Merck & Rutgers University Fellowship

Stacey McCullough, PharmD

Organization: NCODA
Location: Tennessee

Stacey McCullough, PharmD is the current Director of Clinical & Corporate Partner Strategy at NCODA. As the former SVP of Pharmacy, Stacey developed pharmacy services inclusive of policies, processes, and operations that lead to successful practice transformation into alternative payment models.  Her innovative approach to pharmacy services helped to establish a nationally accredited medically integrated pharmacy that became a model for others in the industry.  With a deep understanding of patient challenges, Stacey collaborated with industry partners to optimize resources and achieve outstanding patient outcomes. 

Stacey has also worked in the pharmaceutical industry where she gained valuable experience and knowledge which she now leverages to bring resources to medically integrated pharmacies.  As a results-driven leader, Stacey champions engagement and thrives on identifying innovations that embolden the success of individual contributors, teams, and respective organizations. 

Stacey has served in professional organizations and has published and spoken extensively on topics related to pharmacy roles in affordable drug access, education, medication management, and adherence. She has been a highly sought-after consultant and advisor to a variety of industry stakeholders, including providers, payors, and pharmaceutical companies.

Stacey holds a Doctorate of Pharmaceutical Sciences degree from Auburn University and completed a post-graduate residency program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Martin Whalen, MBA

Organization: Bristol Myers Squibb
Location: Sweden

Marty Whalen is General Manager of Bristol Myers Squibb’s European Union (EU) cluster where he leads the full BMS portfolio and PnL across 10 countries currently based in Stockholm, Sweden.    Marty joined BMS 9 years ago in 2014 where he has served in several commercial roles across access, marketing, and sales.  The majority of roles whilst at BMS have been in the Oncology and Hematology space where he has led, launched and grown numerous assets across the immuno-oncology, multiple myeloma, and myeloid clinical areas. 

Prior to BMS, Marty led the Managed Care group at Essilor of America, a Vision / Optical company based in Dallas, Texas.  Prior to that Marty spent 17 years at Pfizer where he started his civilian career in sales and held numerous commercial positions of increasing responsibility across the managed care, marketing, and general management functions. 

Marty is a graduate of The United States Military Academy at West Point and served in the US Army as a field artillery officer.   He received his MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas.  Marty and his wife, Shelley, of 27 years have three sons.  

Other than spending his time with Shelley and their sons playing sports and being outdoors, Marty volunteers his time and energy to The V Foundation for Cancer Research where he serves on the advisory board as well as other community and veteran focused initiatives at BMS and throughout Buck’s Country, Pennsylvania.

Shinya Suzuki, MS, PhD, JOP

Organization: National Cancer Center Hospital East
Location: Japan

Shinya Suzuki is a chief pharmacist at the National Cancer Hospital East in Japan. His first work experience was “a community pharmacist” in a small city in Japan, after he graduated from pharmacy school in 2004. After he became a board-certified oncology pharmacist (Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist, Japanese Society of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences-certified Oncology Pharmacist, Board Certified Senior Pharmacists) in 2013 after he finished his residency at the National Cancer Hospital East in 2011. During the clinical work experiences, Shinya earned his master’s degree (clinical pharmacy) in 2005 and his Ph.D. degree (medical sciences) in 2020 from the University of Toyama.

Shinya has been one of the board members of the Japanese Society of Pharmaceutical Oncology (JASPO), which has over 5,000 members, since 2016, and a chair of the External Relations Committee which includes the International Communication Committee. He is one of the young board members of the society. He candidate to the position because he wanted to make international communications committee in the JASPO.

Shinya’s research interest is evidence of clinical pharmacy service because he is a clinical pharmacist at the most important cancer center in Japan. His major research articles about the area are follows: “The impact of pharmacist certification on the quality of chemotherapy in Japan” (Int J Clin Pharm. 2016;38(5):1326–35), ”Chemotherapy regimen checks performed by pharmacists contribute to safe administration of chemotherapy” (J Oncol Pharm Pract, 2017;23(1):18-25) and “A nationwide survey of hospital pharmacist’s interventions on polypharmacy in palliative care in Japan” (J Pharm Health Care Sci. 2019;5:14, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40780-019-0143-5). He is one of the famous clinical pharmacists in head and neck cancer area in Japan, because his hospital is well known for the area and has authored many textbooks in the area as a clinical pharmacist. He is also interested in community health care coordination since he himself was a community pharmacist in the past and one of the missions of JASPO are same. The JAPSO has a board certification program of ambulatory pharmacy care in oncology and its role is getting more important in Japan. His major research articles about the area are follows: “Multicentre prospective observational study on community pharmacist interventions to reduce inappropriate medications” (Int J Pharm Pract. 2022;30(5):427-433), “A nationwide survey of community pharmacist contributions to polypharmacy in opioid-using and non-using cancer patients in Japan” (Biol Pharm Bull. 2019;42(7):1164-1171)” and “Evaluation of community pharmacist ability to ensure the safe use of oral anticancer agents: a nationwide survey in Japan” (Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2017;47(5):413-421).

Memberships of professional societies are as followed: International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP) (board member 2015-2016, Research committee member 2016-), European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (ESOP) (delegate member 2014-), Japanese Society of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences (delegate 2021-).

Shinya’s mission is “Make differences through JASPO’s activities” and his vision is “Any Contributions for All Cancer Patients”.

Elzbieta Senkus-Konefka, MD, PhD

Organization: Medical University of Gdańsk
Location: Poland

Elzbieta Senkus-Konefka is an Associate Professor at the Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland. She graduated from the Medical University of Gdańsk and finished training in Radiation Oncology in 1998 and in Medical Oncology in 2004. In 1995 she obtained a PhD on brachytherapy of cervical cancer.

Her main scientific interests in breast cancer include molecular basis of this disease in high-risk patients and special phenotypes of breast cancer. She is a Faculty Member for Breast Cancer of ESMO and ESO and was involved (2015-2020) in developing international guidelines for early and metastatic breast cancer as the Section Editor of ESMO Guidelines Committee.

Since 2009 she is a Specialty Editor for “The Breast” and has been actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, including courses organized by ESTRO, ESMO and ESO. She also served on Scientific Committees and/or Consensus Expert Panels of ESMO, European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC), Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC) and Breast Cancer in Young Women (BCY) conferences. Since 2013 she is a member of the Steering Committee and in years 2017-19 served as a Secretary of the EORTC Breast Cancer Group.

She is involved as a leader or partner in research projects supported by national (Medical Research Agency, National Science Center) and international (Horizon 2020, COST) grants.

She has contributed to over 150 peer-reviewed publications, 20 book chapters and was a co-editor of 2 textbooks. Cumulated impact factor of publications: 1257; 11087 citations, h-score 44 (Scopus database, viewed Dec. 13, 2022).

She has two sons of 27 and 25. Her hobbies include traveling, skiing and designing jewelry.

George Patrinos, PhD

Organization: University of Patras School of Health Sciences
Location: Greece

George P. Patrinos is Professor of Pharmacogenomics and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in the University of Patras (Greece), Department of Pharmacy and holds adjunct Professorships at Erasmus MC, Faculty of Medicine, Rotterdam (the Netherlands) and the United Arab Emirates University, College of Medicine, Department of Genetics and Genomics, Al-Ain (UAE). Also, since 2018, he is currently Co-Chair of the Global Genomic Medicine Collaborative (G2MC). He served for 12 years as Full Member and Greece’s National representative in the CHMP Pharmacogenomics Working Party of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

George is currently Director of the Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Medicine, the first officially established academic laboratory on pharmacogenomics in Greece and Head of Division of Pharmacology and Biosciences. His group has keen interest in research covering disciplines from wet and dry lab and public health genomics projects, all focusing on pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine. In particular, his research interests involve discovery work and clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics, focusing in particular in psychiatry but also cardiology and oncology, genomics of rare disorders and transcriptional regulation of human fetal globin genes. Moreover, George’s group is internationally recognized for its involvement in developing National/Ethnic Genetic databases to document the genetic heterogeneity in different populations worldwide and of genome informatics tools to translate genomic information into a clinically meaningful format. Also, George’s group has a keen interest in public health genomics to critically assess the impact of genomics to society and public health.

George has more than 300 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, some of them in leading scientific journals, such as The Lancet, Nature Genetics, Nature Rev Genet, Nucleic Acids Res, Genes Dev. Also, he has co-authored and co-edited more than 15 textbooks, among which the renowned textbook “Molecular Diagnostics”, published by Academic Press, now in its 3 rd edition, while he is the editor of “Translational and Applied Genomics” book series. Furthermore, he serves as EditorIn-Chief of the prestigious Pharmacogenomics Journal (TPJ), published by Nature Publishing Group, Associate Editor and member of the editorial board of several scientific journals, such as Human Mutation, Human Genetics, Human Genomics, Pharmacogenomics, etc and has been a member of several international boards and advisory and evaluation committees.

Apart from that, George is the main co-organizer of the Golden Helix Conferences, an international meeting series on Pharmacogenomics and Genomic Medicine with more than 50 conferences organized in more than 25 countries worldwide.

Kashyap Patel, MD

Organization: Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates
Location: United States

Kashyap Patel, MD is the CEO of Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates. He has a practice with 8 providers. He is the President for the Community Oncology Alliance. He interacts regularly with the US congress and Senate as well as CMMI, White House on healthcare policy related issues for cancer patients. Dr Patel has carried out capitol hill briefing on topics ranging from Precision Medicine to PBMs and he has also testified in the state senate as well as has briefed senate and house staff on multiple healthcare related issues. His name has been entered in permanent congressional records on 12/14/22 for his contribution to the healthcare.

He is a consultant Medical Director for the Blue Cross Blue Shields of SC. He is also the Medical Director of the International Oncology Network. He is the author of a book published by the Penguin Randomhouse India, www.betweenlifeanddeath.org.

He is Associate Editor in Chief of the EBO publication of the American Journal of Managed Care. He has a special interest in health care disparities, value-based care, and the end-of-life care. He has had extensive research experience in the field of oncology and has published and/or presented over 100 articles/abstracts in journals and/or meetings (nationally and internationally). He has had ASCO merit awards during fellowship and Living the Mission Award and Lifetime achievements awards from national cancer associations (ACCC, NCODA). In India he had worked both as a journalist and photojournalist. He has started a foundation to support uninsured cancer patients -No One Left Alone (NOLA); https://www.nooneleftalone.org/

He has been interviewed and have featured in multiple national media including Washington Post, New York Times, CBS news, NPR just to name a few.

Distinguished honors:

• 2022 Nominee; Ellis Island Medal of Honor
• Living the Mission Award NCODA
• Associate Editor In Chief, AJMC-Evidence Based Oncology
• American Society of Clinical Oncology Research MERIT AWARD-2002, 2001
• 2023 Fellow of Association of Community Cancer Centers
• Executive Council Member, NCODA International Chapters
• Associate Professor, VCOM, Spartanburg

Victor Lisboa, MD

Organization: Hematologist | OncoClinicas
Location: Brazil

Victor Lisboa is a Hematologist from Brazil. He was born in Salvador-Bahia, where he graduated in Medicine at the Federal University of Bahia in 2010. After his graduation, he decided to volunteer for the Brazilian Army, and spent 1 year as one of the general practioneers of the medical ward at the Army´s Salvador General Hospital. Victor passed the exams for the specialization in Internal Medicine (2012) at São Paulo University (USP) and moved to Ribeirão Preto (São Paulo). Victor passed the following exams for the specialization in Hematology at the same institution and continued at USP – Ribeirão Preto for the next 2 years (2014 and 2015). In 2015, Victor spent 1 month at Germans Trias y Puyol Hospital in Barcelona-Spain.

In 2016, Victor returned to Salvador, Bahia, and started to work in 3 different institutions, where he still works nowadays. Victor treats onco-hematologist outpatients at Nucleo de Oncologia da Bahia (NOB), one of the oncology Clinics of the Oncoclinicas do Brasil group. Victor is one of the Hematologists at the HHemo Blood Bank, where he treats benign blood diseases, discuss about Transfusion Medicine, aspirate/biopsy and analysis bone marrow smears. Victor is also the coordinator hematologist of the medical ward and Transfusion Agency of Teresa de Lisieux Hospital.

Victor´s main area of interest is chronic lymphoproliferative diseases. He also likes treating chronic myeloproliferative diseases. He´s jobs are mainly at private medicine.

Christine Lariviere, BPharm

Organization: Lariviere et Massicotte Pharmacies, Inc.
Location: Canada

Dynamic, innovative and passionate, Christine is recognized for her inclusive, multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to pharmacy practice, with a focus on creating synergies between hospitals and community pharmacies, which improves service to patients in Quebec. As a pharmacist with 30 years of experience at all levels of the pharmaceutical supply chain, Christine is committed to providing a high level of service and care to patients with an inclusive approach to improve patient experiences and health outcomes. As well, she has always been able to provide excellent results, establish solid industry relationships, while constantly acquiring the knowledge and expertise necessary to deliver optimal performance.

At Pfizer, she stood out for the quality of the programs and training courses for pharmacists she created, as well as for her client relationships (chains and banners, and pharmacy faculties across Canada).

As Director, Professional Activities at Groupe Jean Coutu inc., she contributed to improving the professional image and services of the chain’s 300 branches and 1,500 pharmacists.

Her effectiveness stems in part from her vast experience as a lead pharmacist in the community pharmacy sector, Director of Professional Activities for Quebec’s largest pharmacy chain and from her roles as National Manager Pharmacy Programs and Services and National Customer Manager Pharmacists –Pharmacies at Pfizer.

In 2015, along with her partner Hélène Massicotte, Christine acquired a pharmacy (LMP)with a specialized vocation, primarily in oncology.There she developed an innovative concept that offer her team’s expertise in oncology to all the community pharmacists across the province ofQuebec. Since the pharmacy does not dispense any other medications(neither over-the-counter nor prescription)other than complex drug therapies, LMP allows family pharmacists who do not feel comfortable dispensing these types of products to their patients to work with LMP’s pharmacists. Community pharmacists can then, with their patients’ consent, transfer prescriptions for any specialized treatments to their colleagues at LMP who will then dispense them, and provide follow-ups and supervision as required, both from a clinical perspective and from an adjudication and relation with insurers perspective. This way, community pharmacists benefit from expert pharmacists who can take care of the single specialized treatment, while remaining in charge of their patients’ other medications. LMP pharmacists maintain the communication continuum with the community pharmacy, the medical team, and of course the patient.As well, LMP pharmacists ensure that patients’ family pharmacists have all the supportive treatments on hand that patients may need during their treatment.

Christine has published several articles and possesses teaching experience in two Quebec universities. Over the years, she has been involved in several committees of provincial, national and international pharmaceutical associations.She has recognized skills in personal management, client relations and business development. She excels in the art of stimulating interest in a given topic and motivating her colleagues and audiences. Her openness to new ideas and trends allows her to combine rigour with creativity. She has extensive knowledge of the healthcare sector and firmly believes in a multidisciplinary and intradisciplinary approach to practice. An associate clinician, Christine enjoys involving her trainees in various clinical projects that are often times cutting-edge.

Natasha Khrystolubova, RPh, BCOP

Organization: Rx To Go | Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute
Location: United States

Natasha Khrystolubova is the Director of Pharmacy Clinical Services at Rx To Go, the medically integrated pharmacy for Florida Cancer Specialists& Research Institute(FCS). Natasha is actively involved in the development and management of innovative clinical programs to optimize oral oncology medications across the statewide practice, with a primary focus on patient medication adherence and persistence on therapy. As a Board-Certified Oncology Pharmacist with a graduate certification in Precision Medicine from the University of Florida, Natasha takes a lead role in developing, implementing, and expanding comprehensive clinical education on drug efficacy, safety, and side effect management. Natasha’s responsibilities include participation in the FCS Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee, Precision Medicine Advisory Board for Amerisource-Bergen, collaboration with the FCS Informatics team, and working closely with pharmaceutical companies on launching new oral targeted therapies in oncology.

Natasha’s clinical expertise has allowed her to make significant contributions to advancing the position of Rx To Go and FCS towards excellence and prominence. She is a well-respected, exemplary leader within community oncology and has a great vision for patient care in a community-based, real-world setting.

Natasha graduated from the Medical Institute/ Pharmacy faculty in Irkutsk, Russia. She received her pharmacy license in the US in 1996. Prior to joiningFCSin 2011, Natasha held clinical pharmacist and leadership positions in hospitals and home-infusion specialty pharmacy settings. She is a member of several professional pharmacy associations, including NCODA and HOPA, and serves as an advisor to help develop standard guidance and practices for managing the use of oral medications in cancer care.

In her spare time, Natasha enjoys jogging, reading a good thriller, listening to podcasts, traveling the world, and cycling in Europe.

Steven Bloom, BPharm

Organization: Transgene
Location: United States & France

Steven Bloom is a seasoned executive with 35 years of experience across multiple health care business models. Steve started his career at Eli Lilly and Company where he worked in many senior level roles including PROZAC USA Marketing Leader and Executive Lead in Corporate Affairs, which included patient advocacy and allied development. Steve left Lilly to help start up companies Inflexxion (addiction services) and Pharmetrics (health outcomes and patient level analytics) build and scale their business models as the executive responsible for Commercial Planning, Corporate Development, and Corporate Strategy. Pharmetrics was subsequently acquired by IMS Health in 2005. Steve joined ZIOPHARM Oncology (ZIOP) as SVP of Corporate Development and Commercial Planning and led the effort to build a business in both the sarcoma and lymphoma disease areas. Steve then served as Chief Strategy Officer at VERASTEM Oncology (VSTM) where his team led the effort to acquire duvelisib, which was approved by the FDA in September 2018 for CLL and FL. Steve was the Chief Business Officer at Boston Pharmaceuticals where he helped the company with commercial and business development strategy. He currently serves as Vice President and Chief Business Officer of Transgene, a biotech company that designs and develops virus-based immunotherapuetics against cancer. Steve graduated from Northeastern University College of Pharmacy in 1984 and has been an American Cancer Society Road to Recovery driver since 2008. Steve is President and Director of the CLL Society based in Chula Vista, CA.

Khalid El Bairi, MD

Organization: Cancer Biomarkers Working Group
Location: Morocco

Khalid El Bairi is the primary investigator of OVANORDEST studies and the founder of The Cancer Biomarkers Working Group, and he is currently pursuing clinical and translational research in medical oncology. He has published many peer-reviewed articles in the field of predictive and prognostic cancer biomarkers to improve survival outcomes in several WoS and Medline-indexed journals. His research focuses particularly on biomarkers for digestive and gynecological cancers such as ovarian and colorectal malignancies. He is currently a member of various international scientific societies such as the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). He is also an editor and reviewer for more than 40 academic journals and a guest editor for several special issues on emerging topics in gynecological cancers such as platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. He is alsohighly interested in teaching evidence-based medicine, clinical research methods, and publishing ethics to medical and PhD students and was selected for the 70thLindau Nobel Laureate Meeting as a young scientist. He is also involved in “global oncology” initiatives through providing free training to young researchers across LMICs. He joined the ASCO Trainee & Early Career Advisory Group as a member for the 2022-2023 term.

Shreya Badhrinarayanan, MD, FRSHP

Organization: Genentech (Roche)
Location: United States

Dr. Shreya Badhrinarayanan is the Medical Director for Clinical Development Oncology at Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche. In this role, she provides strategic direction for the development of new Immuno-Oncology drugs by leading cross-functional teams and conducting medical monitoring of clinical trials. Prior to her current position, she served as a Physician with the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, where she made significant contributions to clinical and research initiatives.

Thriving in the field of medical leadership and management, Dr. Badhrinarayanan received the Edward Jenner Award from the NHS Leadership Academy. To further her passion for teaching, she served as an Honorary Lecturer in Medical Education and Simulation at the University of Adelaide Medical School, Australia. Her wide range of interests varies from AI in health care to D&I initiatives that have been embodied through her contributions to print and media as well as at conferences across the globe. In addition, she is the editor/reviewer of numerous high-impact journals including the British Medical Journal.

For her work and commitment towards public health, Dr. Badhrinarayanan was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health, UK. She received her medical degree from Brighton and Sussex Medical School, UK with numerous accolades. In her spare time, she volunteers as a part of the UCSF medical team supporting sporting events across the San Francisco Bay Area.

Marko Skelin, MPharm, PhD

Organization: General Hospital Sibenik
Location: Zagreb, Croatia

Marko Skelinis a Clinical Pharmacy specialist working in the hospital setting. He obtained the PhDdegree in the field of Biomedicine and Health (Pharmacy) at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry. Also, he is Assistant Professor at the Medical faculty in Rijeka and external expert of Croatian drug agency. He is a member of the Board of Directors of European Society for Oncology Pharmacy and member of the general assembly of European Cancer Organization.Marko Skelin has experience in medication therapy management and he has been involved in the projects promoting the EU development of integrated cancer care.He has publishedmore than 30 articles with some of them publishedin top peer-reviewed medical journals, e.g.NEJM, JAMA, JAMA Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Luis Campos, MD

Organization: Oncology Consultants
Location: Houston, Texas

Dr. Campos is the Founder and current President of Oncology Consultants in Houston, Texas. He served as President of the Texas Society of Clinical Oncology from 2008-2010. He is also a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, American Medical Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Texas Medical Association, Harris County Medical Society, Fort Bend Medical Society, MD Anderson Associates, and the Peruvian American Medical Society.

Scott Freeswick, PharmD, MS

Organization: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Location: New York City, New York

Scott Freeswick, PharmD, MS is currently Vice President/Chief Pharmacy Officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and has been in his current role since 2015. Prior to this role, Scott was Associate Director of Chemotherapy Practice & Investigational Drug Service at MSK, where is he has been most of his career. Scott serves as Vice Chair of Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers Pharmacy Group, is a Member of NCCN Pharmacy Directors Forum, Chair of Vizient Oncology Network and serves on the New York Blood Center Institutional Review Board. He is from the New York City area and earned a BS in Pharmacy from St. John’s University, a MS in Drug Regulatory Affairs from Long Island University, Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy, and a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Kansas. His areas of interest include Biosimilars, Site of Care, and Research.

John Marshall, MD

Organization: Otto J Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Georgetown University
Location: Washington, DC

Dr. Marshall received his training at Duke University, the University of Louisville, and Georgetown University. Dr. Marshall is an internationally recognized expert in new drug development for GI cancer, with expertise in phase I, II, and III trial design, and has served as Principal Investigator for more than one hundred clinical trials throughout his career. While he has an interest in many areas of cancer research, his primary focus is on the use of precision medicine in treating cancer. Dr. Marshall has become an outspoken advocate for GI cancer patients and the importance of clinical research participation. In 2009, he established the Otto J Ruesch Center for the Cure of GI Cancers, an organization solely focused on improving the lives of GI cancer patients through innovative research, personalized medicine, and focused advocacy. In 2015, Dr. Marshall both established and directed the Precision Oncology Alliance, a national alliance established to study the impact of molecular profiling on cancer research, value and outcomes. He currently is serving as the Oncology CMO for Indivumed, creating a global precision medicine research network. In 2020, he and his wife published “Off Our Chests, A Candid Tour Through the World of Cancer”. In 2022, he became the inaugural Physician Executive Director of the MedStar Washington DC Integrated Hematology Oncology Division.

Robert Ashford

Organization: NCODA
Location: Bloomsburg, PA

Rob Ashford is the current Director of Membership and Corporate Partner Strategy at NCODA. Prior to NCODA, Rob worked in various roles in diagnostics and oncology at Bayer Healthcare for 15 years. At Bayer, Rob worked across all oncology brands, having responsibility for community and academic centers and he was also responsible for national accounts as well as GPO responsibilities. During that time, he earned several national and international awards. Prior to joining Bayer, Rob worked for 23 years in the clinical setting, most of which was at The Bloomsburg Hospital, Geisinger Health System. While there, he worked as part of a multidisciplinary team and led the deployment of new imaging, diagnostic and therapeutic testing, as well as other initiatives in the radiology setting. Rob earned his bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University (PA), and also studied at the Imaging Science Institute at Charité Hospital in Berlin, Germany.

Stephen Ziter, MBA

Organization: NCODA
Location: Albany, NY

Stephen graduated from Albany College of Pharmacy and Heath Sciences with a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences. He received his MBA in Healthcare Management from Clarkson University. After graduation, Stephen spent several years developing and implementing medical scribe programs throughout New York State. In March of 2018, Stephen accepted a position as the Associate Manager of Stakeholder Engagement at NCODA, Inc., where he oversaw the development of several new organizational resources, including NCODA’s Treatment Support Kits, NCODA’s print publication Oncolytics Today, and NCODA’s College Engagement initiative which includes Professional Student Organization chapters, elective oncology APPE rotation, as well as NCODA’s two fellowship programs. In his current role as Director of Operations, Stephen leads a diverse team and is responsible for the development of a comprehensive patient-centered communication strategy. He coordinates with NCODA organizational leadership, team members and external stakeholders.

Carol Hemersbach, CPhT, BSHCA 

Organization: Arizona Blood and Cancer Specialists
Location: Tucson, AZ

Hi, my name is Carol Hemersbach and I have been a pharmacy tech since the typewriter days, yes, that gives away my age.  I started as a volunteer with the Red Cross when I was 13 years old at the local base hospital pharmacy.  We had an assembly line, starting with the typing of the label, then would pass over to the fillers, and then there was someone handing out the prescriptions.  On a busy day, we filled over 1000 prescriptions.  I then went to a couple of retail pharmacies, where I was fortunate enough to have met Paul McCartney, that was so amazing, such a nice guy.  My next venture out was in to the hospital pharmacy where I started as a clerk then worked up to technician (certification was not a requirement at that time) and then started working in Admix.  We did not have a chemo hood, so we actually mixed chemo on the countertops as it was safer for the mixer (I can hear the gasps now). 

I then moved out of state from Arizona to South Carolina where I was recruited to a Home Infusion company to do mixing and run the company.  We also contracted with a local oncology office to do their chemotherapy admixtures, which is where I realized my love of Oncology.   I moved back to Arizona and was hired on to a large oncology office to mix chemo and was given the extra duty of taking care of all the Prior auths and financial assistance for all oral oncolytics.  We then opened up our own MID and was excited to be chosen to take care of our patients in a new way.  I also obtained my bachelor’s in health care administration in 2018. I then moved to a new company where I was asked to initiate the MID program from the ground up and opened our first store in September 2020, since then opening up two other sites.   I am currently the Supervisor for our MID.

I have also taken up a love of powerlifting and currently hold the state record for my age/weight class in deadlifts. I will be competing nationally in July in Vegas. 

NCODA has been a huge part of my career and I am so grateful to be part of such an amazing organization that truly cares about patients.   I have learned so much from others and NCODA has helped shape me and provide me with the knowledge needed to run the MID successfully, but more importantly, take care of cancer patients with compassion and empathy.  OPTA is an amazing opportunity for growth as a technician within the oncology field.  With so many members, there is just so much knowledge for us to learn from each other and bounce off one another so that we, as oncology pharmacy techs, can further provide the highest quality of care to our patients. 

Meg Butler, PharmD

Organization: Clearview Cancer Institute
Location: Huntsville, AL

Meg is currently the Assistant Director of Pharmacy Operations at Clearview Cancer Institute (CCI) in Huntsville, AL.  CCI is Alabama’s largest community oncology practice with 23 Hematology/Oncology doctors, over 35 advanced practice providers, and 12 locations across north and central Alabama.   Meg graduated from Auburn University with a BS in Biomedical Science and a minor in Italian.  Meg then received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Harrison School of Pharmacy in 2011.  After graduation, Meg worked as a CVS for 5 years.  In 2015 she joined the CCI team as a staff pharmacist and in 2019 she was promoted to Ambulatory Pharmacy Manager at CCI.  As the Ambulatory Pharmacy Manager, Meg managed the medically integrated pharmacy (MIP) at CCI.  Meg has guided the pharmacy through ACHC, URAC and NCODAs pharmacy accreditations.   Meg also controls the business side of the MIP by overseeing/handling the payments from insurers and managing drug contracts through the GPO. in January of 2023 she took over as Assistant Director of Pharmacy Operations at CCI.  She still manages the MIP and serves as the supervisor of the prior authorization department, patient advocate team, patient assistance coordinators, and manages the IV pharmacies at all locations.  An integral part of her job is building and managing regimens within the EHR at CCI, managing the internal pathways for CCI, and answering clinical questions. 

Xylina T. Gregg, MD

Organization: Utah Cancer Specialists (UCS)
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Dr. Xylina Gregg is a physician partner of Utah Cancer Specialists (UCS), Salt Lake City, Utah, and is Medical Director for UCS’ Laboratory and Imaging Services. She is the current President of the Society of Utah Medical Oncologists (SUMO) and is the 2022-23 Chair of the ASCO State Affiliate Council. She graduated Summa Cum Laude at Baylor University and with High Honors at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. After completing a fellowship in Hematology Oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where she was a recipient of an American Society of Hematology (ASH) Travel Award, Dr. Gregg was an Assistant Professor at UAB and a member of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. She subsequently joined Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, a multi-specialty clinic in Houston, Texas, where she was Hematology/Oncology Section Chief, Cancer Liaison Physician for the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer and was a Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Gregg has served on the ASH Committee on Practice, as the Utah Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Hematology Representative, and as a Blood reviewer. She was Co-Chair of the NCODA Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 meetings. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and major Hematology texts, including multiple editions of Williams’ Hematology and Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice.

Gurjyot (Gury) Doshi, MD 

Organization: Texas Oncology
Location: Houston, Texas

Dr. Doshi treats various cancers including breast cancer, lung and colon cancer as well as other cancers. In addition, she treats benign and malignant blood disorders. Prior to joining Texas Oncology in 2010, Dr. Doshi was an assistant professor in the Division of Oncology at The University of Texas in the Texas Medical Center.

Dr. Gury Doshi is associate chair of the genitourinary committee of US Oncology Research. She joined the genitourinary committee program in 2012 and has quickly risen as a leader serving as US Oncology Research principal investigator for multiple studies and as a top enroller to clinical trials year after year. Her special interest is in treatment of genitourinary tumors; prostate, kidney and bladder cancers. She conducts clinical research trials at her Memorial City office. Her research publications include a review on sequencing therapies in metastatic renal cell carcinoma, and the use of morphoproteomic analysis to determine selection of therapy in kidney cancer.

Alicia Barnes, CPhT 

Organization: AON
Location: Spokane, WA

Alicia Barnes, CPhT – Alicia has been a pharmacy technician for 7 years. She worked several years in retail before moving to Summit Cancer Centers in Spokane, WA as their Oral Chemotherapy Technician in their Medically Integrated Dispensary in 2018. In May of 2021, Summit Cancer Centers merged and became part of the American Oncology Network. With that merger, she came onto the Patient Assistance Team with AON Pharmacy. She has taken a huge liking to oncology as it is always changing and challenges her in new ways with every patient. In the past she has worked on prior authorizations, dispensing, patient assistance, IV Chemo preparation, as well as many of the IOD administrative duties. Currently, her main priority is to obtaining medications for patients at no cost. Alicia states that it is truly one of the most gratifying positions she has ever held and there is nothing better than those tears of joy when telling a patient that they will be able to receive their medication at no out-of-pocket cost to them. 

Alicia has been a member of NCODA since 2018 and has participated on several committees, written articles for Oncolytics today, and participated in several PQI’s. She is also a mom of two human boys and two fur babies. You can often find her on the sidelines of some sporting event for her boys or camping somewhere in the mountains with my husband.