New York, NY (PRWEB) July 24, 2014
The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) has announced the election of six experts in the field of lymphoma research to its prestigious Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Comprised of the world’s leading lymphoma researchers and oncologists, the Scientific Advisory Board directs the LRF research portfolio, seeking out the most innovative and promising lymphoma research projects for support. The 45-member SAB reviews grant proposals and makes recommendations regarding research priorities and funding to the Foundation Board of Directors. The SAB also evaluates the progress of on-going research projects and guides the strategic direction of the Foundation’s research programs and consortia.
The six new members of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board include:
Sven de Vos, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Div. of Hematology/Oncology at the University of California Los Angeles’ David Geffen School of Medicine and the Director of the UCLA Lymphoma Program. He is a member of the Stem Cell Biology Program Area and the Chair of the Data Safety and Monitoring Board of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research interests are in the development of new therapeutics for the treatment of lymphomas. He holds an MD and a doctorate in virology from the University of Tubingen, as well as a PhD in pathology from UCLA. After residencies in neurology at the University in Essen and in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, he completed a hematology/oncology fellowship program at UCLA. He held research fellowships at the University in Freiburg and at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/UCLA. He is a current member of LRF’s Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) Consortium and a past LRF Postdoctoral Fellowship recipient.
Andrew Evens, DO, MSc is Director of Tufts Cancer Center, Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Director of the Lymphoma Program at Tufts Medical Center. He is also a Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. His clinical and research interests encompass both non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphomas, including autologous stem cell transplantation. He maintains an active translational lymphoma laboratory studying transcription pathways, free radical-mediated biology, and the development of novel targeted agents for the treatment of lymphoma. Dr. Evens received his DO from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University before completing his residency at Lutheran General Hospital and a fellowship at Northwestern University. He currently co-chairs an annual Chicago Lymphoma Symposium and also chairs the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s New England Lymphoma Rounds program, as well as presents at several LRF professional and patient education programs. He was a faculty member for the inaugural LRF Clinical Research Mentoring Program in February 2014.
Eric Hsi, MD is the Section Head of Hematopathology and Medical Director of the automated hematology, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry laboratories in the Institute of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. His research interests include diagnostic and biologic prognostic markers in hematologic malignancy, as well as development of new therapeutics. Dr. Hsi received his MD from the University of Michigan where he also completed his residency and fellowship. He is Chair of the Pathology Committee for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, an Editorial Board Member on several journals including the American Journal of Clinical Pathology, and has served on LRF grant review committees.
Brian K. Link, MD is Professor of Internal Medicine – Hematology, Oncology, and Blood and Marrow Transplantation at the University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine. He directs the Translational Research Support Resource and the Lymphoma clinical services for the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research and clinical interests include indolent lymphomas, particularly follicular lymphoma. He is part of the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma SPORE, where he co-directs the Lymphoma Molecular Epidemiology Resource and is clinical co-leader on a project investigating in situ immunization using nanoparticles. Dr. Link received his MD from the University of Iowa before completing his residency at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago, and returning to Iowa for his hematology/oncology fellowship. He has previously served as a member of the speaking faculty for several LRF patient education programs.
Laurie H. Sehn, MD, MPH is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia and a Medical Oncologist at the BC Cancer Agency, where she is also a Clinical Investigator and Chair of the Lymphoma Tumor Group. Her research interests include the development of novel therapies for lymphoid cancers with particular interest in the biology and treatment of large cell lymphoma, the application of new imaging techniques such as PET scanning to lymphoma management, and innovative new approaches to treatment. She received her MD from McGill Medical School in Montreal, before completing a residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and a hematology-oncology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Sehn also has a MPH from Harvard School of Public Health. She is currently on the board of directors and Director of Research Fellowships for Lymphoma Foundation Canada and the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for the International Lymphoma Coalition.
Margaret Shipp, MD is the Chief of the Division of Hematologic Neoplasia at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is also the Director of the Lymphoma Program at the Dana Farber/ Harvard Cancer Center. Her research and clinical interests are primarily in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas and Hodgkin lymphoma, particularly cellular and molecular features, tumor microenvironment and targeted therapies. Dr. Shipp received her MD from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, where she also completed her residency. She subsequently completed a Medical Oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Shipp has previously served on the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s MCL and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma grant review committees.
“The Lymphoma Research Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board is comprised of the preeminent lymphoma specialists in the world and we are thrilled to have these six prominent individuals lend their expertise and talents to our Scientific Advisory Board,” said LRF Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Thompson.
The new members’ five-year terms began July 1, 2014.
“Members of the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board are leaders in blood cancer research and lymphoma care; the expertise of the newly elected Scientific Advisory Board members will complement that of the SAB and enable us to make a meaningful difference in the field of lymphoma research,” said Dr. John P. Leonard, Chair of LRF’s Scientific Advisory Board, the Richard T. Silver Distinguished Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology and Associate Dean for Clinical Research at Weill Cornell Medical College. “I look forward to working with the newest SAB members as we continue to make strides to eradicate lymphoma."
For more information about the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s research program, visit lymphoma.org/research.
About the Lymphoma Research Foundation
The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) is the nation’s largest non-profit organization devoted to funding innovative research and serving the lymphoma community through a comprehensive series of education programs, outreach initiatives and patient services. To date, LRF has awarded more than $55 million in lymphoma-specific research.
For additional information on LRF’s research, education and services, please visit lymphoma.org.