Scientific Advisory Committee
The LAF Scientific Advisory Committee, leaders in medicine and science, reviews all grants for merit and guides the LAF's scientific and medical research programs. The broad contributions of this group of professionals ensure that financial contributions to the LAF make the greatest possible impact.
- Smita Bhatia, M.D. MPH
- Kerry S. Courneya, Ph.D.
- Lisa Diller, M.D.
- Ethan Dmitrovsky, M.D.
- Lawrence Einhorn, M.D.
- LaSalle Leffall, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.
- Mary McCabe, R.N., M.A.
- Craig Nichols, M.D.
- Steven Wolff, M.D.
Smita Bhatia, M.D. MPH -- City of Hope Cancer Center
Smita Bhatia, M.D. serves as director of Epidemiology and Outcomes Research at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California. Widely published in medical journals, Dr. Bhatia's research is focused primarily on issues related to long-term complications among survivors of childhood cancer.
She has been honored with numerous awards, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Scholar Award in Clinical Research in 2001, an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Young Investigator Award in 1996, the Brigid Leventhal Merit Award in 1995 - presented by ASCO to the author of the highest-ranking abstract in pediatric cancer research-and the University of Minnesota's Fellow Teacher of the Year award in 1992 and 1993.
Dr. Bhatia received medical degrees from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India and master's degree in public health from the University of Minnesota.
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Kerry S. Courneya, Ph.D. -- University of Alberta
Kerry Courneya, Ph.D. is a professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Department of Oncology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. His research focuses on understanding the role of physical activity in cancer control including primary prevention, coping with treatments, rehabilitation after treatments, and secondary prevention and survival. He also serves as a scientific staff member at the Cross Cancer Institute and as research associate at the Center for Health Promotions Studies.
In addition to receiving an Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Dr. Courneya has received the Scientist Award from the Medical Research Council of Canada, the Early Career Distinguished Scholar Award from the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, and the Young Investigator Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
He received both a bachelor's and master's degree in physical education from the University of Western Ontario and his Ph.D. in kinesiology from the University of Illinois.
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Lisa Diller, M.D. -- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Lisa Diller, M.D. is founder and director of the David B. Perini, Jr., Quality of Life Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, Massachusetts. She also serves as associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. With more than 30 published articles, Dr. Diller's two major areas of research include the treatment of patients with solid tumors and the study of survivors of childhood cancer. Dr. Diller received a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a medical degree from the University of California, San Diego.
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Ethan Dmitrovsky, M.D. -- Dartmouth College
Ethan Dmitrovsky, M.D. is chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and associate director of Epidemology and Chemoprevention at Dartmouth College in Lebanon, New Hampshire. With more than 127 published articles, Dr. Dmitrovsky's conducts research of mechanisms responsible for differentiation and chemoprevention in human tumors by the retinoids and derivitives of Vitamin A.
In 1998, he joined Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center as professor and chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and currently serves as senior advisor to the president of Dartmouth College for science and technology.
He has received numerous awards, including the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Boyer Young Investigator Award in 1994 and an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Young Investigator Award in 1988. He was also selected as a finalist for the Michael Wolk Clinical Scholars Award in 1993 and elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 1994.
Dr. Dmitrovsky earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Harvard University and a medical degree from Cornell University.
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Lawrence Einhorn, M.D. -- Indiana University School of Medicine
Lawrence Einhorn, M.D. is a distinguished professor in the Department of Medicine at Indiana University (IU) Medical Center. He is a leading researcher in testicular cancer, clinician, and educator and is credited with increasing the testicular cancer survival rate from 10 per cent to 95 per cent through an innovative drug combination.
Dr. Einhorn has received numerous honors in his career, including the Distinguished Service Award for Scientific Achievement from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in 2004, the Glenn Irwin Experience Excellence Award in 1996, and the Kettering Prize Cancer Research-General Motors Foundation in 1992. He was also elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences and American Philosophical Society in 2002, and served as president of ASCO from 2000 to 2001.
Dr. Einhorn received a bachelor's of science degree from Indiana University and a medical degree from the University of Iowa.
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LaSalle Leffall, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S. -- Howard University College of Medicine
LeSalle Leffall, Jr., M.D. is the Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C. He is a surgeon, oncologist and medical educator and has devoted much of his clinical research to the study of cancer in African Americans. Along with leadership positions in numerous professional and civic organizations, Dr. Leffall was appointed as member and chair of the President's Cancer Panel by President George W. Bush in May 2002.
A diplomat of the American Board of Surgery and fellow of the American College of Surgeons and American College of Gastroenterology (named an Honorary Lifetime member in 1998), Dr. Leffall has been a visiting professor and guest lecturer at more than 200 medical institutions in the United States and around the world. He has authored or coauthored more than 130 articles and was also national president of the American Cancer Society in 1979. He currently serves as chairman of the board of directors for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
Dr. Leffall graduated from Florida A&M University with a bachelor's of science degree and received his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine, ranking first in his class.
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Mary McCabe, R.N., M.A. -- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Mary McCabe is director of the Cancer Survivorship Program and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, where she is responsible for developing and implementing center-wide comprehensive programs for adult cancer survivors.
Prior to joining MSKCC, she served as director of the National l Cancer Institute (NCI). McCabe has also been involved in many aspects of cancer clinical trials including the review of quality-of-life and economics evaluations in NCI-sponsored studies, as well as the evaluation of alternative therapies in clinical trials.
McCabe is an active member of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) and served as the chair of the Health Policy committee, chaired the National Oncology Nursing Health Policy Task Force and participated in the ONS Managed Care Task Force. She has also been honored with numerous awards from ONS, the American Cancer Society, the National Institutes of Health and the National Partnership for Reinventing Government.
McCabe received a bachelor's degree from Trinity College, a nursing degree from Emory University and a master's degree from Catholic University.
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Craig Nichols, M.D. -- Oregon Health & Science University
Craig Nichols, M.D. is chief of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, and associate director of the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Cancer Center in Portland, Oregon. He specializes in testicular cancer, Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
He has also authored and contributed to numerous published medical articles and was named a clinical fellow by the American Cancer Society, Chief Oncology and the American College of Physicians.
Dr. Nichols received his bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon and his medical degree from OHSU.
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Steven Wolff, M.D. -- Chairman, LAF Scientific Advisory Board, Meharry Medical College
Steven Wolff, M.D. is chairman of internal medicine, director of the Sickle Cell Center and professor of medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. As part of his duties, Dr. Wolff is responsible for the development of curriculum and supervises the extension of large-scale clinical trials into the community with special emphasis on recruiting minority participants and underserved populations.
With more than 110 papers in peer-reviewed journals published, he has served on the Executive Committee of the Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry, on the Board of Trust and as President of the Council of the National Marrow Donor Program.
Dr. Wolff earned a bachelor's degree from Queens College and a medical degree from the University of Illinois.
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