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James J. Urbanic, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology
Comprehensive Cancer Center
Clinical Specialties
Lung Cancer, Radiation Oncology, Radiosurgery, Brachytherapy, Breast Cancer

Education & Training

M.D., Medical Univ Of South Carolina , 2003
B.S., US Merchant Marine Academy , 1992
Internship, Internal Medicine, Med U SC Teaching Hospital, 2004
Residency, Radiation Oncology, North Carolina Baptist Hospital, 2007
Residency, Radiation Oncology, North Carolina Baptist Hospital, 2008

Memberships

American Association of Cancer Research
Radiation Research Society
American Medical Association
Radiological Society of North America
American Society of Clinical Oncology
American Society of Therapeutic Rad & Oncology

James J. Urbanic, MD, Wake Forest Baptist Health Comprehensive Cancer Center from TEAM DRAFT on Vimeo.

Francesco J. DeMayo, Ph.D., 
Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
Ph, D. Michigan State University, East Lansing 
Postdoc, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Molecular regulation of cellular differentiation and physiology

The goal of my laboratory is to investigate the molecular regulation of cellular differentiation and physiology. This research is conducted on two model organ systems, the lung and uterus. Although these two tissues are significantly divergent in their biological functions, many of the molecular mechanisms regulating the cellular differentiation and physiology are conserved. In order to investigate the biology of these tissues, my laboratory has manipulated the mouse genome to generate novel animal models to identify molecular mechanisms regulating the cell biology of these organs.

The lung is composed of 40 different cell types. This makes the lung an interesting organ to investigate the developmental control of cellular differentiation. The pulmonary cell types my laboratory is interested in investigating are the Clara cells, the neuroendocrine cells and the alveolar type II cells. Clara cells are the non-ciliated secretory cells of the pulmonary epithelium. My laboratory has used transgenic technology to execute in vivo promoter analysis to investigate the molecular regulation of Clara cell gene expression. The information gained from these studies has allowed us to generate an animal model for lung cancer, to generate cell lines to further investigate the elements regulating Clara cell differentiation and finally to determine how elements involved in lung development play a role in the regulation of the response of the Clara cell to environmental challenges. In the investigation of the factors that control neuroendocrine cell differentiation, my laboratory is interested in identifying what factors regulate this process as well as determining the role of these cells in damage and repair of the pulmonary epithelium. We have shown that the transcription factor, achaete scute, can cause a transformed Clara cell to express markers of neuroendocrine differentiation in vivo. Finally, in the investigation of the biology of the alveolar type II cell my laboratory has developed an transgenic “Gene Switch” system to investigate how growth factors which are involved in regulating lung development can function to regulate the biology of the alveolar type II cell in the adult.

The uterus functions to support the development of the fetus. The ability of the embryo to attach and thrive in the uterus is under tight hormonal control. Ablation of the receptor for the steroid hormone progesterone has demonstrated that this hormone is critical for the uterus to initiate and support the implanting embryo. My laboratory is interested in understanding the cascade of events regulated by progesterone. This is being accomplished by using current techniques in gene expression analysis to determine which genes are regulated by progesterone. Finally my laboratory is generating novel approaches to investigate the role of specific genes in uterine biology in vivo.

The overall goal of the above investigations in the understanding of the molecular regulation of cellular differentiation and physiology is to shed light on pathways to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Understanding the molecular regulation of pulmonary cell differentiation will help design treatments for pulmonary diseases such as lung cancer, and asthma. The investigation of uterine biology will aid in the treatment of infertility.

Francesco J. DeMayo, Ph. D, Baylor College of Medicine, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center in Houston, TX from TEAM DRAFT on Vimeo.

Richard J. Battafarano, M.D., Ph.D.,is the head of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center and a member of the surgical faculty at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. As a chest surgeon with particular expertise in lung and esophageal cancer, he plays a key role in caring for patients at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.

Dr. Battafarano came to Maryland from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., where he was an assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery since 1999. He was also a thoracic surgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where he co-chaired the Siteman Cancer Center Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee and the hospital’s Cancer Committee.

“Dr. Battafarano brings high energy and a strong background in clinical care and research, including translational research in esophageal cancer,” says Stephen T. Bartlett, M.D., professor and chairman of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center. “He is a great clinician as well as a respected leader and educator, and I expect him to make significant contributions as we embark on a new era in thoracic surgery.”

Prior to his work in St. Louis, Dr. Battafarano completed a residency in cardiothoracic surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and New York Hospital from 1997 to 1999. His general surgery training consisted of a surgical internship at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pa., followed by four years of surgical residency at the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Center. During his general surgery residency, he entered the M.D. / Ph.D. program at the University of Minnesota and completed his doctorate in Biomedical Sciences.
Dr. Battafarano received his medical degree from Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia and earned his bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania’s Haverford College.

“My goal is to provide excellent service to our patients and referring physicians for the full range of diseases of the chest. We will make it as easy as possible for physicians throughout the region to refer their patients, including those with the most challenging problems, and we will provide appointments within 7 to 10 days,” says Dr. Battafarano.

In addition to his expertise in lung and esophageal surgery, Dr. Battafarano has experience in a full range of complicated lung procedures, including lung volume reduction surgery, as well as minimally invasive surgical techniques such as video-assisted surgical removal of lobes in the lungs. He also performs sympathectomy, a surgical treatment for excessive sweating known as hyperhidrosis.

Dr. Battafarano’s basic research interest is in certain cellular pathways that speed cell growth in esophageal cancer. “Overexpression of the signaling pathway, known by the scientific designation WNT, leads to the rapid growth of esophageal cancer cells and their ability to spread to lymph nodes and other organs in the body,” he says. “Our hope is to improve the chances for cure in patients with esophageal cancer by developing targeted therapies directed against this pathway that can be incorporated into the multidisciplinary care of these patients,” says Dr. Battafarano.

Richard J. Battafarano, MD, PhD — University of Maryland, Greenebaum Cancer Center from TEAM DRAFT on Vimeo.

Dr. Yang’s primary appointment at Mayo Clinic is in health sciences research. She also holds a joint clinical appointment in Medical Genetics and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

She is an epidemiologist with special training and experience in genetic epidemiology. Her long standing research interest has been in the causes and outcomes of lung cancer.

Dr. Yang is leading three NIH R01 grants and co-leading three other NIH grants, investigating the causes, prevention and treatment of lung cancer. In 1997, she initiated and has since been leading the Epidemiology and Genetics of Lung Cancer research program, which has been designed to accomplish the following goals with a multidisciplinary approach:

Identify low penetrant yet high frequency genes that are involved in lung carcinogenesis, cancer progression and prognosis;
Investigate the roles of chronic and non cancerous lung diseases including inherited disorders in lung cancer risk;

Evaluate the health and quality of life among long term lung cancer survivors;
Search for high penetrant but rare lung cancer susceptibility gene(s) by family based methods; and In the framework of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, continue to monitor the trends in lung cancer morbidity and mortality, to provide new leads as to causes, to estimate the attributable risks of high and/or low penetrant genes and their interactions with known carcinogens, and to evaluate the effectiveness of screening/early detection efforts.

Dr. Yang has been a member of the Mayo Clinic team since 1996 and is also a Professor of Epidemiology with Mayo Medical School.

Ping Yang, M.D., Ph.D, Mayo Clinic Cancer Research Center, Rochester, MN from TEAM DRAFT on Vimeo.

Augusto Ochoa, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
Adjunct Associate Professor, Biochemistry
Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center

DegreesM.D. – 1982

Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia

Bio Post-doctoral Fellowship – Immunology, Immunobiology Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 1982 – 1986
Assistant Professor, Immunobiology Research Center, University of Minnesota, 1986-1989
Head, Immunotherapy Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Frederick, MD, 1989 – 1996
Head, Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Frederick, MD, 1996-1997

Residency in Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, LA, 1997- 2000
Fellowship – Allergy/Immunology, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA, 2001-2003

Board Certification:
Pediatrics, 2000

Research Interests T cell function
Cytokine production
Macrophage-T cell interaction
Immune regulation
Immune dysfunction and disease
Tumor Immunology

Dr. Augusto Ochoa, Director of LSU Health Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center from TEAM DRAFT on Vimeo.

In 1984, Dr. Bunn was recruited to the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center as a Professor of Medicine in Medical Oncology and Head of the Division of Medical Oncology. In 1986 Dr. Bunn became the Director of the University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Bunn has been President of ASCO, IASLC, and AACI, chairman of the FDA Oncology Drug Advisory Committee, and is currently the Executive Director of the IASLC.
Research
Dr. Bunn’s research interests focus on novel therapies for lung cancer. He has published more than 300 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 122 reviews and 90 book chapters on lung cancer. Dr. Bunn’s studies have set standards for the treatment of lung cancer, have identified issues of natural history and have identified bio markers of prognosis and therapy selection. Dr. Bunn is the principal investigator on numerous national and local therapeutic trials and is also the principal investigator for the SPORE grant in lung cancer that is designed to conduct transnational research.

Dr. Paul Bunn, University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center from TEAM DRAFT on Vimeo.

Dr. Kratzke received his M.D. from the University of Washington in 1983. He conducted an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1983-1986 and was Research Fellow at the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, 1986-1988. He was on the medical staff of the National Cancer Institute from 1988-1994. He joined the Minneapolis VA Medical Center in 1999 and is currently the Skoglund Professor of Lung Cancer Research and an associate professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota.
Research Interests

My laboratory conducts research into the role of genetic and epigenetic alterations in the development of thoracic cancers. We have looked extensively at the nature and consequences of mutations involving either the retinoblastoma susceptibility (Rb) or the p16INK4a gene in both lung cancer and mesothelioma. We have identified that the p16INK4a gene product, for example, is absent in virtually all cases of mesothelioma. This appears to be an attractive target for gene replacement therapy in this relatively infrequent disease. Previously, we have been using viral transfer vectors in vitro to investigate this potential.

Recently, we have changed to recombinant protein vectors for gene therapy in an attempt to avoid the potential toxicities of viral vectors. In addition, our lab has become interested in cap-mediated translation as a target for cancer therapy. We hare participating in a novel drug design program that hopes to manufacture a new class of drugs targeting this mechanism. Our lab has also finished a large project to develop molecular assays for micrometastatic disease in patients with early stage (resectable) lung cancer and colon cancer, results of which we are beginning to analyze and report.

Dr. Robert Kratzke, University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center from TEAM DRAFT on Vimeo.

The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center with a multisite presence. Its three campuses — in Scottsdale, Ariz., Jacksonville, Fla., and Rochester, Minn. — give the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center a broad geographic reach, enabling it to serve diverse patient populations around the world. The campuses are also home to outstanding, internationally recognized physicians and scientists who collaborate across the full spectrum of cancer research, from basic biology to treatment, as they seek ways to reduce the burden of cancer.

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center NIH from TEAM DRAFT on Vimeo.

David K. Madtes, MD

Dr. Madtes is a pulmonary and critical care specialist whose expertise is in lung injury repair process, cell biology, and respiratory system. He also sees patients in the Lung Cancer Early Detection & Prevention Clinic.
Patient Care Philosophy:
It is very important to me that every patient receive courteous, compassionate, and state-of-the-art medical care, just as I would want for members of my family. Our team approach to the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer enables me to provide the very best care for my patients.

Title

Associate Member, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Associate Professor, Medicine Department, University of Washington School of Medicine
Director of Critical Care Medicine; Director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory; Director of Lung Cancer Early Detection & Prevention Clinic, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
Clinical Expertise
Lung injury repair process, Cell Biology, Respiratory System

Experience

Dr. Madtes has more than 20 years of experience in pulmonary problems among cancer patients. He understands the importance of early diagnosis of lung cancer and has a special interest in using minimally invasive methods for early lung cancer detection. In addition to his clinical expertise, his research focuses on the identification of gene expression profiles in lung cancer and in radiation-induced lung injury.

Education And Training

University Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 1979

David K Madtes, MD, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance from TEAM DRAFT on Vimeo.

Alan Sandler is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon and is the DeArmond Chair for Clinical Cancer Research.

After earning a B.S. in Pharmacy (cum laude) at the University of Toledo in Ohio and an M.D. at Rush Medical College in Chicago, Dr. Sandler completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital and a Fellowship in Medical Oncology at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. His academic honors include membership in Alpha Omega Alpha and Rho Chi, the medical and pharmaceutical honor societies.

Dr. Sandler is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, where he serves as the Co-Chair of the Thoracic Committee. He is principal investigator or co-principal investigator of several therapeutic clinical trials that evaluate the activity of chemotherapeutic agents and/or combined-modality therapies in both small and non-small cell lung cancer as well as sarcoma.

Dr. Sandler serves on the Editorial Boards of Clinical Lung Cancer and the Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, and is a reviewer for several journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer Investigations, Cancer, the British Journal of Cancer, and European Respiratory Journal. Dr. Sandler is the author or co-author of more than 200 published articles, book chapters, reviews, and abstracts involving the pharmacology and clinical activity of chemotherapy and novel targeted agents, with a particular emphasis on lung cancer.

Dr. Alex Sandler, Oregon Health & Science University–Knight Cancer Institute from TEAM DRAFT on Vimeo.