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Leadership

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Stephen D. Nimer, M.D.
Director, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Oscar de la Renta Endowed Chair in Cancer Research
Executive Dean for Research, Miller School of Medicine
Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Professor of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering

Craig H. Moskowitz, M.D.
Physician in Chief and Interim Deputy Director, Oncology Service Line Professor of Medicine

Lazara Pagan, M.S.N.
Chief Administrative Officer and Associate Vice President

Dorothy Graves, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice President and Associate Director, Administration

Desert Horse-Grant
Chief Transformation Officer

Sarah Christensen
Vice President, Medical Development and Alumni Relations

RESEARCH LEADERSHIP

ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS

Kerry L. Burnstein, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Education and Training
Professor and Chair of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology

Wael El-Rifai, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Director, Basic Science
Co-Leader, Tumor Biology Research Program
Interim Co-Leader, Translational and Clinical Oncology Research Program
John and Judy Schulte Senior Endowed Chair in Cancer Research
Professor and Associate Vice Chair of Surgery
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Sophia George, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences

George Grills
Associate Director, Shared Resources

Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Associate Director, Population Sciences and Cancer Disparity
Chief, Population Health, Oncology Service Line
John K. and Judy H. Schulte Senior Endowed Chair in Cancer Research
Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship, University of Miami
Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences

Nipun Merchant, M.D.
Associate Director, Translational Research
Vice Chair, Surgical Oncology Services
Chief Surgical Officer
Executive Director, Perioperative Services, University of Miami Health System
Professor of Surgery

Wael El-Rifai, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Director, Basic Science
Co-Leader, Tumor Biology Research Program
Interim Co-Leader, Translational and Clinical Oncology Research Program
John and Judy Schulte Senior Endowed Chair in Cancer Research
Professor and Associate Vice Chair of Surgery
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Stephan C. Schürer, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Data Science
Interim Director, Drug Discovery, Center for Computational Science
Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology

Jonathan Trent, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Director, Clinical Research
Co-Director, Musculoskeletal Center, Sarcoma Medical Research Program
Professor of Medicine

PROGRAM LEADERS

Tracy Crane, Ph.D., RDN
Co-Leader, Cancer Control Research Program
Associate Professor of Medicine

Wael El-Rifai, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Director, Basic Science
Co-Leader, Tumor Biology Research Program
Interim Co-Leader, Translational and Clinical Oncology Research Program
John and Judy Schulte Senior Endowed Chair in Cancer Research
Professor and Associate Vice Chair of Surgery
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Maria E. Figueroa, M.D.
Co-Leader, Cancer Epigenetics Research Program
Associate Professor of Human Genetics

C. Ola Landgren, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief, Myeloma Program
Paul J. DiMare Endowed Chair in Immunotherapy
Co-Leader, Tumor Biology Research Program
Co-Leader, Translational and Clinical Oncology Research Program
Professor of Medicine

Frank J. Penedo, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Cancer Survivorship and Translational Behavioral Sciences
Director, Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care
Co-Leader, Cancer Control Research Program
Professor of Psychology and Medicine

Ramin Shiekhattar, Ph.D.
Co-Leader, Cancer Epigenetics Research Program
Chief, Division of Cancer Genomics and Epigenetics
Professor of Human Genetics

Scott Welford, Ph.D.
Tumor Biology Program co-Leader
Assistant Director for Faculty Development
Professor and Biology Division Chief
Department of Radiation Oncology

David B. Lombard, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Co-Leader, Cancer Epigenetics Program

ONCOLOGY SERVICE LEADERS

Alvaro J. Alencar, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Associate Professor of Medicine

Lauren Gjolaj, M.B.A., B.S.N., RN, AMB-BC, CCRP
Assistant Vice President, Oncology Services

Javier Milian
Assistant Vice President, Oncology Satellite Operations and Recruitment

Jesse Rodriguez, M.S., M.H.A.
Assistant Vice President, Medical Development and Alumni Relations

SITE DISEASE GROUP LEADERS

Cutaneous Malignancies
Lynn Feun, M.D.
Jose Lutzky, M.D.
Jennifer Tang, M.D.

Thoracic Cancers
Gilberto Lopes, M.D., M.B.A.
Dao Nguyen, M.D.
Estelamari Rodriguez, M.D., M.P.H.
Raphael Yechieli, M.D.

Myeloma
C. Ola Landgren, M.D., Ph.D.

Lymphoma
Izidore Lossos, M.D.

Gynecological
Marilyn Huang, M.D.
Aaron Wolfson, M.D.

Genitourinary
Matthew C. Abramowitz, M.D.
Jaime R. Merchan, M.D.
Sanoj Punnen, M.D.
Marijo Bilusic, M.D., Ph.D.

GI Cancer
Peter J. Hosein, M.D.
Nipun Merchant, M.D.
Lorraine Portelance, M.D.

Neuro-Oncology
Macarena Ines De La Fuente, M.D.
Michael E. Ivan, M.D.
Eric Mellon, M.D., Ph.D.

Sarcoma
Gina D’Amato, M.D.
Jonathan Trent, M.D., Ph.D.

Pediatric
Julio Barredo, M.D.
Warren Alperstein, M.D.

Endocrine
Josefina Farra, M.D.
Zeina Hannoush, M.D.

Leukemia/Hematology
Justin Watts, M.D.
Gerald Soff, M.D.

Breast
Susan Kesmodel, M.D.
Cristiane Takita, M.D.

Head and Neck Cancer
Stuart Samuels, M.D., Ph.D.
Donald Weed, M.D.