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, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Antonio Iavarone, M.D.

Deputy Director, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Director, Sylvester Brain Tumor Institute, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Professor of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Lazara Pagan, M.S.N.

Sr. Associate Vice President, Oncology Services, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, UHealth, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Alvaro J. Alencar, M.D.

Chief Medical Director, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Rhonda Curry

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer,
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Desert Horse- Grant

Chief Transformation Officer,
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Javier Milian

Associate Vice President, Oncology Satellite Operations and Recruitment, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Jesse Rodriguez, M.S., M.H.A

Assistant Vice President, Medical Development and Alumni Relations, UHealth

Jean T. Stennett, M.P.A.

Assistant Vice President, Research Operations, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Lauren Whitmore, M.A.

Assistant Vice President and Associate Director, Research Administration, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Associate Directors

Kerry L. Burnstein, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Education and Training, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor and Chair of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Wael El-Rifai, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Director, Basic Science, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor and Associate Vice Chair, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Maria E. Figueroa, M.D.

Associate Director, Translational Research, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

George S. Grills

Associate Director, Shared Resources, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Chief Health Equity Officer and Vice President for Health Equity, University of Miami
Associate Director, Community Outreach and Engagement, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor of Medicine, Public Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Frank J. Penedo, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Population Sciences, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Director, Sylvester Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor of Psychology and Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Stephan Schürer, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Data Science, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Director, Digital Drug Discovery, Institute for Data Science and Computing, University of Miami
Professor of Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Jonathan Trent, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Director, Clinical Research, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Co-Director, Musculoskeletal Center, Sarcoma Medical Research Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Program Leaders

Tracy Crane, Ph.D., R.D.N.

Co-Leader, Cancer Control Research Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Assistant Director for Faculty Development, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

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

Co-Leader, Translational and Clinical Oncology Program Research Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Director, Sylvester Myeloma Institute, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

David Lombard, M.D., Ph.D.

Co-Leader, Cancer Epigenetics Research Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine

Jaime Merchan, M.D.

Co-Leader, Translational and Clinical Oncology Research Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Sanoj Punnen, M.D., M.A.S, M.B.A.

Co-Leader, Cancer Control Research Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Assistant Director of Clinical Research, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Desai Sethi Urology Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Priyamvada Rai, Ph.D.

Co-Leader, Tumor Biology Research Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Director, Medical School Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program
Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Ramin Shiekhattar, Ph.D.

Co-Leader, Cancer Epigenetics Research Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Chief, Division of Cancer Genomics and Epigenetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Professor, Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Scott Welford, Ph.D.

Co-Leader, Tumor Biology Research Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Assistant Director for Faculty Development, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor and Biology Division Chief of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Site Disease Group Leaders

Breast Cancer

Carmen Calfa, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Susan B. Kesmodel, M.D. - Clinical Lead
Lluis Morey, Ph.D. - Translational Science Lead

Cutaneous
Oncology

Jose Lutzky, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Jennifer Tang, M.D. - Clinical Lead
Zelia Correa, M.D., Ph.D. - Translational Science Lead

Endocrine
Tumors

Mark Jara, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Josefina Farra, M.D., FACS - Clinical Lead

Gastrointestinal Cancer

Peter Hosein, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Cindy Pabon, M.D. - Clinical Lead
Jashodeep Datta, M.D. - Translational Science Lead

Genitourinary Cancer

Marijo Bilusic, M.D., Ph.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Matthew C. Abramowitz, M.D. - Clinical Lead
Sanoj Punnen, M.D. - Translational Science Lead

Gynecological Cancer

Abdulrahman Sinno, M.D. – Clinical Research Lead
Aaron Wolfson, M.D. - Clinical Lead
Mathew Schlumbrecht, M.D. - Translational Science Lead

Head & Neck Cancer

Donald Weed, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Stuart Samuels, M.D., Ph.D. - Clinical Lead
Paolo Serafini, Ph.D. - Translational Science Lead

Hematology

Gerald Soff, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead

Leukemia

Justin Watts, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Namrata S. Chandhok, M.D. - Clinical Lead
Justin Taylor, M.D. - Translational Science Lead

Lymphoma

Juan Alderuccio, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Craig H. Moskowitz, M.D. - Clinical Lead
Izidore Lossos, M.D. - Translational Science Lead

Myeloma

Dickran Kazandjian, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead
C. Ola Landgren, M.D., Ph.D. - Translational Science Lead

Neuro-Oncology

Macarena de La Fuente, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Ruham Nasany, M.D. - Clinical Lead
Michael Ivan, M.D. - Translational Science Lead

Pediatric Cancer

Aditi Dhir, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Warren Alperstein, M.D. - Clinical Lead
Julio Barredo, M.D. - Translational Science Lead

Sarcoma

Jonathan Trent, M.D., Ph.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Gina D'Amato, M.D. - Clinical Lead
David Lombard, M.D., Ph.D. - Translational Science Lead

Thoracic Cancers

Estelamari Rodriguez, M.D., M.P.H. - Clinical Research Lead
Raphael Yechieli, M.D., M.P.H. - Clinical Lead

Transplant Cellular
Therapy

Amer Beitinjaneh, M.D. - Clinical Research Lead
Denise L. Pereira, M.D. - Clinical Lead
Damian Green, M.D. - Translational Science Lead