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Leadership and Core Faculty

Directors

  • Professor of Medicine (Hematology); Director, Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program; Chief, Classical Hematology Program

    Dr. Alfred Ian Lee is Professor of Medicine (Hematology) and Program Director for the hematology/oncology fellowship program. He received his MD/PhD from the Yale School of Medicine in 2004. Dr. Lee completed residency in internal medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, where he served as Chief Medical Resident, followed by a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. His primary academic interests are classical hematology, thrombosis, and medical education. He has received such honors as the Charles W. Bohmfalk Prize for teaching in the basic sciences, the Leah M. Lowenstein Award for excellence in the promotion of humane and egalitarian medical education, the Yale Cancer Center Award for Mentorship Excellence, and the David J. Lefell Prize for Clinical Excellence.
  • Associate Professor of Internal Medicine (Hematology); Duffy Firm Chief for Education, Department of Internal Medicine; Associate Director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program

    Research Interests
    • Leukemia
    • Myelodysplastic Syndromes
    • Myeloproliferative Disorders
    Dr. Nikolai Podoltsev is an Associate Professor of Medicine (Hematology). His practice is focused on management of patients with acute leukemias, including acute myeloid leukemias (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) as well as myeloid neoplasms like myelodisplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), such as polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), myelofibrosis (MF), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) among others. He also provides care for patients with aplastic anemia and bone marrow failure syndromes and follows patients with clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), and systemic mastocytosis and hypereosinophilic syndrome. He is the director of the Hematology/Leukemia Tumor Board. As the Associate Director of the Yale Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program and Yale-New Haven Hospital Duffy Firm Chief for Education, Dr. Podoltsev is involved in organizing and providing hematology education for hematology/medical oncology fellows, internal medicine residents, and medical students. The Yale Cancer Outcomes Public Policy and Effectiveness Research (COPPER) Center membership helps Dr. Podoltsev to study epidemiology, and the patterns of care and outcomes of patients with hematological malignancies. Dr. Podoltsev is engaged in the clinical research programs of the Leukemia Clinical Research Team as a Principal Investigator for multiple clinical trials enrolling patients with acute leukemias and myeloid malignancies.
  • Associate Professor of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology); Associate Director, Medical Oncology-Hematology Program; Research Director, Center for Thoracic Cancers; Chief, Thoracic Oncology

    Research Interests
    • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
    • Immunotherapy
    • Lung
    • Medical Oncology
    • Thoracic Neoplasms
    Dr. Sarah Goldberg is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the section of Medical Oncology at the Yale School of Medicine. As a thoracic oncologist she cares for patients with cancers of the chest including lung cancer, mesothelioma and thymoma. She is the Division Chief of Thoracic Oncology, the Research Director for the Center for Thoracic Cancers, and the Associate Program Director for the Medical Oncology-Hematology Fellowship Program at Yale.  She received her medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and completed a Masters in Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health. She conducts clinical and translational research on lung cancer with a focus on investigating biomarkers and novel treatment strategies in non-small cell lung cancer. Her specific research interests include EGFR mutation positive lung cancer, immunotherapeutics for lung cancer, and brain metastases.  Learn more about Dr. Sarah Goldberg>>
  • Arthur H and Isabel Bunker Professor of Medicine (Hematology) and Professor of Pathology; Chief, Section of Hematology; Director, DeLuca Center for Innovation in Hematology Research, Yale Cancer Center; Assistant Medical Director CRSL, Yale Cancer Center; Chief, Translational Hematology

    Research Interests
    • Aging
    • Hematopoiesis
    • Hematopoietic Stem Cells
    • Immunity, Innate
    • Immunotherapy
    • Leukemia
    • Methylation
    • Myelodysplastic Syndromes
    • RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional
    • RNA Splicing
    • Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic
    • RNA-Binding Proteins
    • Alternative Splicing
    • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
    • Adult Stem Cells
    • Single-Cell Analysis
    • Stress Granules
    Dr. Halene is a physician-scientist who received her MD degree at Eberhardt-Karls-University in Tübingen, Germany. She subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Donald B. Kohn at CHLA in Los Angeles and her residency in internal medicine in the traditional program at Yale New Haven Hospital. She completed her fellowship in hematology/oncology at Yale and joined the ladder faculty at YSM as an assistant professor in 2010. At that time she was also named director of the Hematology Tissue Bank for Yale Cancer Center. She was promoted to associate professor in 2016 and subsequently served as interim chief of the Section of Hematology prior to her appointment as chief of that section in 2020. Her laboratory studies hematopoiesis and myelopoiesis and in particular how mutations in splicing factors and perturbations in RNA modifications contribute to hematologic malignancies such as myelodysplasia and leukemia. Dr. Halene, in collaboration with the Flavell laboratory in the YSM Department of Immunobiology, has developed the first efficient xenotransplantation model in humanized mice to study myelodysplasia and enable testing of novel drug treatments. Dr. Halene’s research has garnered significant attention from the international community, as evidenced by numerous invited speaking engagements, an invitation to serve as a section editor on myeloid malignancies for a major journal, and publications in top tier journals in her field. In 2015 she was presented with the Sir William Osler Young Investigator Award and in 2019 was elected a member of the Interurban Clinical Club. Dr. Halene is director of the DeLuca Center for Innovation in Hematology Research. Through generous funding from The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, the center has established a comprehensive biospecimen bank, awarded pilot and career development grant funding to advance cutting-edge discoveries in hematologic malignancies and classical hematologic disorders. Meet Dr. Stephanie Halene>>
  • Ensign Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and Professor of Pharmacology; Deputy Director, Yale Cancer Center; Chief of Medical Oncology, Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital; Assistant Dean for Translational Research, Yale School of Medicine; Director, Center for Thoracic Cancers, Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital; Program Director, Master of Health Science - Clinical Investigation Track (MHS-CI)

    Research Interests
    • Lung Neoplasms
    • Medical Oncology
    • Thoracic Neoplasms
    • Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic
    • Biomarkers, Pharmacological
    • Precision Medicine
    Dr. Herbst is nationally recognized for his leadership and expertise in lung cancer treatment and research. He is best known for his work in developmental therapeutics and the personalized therapy of non-small cell lung cancer, in particular the process of linking genetic abnormalities of cancer cells to novel therapies. Learn more about Dr. Herbst >> Dr. Herbst’s primary mission is the enhanced integration of clinical, laboratory, and research programs. He has worked over several decades as a pioneer of personalized medicine and immunotherapy to identify biomarkers and bring novel targeted treatments and immunotherapies to patients, serving as principal investigator for numerous clinical trials testing these agents in advanced stage lung cancers. This work led to the approval of several therapies (such as gefitinib, cetuximab, bevacizumab, axitinib), which have revolutionized the field and greatly enhanced patient survival. He and his Yale colleagues were among the first to describe the PD-1/PD-L1 adaptive immune response in early phase trials and to offer trials of PD-L1 inhibitors atezolizumab and pembrolizumab to lung cancer patients. His leadership in targeted therapeutics resulted in being selected for ASCO’s plenary presentation in 2020 and 2023 and publication of results of the third-generation EGFR-inhibitor osimertinib for the treatment of resected EGFR-mutant NSCLC in the New England Journal of Medicine. In 2015 and again in 2020, his team at Yale was awarded a Lung Cancer SPORE (P50 grant) by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which has identified new immunotherapies and mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to EGFR targeted therapies. His work has also been funded by ASCO, AACR, the United States Department of Defense, and by an AACR/ Stand Up to Cancer Dream Team grant. His work on "umbrella” trials has galvanized the field of targeted therapy and cancer drug approvals at the FDA. Nationally, he works closely with public-private partnerships to develop large master protocol clinical studies. He was co-leader for the BATTLE-1 clinical trial program, co-leads the subsequent BATTLE-2 clinical trial program, and was the founding principal investigator (PI) of the Lung Master Protocol (Lung-MAP), a position he held for ten years. He testified on this before the House of Representatives 21st Century Cures committee and serves as a prominent figure in this area. He has served over ten years as a member of the National Academy of Medicine’s Cancer Policy Forum, for which he organized several meetings focused on policy issues in personalized medicine and tobacco control. He is now serving his second term on the National Academy of Medicine’s Cancer Policy Forum. He is currently the Vice Chair for the Southwestern Oncology Group (SWOG) Lung Committee and chair emeritus and special advisor for the Lung-MAP trial. After earning a B.S. and M.S. degree from Yale University, Dr. Herbst earned his M.D. at Cornell University Medical College and his Ph.D. in molecular cell biology at The Rockefeller University in New York City, New York. His postgraduate training included an internship and residency in medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. His clinical fellowships in medicine and hematology were completed at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, respectively. Subsequently, Dr. Herbst completed a M.S. degree in clinical translational research at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Prior to his appointment at Yale, Dr. Herbst was the Barnhart Distinguished Professor and Chief of the Section of Thoracic Medical Oncology in the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (UT-MDACC) in Houston, Texas. He also served as Professor in the Department of Cancer Biology and Co-Director of the Phase I Clinical Trials Program. Dr. Herbst is a highly respected clinician­ scientist who has been a champion of translational medicine for decades, recently authoring a high-profile review of the 20-year progress in lung cancer. He has authored or co-authored more than 450 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, abstracts, and book chapters. His work has appeared in many prominent journals, such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, Lancet, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Work published in Nature was awarded the 2015 Herbert Pardes Clinical Research Excellence Award by the Clinical Research Forum. His abstracts have been presented at the annual meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the World Conference on Lung Cancer, the Society of Nuclear Medicine Conference, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and a member of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), where serves as Chair of the AACR Scientific Policy and Government Affairs Committee. He has been a major proponent of efforts to promote tobacco control and regulation (including e-cigarettes), authoring multiple policy statements and leading frequent Capitol Hill briefings. In 2019, he was elected to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) board of directors and the board of directors of the American Association of Cancer Research(AACR). He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and an elected member of the Association of American Physicians. For his lifetime achievement in scientific contributions to thoracic cancer research, Dr. Herbst was awarded the 2016 Paul A. Bunn, Jr. Scientific Award by the IASLC at their 17th World Conference on Lung Cancer in Vienna, Austria. A team of Yale Cancer Center investigators led by Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, was awarded the 2018 Team Science Award from the Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS) for its pioneering work in advancing our understanding of Immunotherapy. In 2020, Dr. Herbst was awarded the AACR Distinguished Public Service Award for Exceptional Leadership in Cancer Science Policy. Dr. Herbst is the recipient of the 2022 Giants of Cancer Care® award for Lung Cancer and was honored by Friends of Cancer Research in 2022 as one of their 25 scientific and advocacy leaders who, through their work and partnership, have been instrumental over the course of the last 25 years in making significant advancements for patients. Over the course of his career, Dr. Herbst has worked to bring novel therapies to the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, bringing us closer to curing this disease.
  • Professor; Director, VA Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chief, Veterans Affairs

    Research Interests
    • Health Services Research
    • Hematology
    • Medical Oncology
    • Veterans
  • Alfred Gilman Professor of Pharmacology and Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Deputy Dean for Cancer Research, Yale School of Medicine; Director, Yale Cancer Center; President and Physician-in-Chief, Smilow Cancer Hospital

    Research Interests
    • Breast
    Dr. Eric Winer is the Director of Yale Cancer Center and President and Physician-in-Chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital Yale New Haven Health System as of February 1, 2022. He is also the Alfred Gilman Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology and Deputy Dean of Cancer Research at Yale School of Medicine. An internationally renowned expert in breast cancer, Dr. Winer has led and collaborated on innumerable clinical trials that have changed the face of the disease. His work is both broad and deep, and it has touched almost all aspects of breast cancer. Dr. Winer has long been an advocate of building teams consisting of scientists and clinicians to accelerate progress in cancer research and care. Dr. Winer is Chair of the Board for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. For over a decade, he served as chief scientific advisor and chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. For the past six years he has co-led the National Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Steering Committee. Dr. Winer has published over 350 original manuscripts and mentored over 30 fellows and junior faculty. In recognition of his mentoring impact, he was the recipient of the William Silen Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award from Harvard Medical School in 2020. He has also received numerous awards for his breast cancer research, most notably the William L. McGuire Memorial Lecture Award in 2016 at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Dr. Winer is an alumnus of both Yale College and Yale School of Medicine. After receiving his medical degree in 1983, he completed training in internal medicine and served as chief resident at Yale New Haven Hospital. He completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Duke University School of Medicine and served on the Duke faculty from 1989 to 1997. He then joined Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School where he has spent the last 24 years. Most recently, he held the Thompson Chair in Breast Cancer Research and served as chief clinical development officer, and senior vice president for medical affairs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as well as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Core Faculty

  • Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology)

    Noffar Bar, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology) at Yale School of Medicine and completed her internship and residency at the Mount Sinai Hospital and her fellowship at Yale. She received her medical degree from the American Medical Program at Tel Aviv University in New York. Dr. Bar is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, and the International Myeloma Society. Dr. Bar’s research is focused on multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders. She specializes in all treatment modalities for myeloma including CAR T-cell therapy and stem cell transplant. She received grant support through the Conquer Cancer Foundation’s Young Investigator Award for her work looking at the prevention of multiple myeloma. Dr. Bar is dedicated to improving treatments for myeloma patients through innovative clinical trials. Additionally, Dr. Bar is a medical educator and a member of the Classical Hematology Disease team at Yale. She is interested in promoting high value care for hematology patients.
  • Associate Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Clinical Research Team Leader, Head and Neck Cancers Program

    Research Interests
    • Head and Neck Neoplasms
    • Medical Oncology
  • Professor of Medicine (Hematology); Professor of Medicine, Hematology; Clinical Director, Classical Hematology Program; Medical Director, Hemophilia Treatment Center

    Dr. Robert Bona, is the director of the classical (benign) hematology program and medical director of the Hemophilia Treatment Center at Yale. Originally from New York, he and his wife, Georg'Ann, are current residents of New Haven and long time residents of Connecticut where they have raised their three children. Prior to coming to Yale, he was a founding faculty member of the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. Prior to that he was Professor of Medicine at UConn School of Medicine, having had early training there and at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. At UConn School of Medicine,  he served as the hematology oncology fellowship program director, chief of the division of hematology oncology and Hemophilia Treatment Center director. He has had a strong interest, throughout his career, in medical education and clinical hemostasis and thrombosis. He is a graduate of SUNY Upstate Medical College in Syracuse New York and is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology.  Learn more about Dr. Bona>>
  • Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology); Medical Director, Sickle Cell Program

    Research Interests
    • Anemia, Sickle Cell
    • Hematology
    • Young Adult
    • Transition to Adult Care
    Dr. Cecelia Calhoun, MD, MPHS, MBA, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology) and (Hematology/Oncology) at Yale University School of Medicine, specializing in the care of individuals with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). She also serves as the Medical Director of the Adult Sickle Cell Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital. Dr. Calhoun's research focuses on addressing educational and healthcare obstacles faced by adolescents with sickle cell disease, employing mixed methods to find effective solutions. Her career is dedicated to designing and implementing evidence-based interventions that support a successful transition from youth to adult care for individuals with sickle cell disease. As an NIH-funded investigator, she collaborates with hematology colleagues nationwide, utilizing Implementation Science methods to improve outcomes for patients with sickle cell disease across their lifespan. Dr. Calhoun's expertise and dedication make her a respected figure in the field of hematology, particularly in the realm of sickle cell disease and health equity. Her commitment to improving outcomes for individuals with sickle cell disease underscores her valuable contributions to the academic and medical community.
  • Professor of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology); Deputy Director at the VA Comprehensive Cancer Center, Section of Hematology/Oncology

    Research Interests
    • Lung Neoplasms
    • Medical Oncology
    • Prostatic Neoplasms
    • Clinical Trial
  • Associate Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Clinical Research Team Leader Sarcoma, Medical Oncology; Director Medical Oncology Inpatient Consult Service, Medical Oncology

    Research Interests
    • Chondrosarcoma
    • Leiomyosarcoma
    • Liposarcoma
    • Osteosarcoma
    • Soft Tissue Neoplasms
    • Sarcoma, Synovial
    • Thyroid Neoplasms
    • Neoplasms, Connective and Soft Tissue
    • Liposarcoma, Myxoid
    Dr. Hari Deshpande, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Section of Medical Oncology, cares for patients with sarcomas along with the sarcoma multidisciplinary team.Previously in practice at both the New London Cancer Center and Las Vegas Cancer Center, Dr. Deshpande also has clinical interests in sarcomas, cancers of unknown primary, and thyroid cancers. He is a member of the Head and Neck Cancer and GU cancer teams. He is the Director of the Medical Oncology Inpatient Consult service.Learn more about Dr. Deshpande>>
  • Professor of Medicine (Hematology) and of Dermatology; Director, Multidisciplinary T cell Lymphoma Program, Hematology; Scientific Leader, Lymphoma CRT, Yale Cancer Center

    Research Interests
    • Biological Factors
    • Graft vs Host Disease
    • Hodgkin Disease
    • Immune System Diseases
    • Leukemia, Hairy Cell
    • Leukemia, Lymphoid
    • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
    • Lymphoproliferative Disorders
    • Sezary Syndrome
    • Skin Neoplasms
    • Leukemia, B-Cell
    • Leukemia, T-Cell
    • Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, T-Cell
    • Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, B-Cell
    • Composite Lymphoma
    • Chemicals and Drugs
    Dr. Francine Foss, Professor of Medicine in the Section of Medical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center, is an internationally recognized clinician and clinical researcher with expertise in adult lymphomas and in stem cell transplantation. She has developed and tested therapies that have been used to treat thousands of cancer patients, and her research has substantially impacted the field of stem cell research, benefiting patients at Yale and around the world. Dr. Foss has brought a nationally established clinical trials program to Yale Cancer Center. In her previous position at Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston, she designed, initiated, and directed multi-center national clinical trials which led to FDA approval of several novel therapies for lymphomas. One of these, Interleukin-2- Diphtheria toxin fusion protein, was the first FDA-approved fusion protein biologic drug and the first drug to be FDA approved for the treatment of T-cell lymphoma. In her laboratory work, she investigated and elucidated the mechanism by which extracorporeal photopheresis modulated antigen presenting cells, leading to a reduction in graft-vs-host disease in patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant. These findings led to the initiation of two National Cancer Institute-sponsored trials to confirm these results in patients with lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndrome. Dr. Foss is a member of the Stem Cell Therapy clinical program at Smilow Cancer Hospital. Learn more about Dr. Foss>> Dr. Foss is a world expert in T cell Lymphomas. She has pioneered several novel therapies for T cell lymphomas and has been a leader in many national studies. She developed and initiated the first national registry for T cell lymphomas in the United States and is a founder and co-chairman of the T CELL Forum, the preeminent international T cell lymphoma research meeting. She is a co-founder of the United States Cutaneous Lymphoma Consortium and currently serves as its President. She has been a Director of the international T-cell Project to research treatment and biology of T-cell lymphomas and serves on the NCCN panel of experts for T-cell lymphomas. As a translational researcher in T cell Lymphomas, she currently is collaborating with a number of laboratories and scientists at Yale to identify molecular targets in T Cell Lymphoma and recently was awarded a grant through the PITCH program for the state of Connecticut to develop a promising small molecule therapeutic for a rare form of lymphoma. Dr. Foss currently leads the multi-disciplinary T-cell Lymphoma clinical team at the Smilow Cancer Center and co-directs the Cutaneous Lymphoma Program at Yale with Dr. Michael Girardi. Her clinical practice at Smilow Cancer Hospital attracts patients from around the world.
  • Assistant Professor; Deputy Director, Diversity Enhancement Program in Oncology

    Research Interests
    • Healthcare Disparities
    Jacquelyne Gaddy, MD, MSc, MSCR is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and cares for patients as part of the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center. She is also Deputy Director of the Diversity Enhancement Program in Oncology and a member of The Center for Community Engagement and Health Equity (CEHE) within Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center. Prior to medical school she pursued a Master of Cancer Sciences at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Gaddy received her medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She completed her residency at the University at Buffalo and while a fellow in medical oncology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, undertook a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Health Behavior and obtained a Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR). Dr. Gaddy has dedicated her entire postgraduate career to focusing on improving diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is committed to improving cancer care delivery for Black patients while also addressing the needs of Black, Indigenous, People of color (BIPOC) cancer care providers through an educational and investigational approach. Her primary research focus is evaluating how the social determinants of health impact cancer care delivery. She is a 2012 recipient of the Medical Student Rotation for Underrepresented Populations and a 2019 recipient of the Resident Travel Award for Underrepresented Populations from Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation. She was selected to participate in Dr. Kemi Doll’s “Get That Grant” coaching program, is Co-Director of the Oncology Summer Internship (sponsored by ASCO), and holds a 2023 ACS IRG Pilot Award for Underrepresented Minorities.
  • Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology); Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology), Internal Medicine

    Research Interests
    • Anemia, Aplastic
    • Blood Transfusion
    • Bone Marrow Diseases
    • Immunotherapy
    • Leukemia
    • Lymphoma
    • Multiple Myeloma
    • Myelodysplastic Syndromes
    • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
    • Primary Myelofibrosis
    Curing hematologic cancers with precision medicine and minimal toxicity has been a multigeneration challenge and a highly prioritized work for our group at Yale. Through continual engagement with patients and their families, educational meetings and well informed decision making sessions, we help our patients navigate the field of transplantation and cellular therapy. Our multidisciplinary team while trying to harness the curative promise of cellular immunotherapy also has special focus to enhance its safety and provide long term supervision for cancer survivors. We strongly encourage our patients to learn the strengths and limitations of the existing standard of care, the knowledge of which could be applied to personalize treatment plans and foster research environment to advance the broader field.
  • Assistant Professor Adjunct; Assistant Professor (Medical Oncology)

    Research Interests
    • Clinical Trial
    • Clinical Trial, Phase I
    Navid Hafez, MD, MPH completed his residency and fellowship at Yale and his received his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
  • Associate Professor of Medicine (Hematology); Co-Director Adult CAR T-Cell Therapy Program, Hematology; Co-Leader, Cellular Therapy Clinical Research Team, Yale Cancer Center; Co-Chair, Cellular Therapy (CT)-SAFE Committee, Yale Cancer Center

    Research Interests
    • Clinical Trials as Topic
    • Graft vs Host Disease
    • Lymphoma
    • Bone Marrow Transplantation
    • Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic
    • Transplantation Conditioning
  • Associate Professor of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology); Director, Prostate Cancer Research; Lecture Coordinator in Hematology/Oncology, Yale Affiliated Hospital Program

    Dr. Joseph Kim is a board-certified medical oncologist and a Director of the Prostate Cancer Research Program for Prostate and Urological Cancers DART of Yale Cancer Center.  He is a recipient of the Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and a recipient of other awards from Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Dr. Kim has led several peer-reviewed, NCI-sponsored, investigator-initiated clinical trials in prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and other solid tumors as a study chair. Dr. Joseph Kim serves as an author/editor of the genitourinary (GU) cancers chapter of  ASCO-SEP, an educational textbook for medical oncologists, and a co-editor of the GU cancers section of a peer-reviewed journal, Current Oncology Report, and ad hoc reviewer of multiple oncology journals. He has been invited as a speaker for numerous international and national academic conferences including GU Cancers Symposium, ASCO Annual Meeting, CTEP/ NCI meeting, ASCO Direct highlights, International Genitourinary Cancer Conference, and many others. His passion lies in delivering compassionate, patient-centered, and evidence-based care for patients with genitourinary cancer including prostate cancer, bladder, and other urinary tract cancer, testicular cancer, and penile cancer.  He is also passionate about developing and executing hypothesis-driven clinical trials of novel therapies in GU cancers and other solid tumors.
  • Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology); Clinician Lead, Cancer Biology Training Program; Core Faculty, Medical Oncology and Hematology Fellowship Program

    Research Interests
    • Drug Resistance
    • Apoptosis
    • Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell
    Shalin Kothari, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology) at Yale University. Dr. Kothari completed his residency in Internal Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University and his Hematology and Medical Oncology fellowship through the University at Buffalo/Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center where he was the Chief Fellow. He received his Medical Degree from Gujarat University in India. Dr. Kothari specializes in the treatment of lymphomas. His research is focused on using his clinical skills and basic science knowledge to answer scientific questions focused on mechanistic understanding of lymphoma therapeutics and its translation in the form of early-phase clinical trials for various aggressive forms of B-cell lymphomas including mantle cell lymphoma. He also conducts research in the Müschen Laboratory here at Yale University with a specific focus on developing new therapies for mantle cell lymphoma. He is a Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) Scholar, and an inductee of the ASH Advocacy Leadership Institute and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He has presented his research in multiple national and international meetings and has won abstract achievement and travel awards.
  • Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology)

    Dr. Jill Lacy is Professor of Medicine in the Section of Medical Oncology at Yale School of Medicine with over 30 years of experience as a practicing Medical Oncologist. Dr. Lacy graduated from Yale School of Medicine in 1978, completed training in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology at Yale, and is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. Dr. Lacy's early career was focused on clinical and basic research related to Epstein Barr virus-mediated oncogenesis and HIV-associated malignancies during the height of the AIDS epidemic. In recent years, Dr. Lacy's clinical practice has been devoted to caring for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. Her current research is focused on therapeutic clinical trials in GI malignancies, including gastroesophageal, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. She is the principle investigator on a number of investigator-initiated, pharmaceutical, and cooperative group studies. She has served on national committees focused on optimizing the education of Medical Oncology trainees and recruiting minority students to careers in Oncology.
  • Assistant Professor

    Research Interests
    • Leukemia, Myeloid
    Dr. Lourdes Mendez received her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, as well as a PhD in Cell Biology. She completed her residency at Weill Cornell-New York Presbyterian and while a fellow in hematology/oncology at BIDMC, undertook a post-doctoral fellowship in cancer genetics. Most recently, Dr. Mendez was an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Leukemia Disease Group Leader at BIDMC. She is currently a member of the Yale Leukemia Clinical and Research Team with a focus on clinical care and trials for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Dr. Mendez is dedicated to both the clinical care of patients and translational research with the goal of translating findings from the bench to the bedside to improve outcomes for patients with high-risk acute leukemia and precursor conditions (CHIP/CCUS).
  • Associate Professor of Internal Medicine (Hematology); Research Leader, Myeloma Program, Hematology

    Research Interests
    • Amyloidosis
    • Hematology
    • Leukemia, Plasma Cell
    • Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia
    • Multiple Myeloma
    • Myeloma Proteins
    • Paraproteinemias
    • Neoplasms, Plasma Cell
    • Smoldering Multiple Myeloma
    Dr. Neparidze obtained her medical degree from Aieti Medical School in Tbilisi, Georgia in 2000. She subsequently completed Postdoctoral Research Fellowships at Emory, Northwestern and Yale Universities, followed by Internal Medicine Residency and Hematology/Medical Oncology Fellowship at Yale University. She has served as an assistant professor at Yale University School of Medicine, Medical Oncology/Hematology since 2012.  She specializes in multiple myeloma, monoclonal gammopathies, AL amyloidosis, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia.  Dr. Neparidze has developed multiple research projects in myeloma, including a number of investigator-initiated therapeutic clinical trials. She collaborates with other researchers nationally and internationally, serve as a PI and co-PI on multiple therapeutic clinical trials and leads several clinical outcomes studies in patients with myeloma. She serves as the leader of the Yale Myeloma Research team.  Her ongoing research directions include use of advanced imaging and evaluating tumor heterogeneity to enhance precision medicine approaches for myeloma, novel combination immunotherapy strategies and MRD-driven therapies in myeloma, as well as studying biology and clinical outcomes of monoclonal gammopathies in association with metabolic, viral and other co-morbidities, investigating mechanisms of tumor progression and resistance in myeloma. Dr. Neparidze is actively involved in educational process, teaching Hematology/Oncology fellows, medical students, residents and colleagues at Yale and in community. Learn more about Dr. Neparidze>>
  • Associate Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Chief, Patient Experience Officer; Medical Director, Survivorship Clinic

    Research Interests
    • Breast Diseases
    • Communication
    • Survivorship
    I am board certified in both medical oncology and hospice and palliative medicine, which I feel helps me treat the "whole person" and not just a disease. As the Chief Patient Experience Officer at Smilow Cancer Hospital, I enjoy thinking about improving care, especially where the provider and patient experience overlaps. As a breast oncologist, I have a busy practice and enjoy taking care of women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. As the director of the Yale Survivorship Clinic, one of the nation’s only multi-disciplinary clinics specializing in cancer survivorship, I learn from patients about key issues after treatment and this informs my role as Chair of the NCCN Survivorship Guidelines. My research focuses on healthy lifestyles and quality of life after cancer. I am a facilitator for Relationship-Centered Communication Workshop that address how we develop therapeutic relationships with our patients and each other. Learn more about Dr. Tara Sanft>>
  • Associate Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Chief, Ambulatory Officer

    I am an Associate Professor of Medicine in the section of Medical Oncology within the Department of Medicine, and in the clinic, I see patients with breast cancer. I am also involved in education of students, residents, and fellows here at Yale. Outside of the clinic, I am involved with the COPPER (Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy, and Effectiveness Research) Center within the School of Medicine, with a specific interest in chemotherapy regimens used in the treatment of breast cancer and how they are used in clinical practice.Learn more about Dr. Schellhorn>>
  • Professor of Internal Medicine (Hematology); Acting Director, Stem Cell Transplantation; Chairman, Car-T Cell Joint Steering Committee; Director, Unrelated Donor Transplant Program, Stem Cell Transplantation; Co-Director, Immune Effector Cell Therapy; Co-Director, Adult CAR T-Cell Therapy Program

    Research Interests
    • Hematologic Diseases
    • Hematopoietic Stem Cells
    • Hodgkin Disease
    • Leukemia
    • Lymphocytes
    • Lymphoma
    • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
    • Plasma Cells
    • Bone Marrow Transplantation
    • Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic
    Dr. Seropian is a Professor of Medicine in the department of Internal Medicine, Section of Hematology, Yale University School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine and completed residency and fellowship training at Yale-New Haven Hospital/Yale University School of Medicine in 1996.  Dr. Seropian serves as Interim Director of the Stem Cell Transplant Program, Co-Director, Immune Effector Cell Therapy, and Chairman, Car-T Cell Joint Steering Committee, Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Seropian’s research interests include methods to improve the outcomes of transplantation through use of novel anti-cancer agents and new methods of treating graft versus host disease
  • Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology)

    Research Interests
    • Epidemiology
    • Leukemia
    • Myelodysplastic Syndromes
    • Myeloproliferative Disorders
    • Myelodysplastic-Myeloproliferative Diseases
    Dr. Shallis received his MD from Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, completed his residency training at Brown University-Rhode Island Hospital and fellowship training at Yale-New Haven Hospital.  He is focused on the care and research of patients with myeloid malignancies, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). He also participated in the K12 Calabresi Immuno-Oncology Training Program and currently participates as an investigator in several clinical trials aimed at improving the outcomes of patients with AML and MDS. Dr. Shallis also maintains research interest in epidemiological, outcomes and effectiveness research as it pertains to the hematologic malignancies with a goal of identifying barriers to effective care and ultimately strategies to improve the outcomes of patients with these malignant diseases. Dr. Shallis conducts research with the Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy and Effectiveness Research (COPPER) Center at Yale University.  Dr. Shallis has presented his research at multiple regional, national and international meetings and is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) clinical guidelines for MDS and AML panels. He is an author on more than 75 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, most of which as first author and has served as an ad hoc reviewer for many journals including Leukemia, Haematologica, Blood Advances, Leukemia Research, Leukemia & Lymphoma, Acta Haematologica, Hematology, Therapeutic Advances in Hematology, Expert Review of Hematology, BMC Hematology, eJHaem and Future Oncology among others.
  • Associate Professor of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology); Assistant Medical Director, Clinical Trials Office

    Research Interests
    • Gastrointestinal Neoplasms
    • Clinical Trial
    I take care of patients with advanced liver cancer and offer chemotherapy. I help educate my patients and their families about their cancer and liver disease. Treatment plans often include a pill form of targeted therapy. There are also immune therapy clinical trials available for patients. I work closely with patients to manage their cancer and liver disease related symptoms.Learn more about Dr. Stacey Stein>>
  • Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology)

    Research Interests
    • Blood-Brain Barrier
    • Clinical Trials as Topic
    • Drug Combinations
    • Melanoma
    • Neoplasm Metastasis
    • Immune Checkpoint Proteins
    Dr. Tran is an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and cares for patients with melanoma and other advanced skin cancers at the Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven and in Smilow Guilford. She participated in the ABIM Physician-Scientist Research Pathway and completed both her internal medicine residency and hematology/oncology clinical fellowship at Yale.  She received her MD and PhD degrees from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.  Dr. Tran is actively engaged in translational research in melanoma brain metastases and developing novel therapeutics and drug combinations to improve responses in melanoma and overcome immune resistance.  She has been funded through the Yale Cancer Center T32, the YCC K12 Calabresi Immuno-Oncology Training Program (IOTP), and the Skin Cancer SPORE career enhancement program.  Dr. Tran is the principal investigator of several clinical trials in melanoma.