative group trials and investigator-initiated trials.

She has had many active leadership roles including Vice-Chair of the SWOG Lymphoma Committee, Chair of the Lymphoma Research Foundation Scientific Advisory Board, and past chair of the ASCO Annual Meeting Scientific Committee in 2021-2022. She has won numerous teaching awards and considers mentorship a key aspect of her career.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA)

• Lunder Family Chair in Leukemia

• Chief of Staff

Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA)

• 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.

Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA)

• Professor of Medicine

Dana Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA)

• Director of the Bing Center for Waldenstrom’s Macroglobuliemia

Dr. Steven Treon is the Director of the Bing Center for Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia and an Attending Physician for the Department of Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. He is also a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, and is the Chair of the Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia Clinical Trials Group.

Dr. Treon received a medical degree with honors from the Boston University School of Medicine, and a master’s degree in biochemistry and a doctorate of philosophy in tumor immunology from the graduate school at Boston University Medical Center. Dr Treon completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Boston University Medical Center. He also completed a clinical fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and a research fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. He received certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, and continues to maintain his ABIM certification in Medical Oncology.

Dr. Treon’s research interests are focused on understanding the genetic basis and pathogenesis of Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia (WM), and the development of targeted therapeutics for this malignancy. Using whole genome sequencing, the Treon laboratory discovered the highly prevalent MYD88 L265P and CXCR4 WHIM mutations in WM, permitting the development of diagnostic molecular testing and targeted treatments for WM. Signaling work performed in the Treon laboratory established the critical role of Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) as a key mediator of MYD88 signaling in WM cells. This discovery enabled the first ever breakthrough designation by the U.S. FDA for the accelerated approval of the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib for the treatment of WM. Dr. Treon served as the principal investigator of the pivotal trial that supported the regulatory approval of ibrutinib by the U.S. FDA and European Medicines Agency for the treatment of WM. He has also been the principal investigator for other clinical trials that resulted in the adoption of many novel therapeutics and combination therapies for the treatment of WM.

Dr. Treon has published over 250 original articles, reviews, reports, and book chapters that have appeared in many high impact journals and text books. He has been a keynote speaker and lecturer on the genomic basis, pathogenesis, clinical features, and treatment of WM at prestigious national congresses, international conferences, hospital grand rounds, tumor boards, regional medical society conferences, workshops, and patient meetings. He is a member of the American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research, European Society of Hematology, and the British Society of Hematology, and has given “Meet the Professor”, Educational Session, as well as presentations on original research at the annual meetings of these associations. Dr. Treon is also the principal organizer of the International Workshops on WM which have served as the principal forum for the exchange of novel scientific and clinical data on WM. He has been a mentor to physicians and scientists at the Bing Center for WM, and is also a regular lecturer at Harvard Medical School and its affiliated hospitals where he teaches medical students, interns, residents and fellows on the topic of plasma cell malignancies.

For his clinical and research efforts, Dr. Treon has received awards from various organizations including an ASCO Young Investigator Award, the Robert A. Kyle Award, the Jan Gosta Waldenstrom Lifetime Achievement Award, the Laurie Strauss Leukemia Society Outstanding Cancer Investigator Award, designation as “America’s Top Doctor” by U.S. News and World Report, and the “One-Hundred Award” from the Massachusetts General Hospital. In 2011, and 2013, Dr. Treon’s research work received “Best of ASH” designations at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY)

• Chief, Myeloma Service

Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University (New York, NY)

• Professor of Clinical Medicine

Dr. Saad Zafar Usmani received his medical education at Allama Iqbal Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Sinai-Grace Hospital/Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, Connecticut. He then joined the Myeloma Institute for Research & Therapy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR in 2010 as the Director of Developmental Therapeutics and Assistant Professor of Medicine. He was recruited to the Levine Cancer Institute/Atrium Health in 2013 as the inaugural Division Chief of Plasma Cell Disorders and Director of Clinical Research for Hematologic Malignancies where he built an internationally renowned myeloma program. He was then recruited in 2021 as the Chief of Myeloma Service at MSKCC.

Dr. Usmani is board-certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hematology. He holds membership and leadership roles on national/international committees, including the International Myeloma Working Group, the ALLIANCE Myeloma Committee (Chair), the American Society of Hematology (ASH), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Society of Transplant & Cellular Therapy, and the National Cancer Institute Myeloma Steering Committee. Dr. Usmani has served as the Vice-Chair of the SWOG Myeloma Committee and has served as chair for the ASH Scientific Committee on Plasma Cell Neoplasia, and the ASCO Scientific Committee on Plasma Cell Disorders.

He has received several international awards recognizing his clinical and translational research contributions to the field, including the Celgene Young Investigator Award for Clinical Research, COMY Award for Excellence in Myeloma Research, LLS Scholar in Clinical Research, the International Myeloma Society Bart Barlogie Award for Clinical and Translational Research, and the LLS CDP Achievement Award. Dr. Usmani has authored/co-authored more than 260 peer-reviewed research manuscripts (NEJM, Lancet, JCO, Cancer Cell, Blood, Leukemia, etc.). Active in clinical and translational research, Dr. Usmani has research interests focus on plasma cell disorders—in particular, high-risk multiple myeloma.

The Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio)

• Director of Hematology

• Professor in the College of Medicine

• Co-Leader, Leukemia and Hematologic Malignancies Program

Dr. Jennifer Woyach is the director and a professor in the division of Hematology, the section chair of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), and a physician scientist focused on translational research in CLL at the Ohio State University. Her laboratory interests include experimental therapeutics in CLL with a focus on signaling pathways and kinase inhibition. She has extensive experience studying BTK inhibitors, resistance mechanisms associated with irreversible BTK inhibitors, and strategies to overcome resistance.

(Bethesda, MD)

Neal Young’s research interests are normal and aberrant hematopoiesis, autoimmunity in hematology, the genetics and genomics of aplastic anemia and related syndromes, and viral infections of blood forming cells. His career has been wide ranging, from basic molecular biology, virology, immunology, and cell biology to translational research, epidemiology, and pioneering interventional clinical trials. The Hematology Branch clinic is the major American referral center for marrow failure syndromes. Results from his work have deeply informed our understanding of the pathophysiology of human disease and development of effective treatments, for aplastic anemia, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, myelodysplastic syndromes and related diseases. He has published more than 450 original research articles and 100s of reviews and chapters, including many monographs and more than two dozen articles in the New England Journal of Medicine. His trainees are the current leaders and international experts in the field of marrow failure. His accomplishments have been recognized by the American Society of Hematology with the E. Donnall Thomas and Beutler Prizes, and awards such as the Adolfo Storti Award, the Erasmus Prize, and lifetime honorary membership in the Mexican Society for Hematology. For public service, he received the Heyman Service to America Award for civil service and the Vietnam People’s Award for his innovative teaching program in that country. Following a sabbatical term at New College and in collaboration with an Oxford Professor of Philosophy, he has recently published a novel perspective addressing language confusion between authors and editors of scientific journals.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX)

• Chair Ad Interim of the Department of Leukemia in the Division of Cancer Medicine

• Dr. Kenneth B. McCredie Chair in Clinical Leukemia Research

• Chief of the Section of Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)

Dr. Guillermo Garcia-Manero is the Chair, ad interim, of the Department of Leukemia at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he also holds the Dr. Kenneth B. McCredie Chair in Clinical Leukemia Research. He serves as Chief of the Section of Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) and previously led the MDS/AML Moon Shot Program and served as Program Director of the Leukemia Fellowship Program at MD Anderson. Dr. Garcia-Manero was President of the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) for the 2023–2024 term. Born in Spain, Dr. Garcia-Manero received his medical degree and training at the University of Zaragoza and the Royal Free Hospital in London, UK. From 1993 to 1996, he completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He then pursued a fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Cardeza Foundation for Hematology Research, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, also at Thomas Jefferson University, where he served as Chief Fellow. In 1999, he joined the Department of Leukemia at MD Anderson Cancer Center as an Assistant Professor, where he has since spent the entirety of his academic career. Dr. Garcia-Manero’s research focuses on elucidating the cellular and molecular biology of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with the goal of improving therapeutic options for patients with these diseases. His research has been supported by the NIH, Department of Defense, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, CPRIT, E.P. Evans Foundation, and the MDS/AML Moon Shot Program. He has co-authored over 1,000 manuscripts, with an H-index of 168 and an i10-index of 1,136, and his work has been cited more than 130,000 times. Currently, Dr. Garcia-Manero serves as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on more than 30 active clinical trials in AML and MDS. He leads the largest leukemia program in the world and directs what is likely the largest single-institution MDS unit globally, seeing over 400 new patients annually. He maintains one of the busiest clinical practices at MD Anderson, overseeing a department of more than 60 faculty members. Dr. Garcia-Manero has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Otis W. and Pearl L. Walters Faculty Achievement Award in Clinical Research, the Emil J. Freireich Award for Excellence in Translational Research, the Giant of Cancer Care in Leukemia Award, the AAMDSIF Leadership in Science Award, and the Ciril Rozman Lecture Award from the Spanish Society of Hematology (2024). He was recently inducted as a member of the Association of American Physicians and has been recognized among the Best Doctors in America every year since 2007. A dedicated mentor and educator, Dr. Garcia-Manero has trained over 100 fellows and postdoctoral researchers and is a frequent speaker at major national and international conferences.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX)

• Associate Professor in the Department of Leukemia

Dr. Naveen Pemmaraju is Associate Professor in the Department of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He completed undergraduate studies with a Bachelor of Science cum laude in Cell and Molecular Biology at Tulane University. He received his medical degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, completed Internal Medicine training at the Osler Medical Program of Johns Hopkins (Barker Firm), and completed a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY)

• Chief of the Lymphoma Service

Gilles Salles is a French haematologist who joined the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York in 2020 after a career as a French University Professor & Medical Doctor in Lyon University Hospitals (France). He is specialized in hematologic malignancies, in particular non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphomas.

Salles obtained his master DEA degree in Differentiation, Genetics and Immunology from the Claude Bernard University of Lyon in 1986. In 1989 he continued his university studies and graduated as a Doctor of Medicine, in 1992 he obtained an Advanced Specialised Studies Degree in Cancerology. 1994 he defended his PhD thesis in Immunology on signals regulating B lymphocytes formation. He completed his post-doctorate fellowship at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute of the Harvard Medical School of Boston in the United States (1990–92).

Salles was nominated full professor of Medecine at the Claude Bernard University of Lyon in 1996 (Faculté de Médecine et de Maïeutique Lyon-Sud Charles Mérieux), and he chaired the Departement of Hematology of Lyon University Hospital (Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon Sud Hospital) from 2011 until his departure to MSKCC.

In 1996, he founded is the research team “Indolent B-cell proliferation” in Lyon University, that examined several aspects of lymphoma biology (ontogeny of B- and T-cell lymphoma, biology of splenic marginal zone, prognostic factors in lymphoma). This research team was successfully affiliated with the Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire de la Cellule (UMR5239 : ENS-Lyon, CNRS, Hospices Civils de Lyon) and then to the Cancer Research Center of Lyon (INSERM, Université Claude Bernard, Centre Léon Bérard).

His interest in clinical research led him to chair the scientific committee of the "Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes de l'Adulte" (1996-2007) and then to become the chair of the LYSA cooperative group (the Lymphoma Study Association, a leading cooperative group in lymphoma research). (2012-2020)

Previously, he also held the following positions: vice-president in charge of research at the board of directors of the Hospices Civils de Lyon (2010-2016) ; head of the steering committee of the CALYM consortium (2011-2020); chair of the Leukaemia Committee of the “Fondation de France” (2005–07) and chair of the scientific programme committee of the European Hematology Association (EHA) for its 13th Congress (2008); member of the editorial board of Journal of Clinical Oncology (2010-2013), of Blood (2014–2018).

Salles is on secondment of his position of professor of medicine (haematology) at Université Lyon-1, (1996) and is the chief of the Lymphoma Service, within the Division of Hematologic Malignancies, Departement of Medecin at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is also associate editor at the journal Haematologica.

He is also a member of several professional societies, including the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the European Heamatology Association and the French Society of Hematology.

He was designated as "Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite" in 2016 and received the Jose Carreras Award from the European Hematology Association in 2020.

Salles has been especially interested in the clinical and biological study of malignant lymphoma – major focuses of his work include the description and validation of prognostic factors as well as clinical trials in indolent lymphomas. He has been involved as a coordinator or co-investigator in many clinical trials and studies within his field. Gilles Salles has directed or contributed to several International studies leading to the approval of several drugs used for the treatment of lymphoma, including rituximab, obinutuzumab, idelalisib, tisagenlecleucel, tafasitamab, tazemetostat.

Salles is the author of more than 450 international publications.