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Norman Wolmark, MD
Chairman
Norman Wolmark, M.D. is Chairman and Principal Investigator of
the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) which is primarily
funded by the NCI and is based on the campus of Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. He is also Professor and Chairman of Human Oncology, Drexel University
School of Medicine, and Chairman of the Department of Human Oncology, Allegheny
General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Professor Wolmark gained his MD at McGill University, Montreal, Canada and he subsequently
completed his residency at the University of Pittsburgh. Professor Wolmark was then
appointed to the position of Cancer Expert at the Surgery Branch of the National
Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland. Professor Wolmark is a member of numerous
professional societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO),
the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the American Surgical Association
(ASA).
He is a reviewer for the Journal of Clinical Oncology and the New England Journal
of Medicine, and an editorial board member of the Journal of Women’s Cancer and
Clinical Breast Cancer. He also serves on numerous boards and as an advisor to oncology
programs, societies and institutes throughout the United States and Europe.
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D. Lawrence Wickerham, MD
Associate Chairman
D. Lawrence Wickerham, MD has been the Associate Chairman of the
National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) since 1995 and is an
Associate Professor of Human Oncology at the Pittsburgh Campus of the Drexel University
School of Medicine. Dr. Wickerham has worked for the NSABP (an international cancer
research group federally funded by the National Cancer Institute) in several capacities
since 1981.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Washington and Jefferson College in Washington,
Pennsylvania, and received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
He is also currently an Associate Professor of Human Oncology at the Pittsburgh
campus of Drexel University School of Medicine. He has published numerous articles
in medical journals on the topic of breast cancer, has lectured throughout the world
to medical audiences and to the general public, and is the recipient of a 1998 Recognition
Award from the National Cancer Institute for outstanding performance in breast cancer
prevention. In May 2004 Dr. Wickerham was recognized by the National Breast Cancer
Awareness Month (NBCAM) for his outstanding contributions to the effort to raise
awareness about breast health and breast cancer. In addition, Dr. Wickerham was
the first recipient of the 2004 Adams County Breast Cancer Coalition first annual
breast cancer research award.
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Michael O’Connell, MD
Associate Chairman
Michael O'Connell, MD, serves as Associate Chairman of the National
Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project. An internationally recognized specialist
in the treatment of gastrointestinal tract cancers, Dr. O'Connell is a prolific
researcher who has authored or co-authored more than 200 peer reviewed journal articles,
150 scientific abstracts and 25 textbook chapters in his field. His work has been
widely published by leading scientific journals, including the New England Journal
of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, Cancer, and the Journal
of Clinical Oncology.
Dr. O'Connell has helped direct numerous studies that have resulted in better treatment
protocols for cancer of the colon and rectum. He is currently a leader of a national
study to determine the efficacy of combining a new anti-angiogenesis therapy, called
bevacizumab (Avastin), with standard chemotherapy in patients who have already had
surgery for stage II or stage III colon cancer.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School, Dr. O'Connell completed
post-graduate training with an internal medicine residency at the University of
Minnesota Hospitals and a fellowship in oncology as a clinical associate at NCI's
Baltimore Cancer Research Center.
Dr. O'Connell is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American
Association for Cancer Research. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Coalition
of National Cancer Cooperative Groups and serves as a member of the NCI steering
committee for gastrointestinal cancer cooperative group clinical trials. In 1996,
he was among a select group of cancer specialists invited to the White House for
President Clinton's announcement of major changes in FDA policy for approval of
oncology drugs and was selected to participate in the National Dialogue on Cancer
chaired by President and Mrs. George H. Bush and the 2001 World Summit Against Cancer
in Paris, France.
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Joan Beyer Goldberg, MPH
Chief Executive Officer
Joan Beyer Goldberg, MPH, has spent more than 30 years in healthcare
management. As a member of senior management for two large university affiliated
teaching hospitals with major programs in medical research, Mrs. Goldberg has brought
extensive management and business experience to the NSABP Foundation, Inc. Since
becoming CEO in 1998, Mrs. Goldberg has managed the growing organization. In 1999,
the Foundation became the recipient of the NCI grant which has been the core support
for the NSABP since 1958. Since 1998 the laboratory and clinical activities have
experienced significant expansion and in 2005 the 100,000th patient was accrued
to an NSABP clinical study. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate
School of Public Health, Mrs. Goldberg has received numerous awards in recognition
of her leadership in the field.
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Soonmyung Paik, MD
Director, Pathology
Soonmyung Paik, M.D. is a pathologist with training in molecular
biology. He graduated from the College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
in 1981 and received his residency training in the United States. After completing
his residency, he joined Dr. Marc Lippman’s group at the National Cancer Institute
as a post-doctoral fellow and was a faculty member at the Lombardi Cancer Center,
Georgetown University. In 1996 he was appointed director of the Division of Pathology
for the NSABP. His main research interest is in developing predictive markers to
improve and target the treatment of breast cancer. His division maintains one of
the largest annotated breast cancer tissue banks in the world.
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Charles E. Geyer, Jr., MD
Director, Medical Affairs
Co-Director, NSABP Foundation Research Program
Charles E. Geyer, Jr., M.D., FACP, is a board certified medical oncologist with
expertise in the study and treatment of breast cancer. Currently, he is Director
of Medical Affairs for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP),
Co-Director of the NSABP Foundation Research Program (FRP), and Director of Breast
Medical Oncology, Allegheny General Hospital. As Director of Medical Affairs he
is responsible for medical oversight of the Phase III clinical trial programs in
breast and colorectal cancer. As Co-Director of the FRP, he is responsible for the
design and conduct of Phase II clinical trials in breast cancer. He served as the
protocol officer for a recent study that proved that the drug Herceptin™ (trastuzumab)
dramatically improved the risk of recurrent cancer among women treated for HER2
positive early stage breast cancer. His current academic appointment is Associate
Professor of Medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine. A graduate of Texas
Tech University School of Medicine, Dr. Geyer completed his medical residency, chief
medical residency and Medical Oncology Fellowship at the Baylor College of Medicine
Affiliated Hospitals in Houston, Texas.
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Carmen Allegra, MD
Co-Director, Foundation Research Program
Carmen Allegra, M.D., is a board certified medical oncologist with expertise in
the study and treatment of colorectal cancer. Currently, he is Co-Director of the
Foundation Research Program for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel
Project (NSABP) and Medical Director for the Network for Medical Communication and
Research. His FRP responsibilities include the development and oversight of clinical
trials in colorectal cancer. He serves as the Principal Investigator for the ongoing
investigation of the role of bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF antibody, in the treatment
of patients with localized colon cancer. Prior to joining the FRP, Dr. Allegra developed
an international reputation through his extensive contributions to the medical literature
during his 20 years as an investigator and Medicine Branch Chief at the National
Cancer Institute. During this time he investigated various prognostic and predictive
markers for patients with cancer and developed new therapeutic strategies for patients
with both cancer and AIDS. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine and medical residency program, Dr. Allegra completed his Medical Oncology
Fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.
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Thomas Julian, MD
Associate Director, Medical Affairs
Thomas Julian, MD is an accomplished breast cancer surgeon,
researcher, and educator, currently serving as Associate Director of the Allegheny
Breast Center, Staff Surgeon in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Allegheny General
Hospital, and Associate Professor, Human Oncology at Drexel University College of
Medicine. He has been a principal investigator for numerous breast cancer pre-and
post launch clinical trials studying topics such as primary systemic combination
drug therapy in postmenopausal hormone-receptor positive breast cancer patients,
the GeneSearch™ breast lymph node assay for intraoperative molecular testing,
digital mammography imaging, and MRI evaluation of the contralateral breast in recently
diagnosed female breast cancer patients, among others. Together with colleagues
Yoed Rabin and Norman Wolmark, Dr. Julian was awarded two US patents for developing
new methods and equipment for use in cryosurgery. From 2002-present, he is the Protocol
Officer for 3 breast cancer trials conducted by the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast
and Bowel Project (NASBP), for which he serves as Associate Director of Medical
Oversight. Dr. Julian’s research and expertise have been widely published,
appearing in over 120 articles, reviews, book chapters, audio-visual displays, abstracts,
and scientific exhibits. He completed his undergraduate in chemistry at University
of Pittsburgh, and obtained his MD degree from the University of Pittsburgh School
of Medicine. |
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David S. Parda, MD, FACP
Associate Director, Medical Affairs
David S. Parda, MD, FACP, is Chairman of the Department of Radiation
Oncology, Allegheny General Hospital, and the West Penn Allegheny Health System
Radiation Oncology Network, and serves as Associate Director for the National Surgical
Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project. He has developed 8 primary programs in radiation
oncology (clinical program, technical program, clinical research program, IT program,
residency training/education program, industry collaboration program, translational/correlative
science program, community outreach program) to integrate a network of 9 radiation
oncology clinics in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio with advanced technologies
and data collection processes to optimize standard and advancing patient care. This
has resulted in one of the nation’s most comprehensive radiation oncology
centers at AGH and throughout WPAHS Radiation Oncology Network with clinical and
technical expertise consistent with the most sophisticated academic radiation oncology
practices.
As a contributing investigator in two of the nation’s preeminent cancer study
groups, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) and the
Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), Dr. Parda has played a key role in research
that has greatly improved the treatment of cancer patients.
He is currently the radiation protocol officer for NSABP B-39, a study that will
determine whether limiting radiation therapy to only the tumor site following lumpectomy,
a procedure known as partial breast irradiation, is as effective as irradiating
the whole breast in the local management of early stage breast cancer.
Dr. Parda received his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in molecular biology
and psychology from Vanderbilt University and his medical degree from the University
of South Florida College of Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine
at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and a residency in radiation oncology at Georgetown
University and is board certified in both internal medicine and radiation oncology.
Through special training at the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University's Lombardi Cancer
Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. Parda has acquired noted
expertise in the multidisciplinary treatment of cancer. His clinical and research
interests include breast cancer; colorectal cancer; head and neck cancer, including
eye and orbit; Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT); Image-Guided Radiation
Therapy (IGRT); Adaptive Radiation Therapy (ART); functional and 4D data incorporation
into radiation treatment planning; oncology information systems/electronic medical
record integration processes; clinical trials and correlative/translational science
research; medical education; quality assurance/peer review; and brachytherapy. Dr.
Parda has held appointments as an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Georgetown
University, MCP Hahnemann University School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine and is currently an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology
at Drexel University College of Medicine. He is a member of the American College
of Radiology, American Medical Association, American Society for Therapeutic Radiology
and Oncology and the Society of Chairs of Academic Radiation Oncology Programs.
He is the Radiation Oncology Protocol Officer for the National Surgical Adjuvant
Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and NCI-sponsored
Partial Breast Irradiation Clinical Trial, a member of the NCI Central Institutional
Review Board, an examiner for the American Board of Radiology Radiation Oncology
Resident Oral Board Examination, a board member of the Pennsylvania Society of Oncology
and Hematology, a Director-At-Large on the Pennsylvania Board of Directors of the
American Cancer Society, a peer review consultant for the American Medical Foundation
for Peer Review and Education, and is the Radiation Oncology Residency Program Director
at AGH.
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Mark Roh, MD
Associate Director, Medical Affairs
Mark Roh, M.D., serves as Associate Director, for the National
Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project and was appointed chairman of the Department
of Surgery at Allegheny General Hospital in July 1998. He was appointed chairman
of the Council of Graduate Medical Education at AGH in 2002. Dr. Roh earned his
medical degree in 1979 at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and a bachelor
of arts at Ohio Wesleyan University in 1976. He obtained his surgical training at
the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He completed his surgical oncology
training in 1987 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. From
1987 to 1997, he served as chief of Liver Tumor Surgery at the M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center in Houston. Since coming to Allegheny General in 1997, Dr. Roh has served
as the director of the Division of Surgical Oncology at Allegheny General Hospital
since 1997.
He has been recognized by the Best Surgeons in the United States, Best Doctors in
America and the Who’s Who in America beginning in 1992 to the present. Other
honors include teaching awards, the Faculty Excellence Award at M.D. Anderson and
the Resident Research Award from the Association for Academic Surgery and the Pittsburgh
Academy of Medicine. Roh has served as an editor since 1994 of the Annals of Surgical
Oncology and recently was appointed as the Executive Editor.
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Saima Sharif, MD
Assistant Director, Medical Affairs
Saima Sharif, MD, MS, is a board certified medical oncologist with
a special interest in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. She is currently
the Assistant Director of Medical Affairs for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast
and Bowel Project (NSABP). Dr Sharif is involved in developing concepts for future
phase III NSABP colorectal protocols and phase II protocols for the NSABP’s Foundation
Research Program. She serves as the protocol officer for adjuvant and metastatic
colon trials; two current trials she is overseeing involve the use of standard chemotherapy
combined with an anti-angiogenesis agent in the adjuvant setting and also in patients
with metastatic colon cancer whose primary tumor is intact and asymptomatic but
the disease is not amenable to surgery.
Dr. Sharif received her medical degree from Dow Medical College, University of Karachi,
Pakistan. She completed her internal medical residency at Tufts University and her
medical oncology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. During her fellowship,
she earned a Master of Science degree in clinical research, specializing in clinical
epidemiology, under an NIH training grant. Dr Sharif remains active at the University
of Pittsburgh, working on investigations of gene-environment interactions that may
increase susceptibility for pancreatic cancer, the subject of her thesis. |
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