Living a Full Life
A Physicist Father Inspired a Love of Science in Oncology Researcher Stanton L. Gerson, MD
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, Guest Editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Stanton (“Stan”) L. Gerson, MD, Dean and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, School of Medicine, and Acting Director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Center for Regenerati...
His Grandmother’s Death Inspires a Career in Oncology for Manmeet S. Ahluwalia, MD, MBA
Ronald Piana
In this installment of Living a Full Life, Guest Editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Manmeet S. Ahluwalia, MD, MBA, Deputy Director, Chief Scientific Officer, and Chief of Solid Tumor Medical Oncology at Miami Cancer Institute, where his research focuses on the development of new therapies for patie...
Living With Hereditary Cancer, Oncologist Mark A. Lewis, MD, Shares His Experiences on Social Media to Assist Others
In this installment of Living a Full Life, Guest Editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Mark A. Lewis, MD, Director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Intermountain Healthcare, Murray, Utah, and Vice President of American Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Support. Dr. Lewis is also a social media influen...
Ariela L. Marshall, MD, Advocates for Equity and Reproductive Health in the Hematology-Oncology Community
In this installment of Living a Full Life, Guest Editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Ariela L. Marshall, MD, Director, Women’s Hemostasis and Thrombosis Program at Penn Medicine. Along with her clinical and research activities, Dr. Marshall is also an advocate for women’s health and equity in ...
Sunil Verma, MD, Navigates an International Path From Clinical Educator in Oncology to Leadership in Industry
Ronald Piana
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor, Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Sunil Verma, MD, the Global Head of Oncology, Medical, at AstraZeneca. Sunil Verma, MD, was born in Zambia, a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern, and East Africa. “My ...
An Early Love of Science Led to a Career in Breast Cancer Research for Sara M. Tolaney, MD, MPH
In this installment of Living a Full Life, Guest Editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Sara M. Tolaney, MD, MPH, a faculty member of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she is Chief of the Breast Cancer Program. Her current research focuses on the development of novel ...
Brazilian Oncologist Antônio Drauzio Varella, MD, Rises From the Streets of São Paulo to International Fame
In this edition of Living a Full Life, Guest Editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Antônio Drauzio Varella, MD, a Brazilian oncologist, educator, scientist, and medical science popularizer in the press and television, as well as a best-selling author. Antônio Drauzio Varella, MD, was born in 19...
From a Low-Income Family in Puerto Rico, to a Leadership Role in Oncology for Gerardo Colón-Otero, MD
In this installment of Living a Full Life, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Gerardo Colón-Otero, MD, Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Past Chair of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Florida, and Vice Dean at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicin...
From the Vietnam War to the Stanford Cancer Institute: The Professional Journey of Quynh-Thu Le, MD
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor, Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Quynh-Thu Le, MD, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology and Co-Director of the Radiation Biology Program of the Stanford Cancer Institute, and one of the Group Chairs of the NRG Oncology Gr...
Mammen Chandy, MD, FRACP, FRACPA: A Pioneer in India’s Bone Marrow Transplantation Services
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with bone marrow transplant expert Mammen Chandy, MD, FRACP, FRACPA, Director of Tata Medical Center, in Kolkata, India. Dr. Chandy was instrumental in establishing the first sustained bone marrow transp...
Passionate About Surgical Oncology, Masakazu Toi, MD, PhD, Is a Leader in Japanese Clinical Trials
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Masakazu Toi, MD, PhD, a clinical breast cancer expert who is keen on research that translates basic science into clinical study. He is involved in various innovative research projects on the development ...
Early Experiences in the United States Helped Shape an International Oncology Career for Aleix Prat, MD, PhD
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Aleix Prat, MD, PhD, Head of the Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. Dr. Prat, a breast cancer researcher, is currently working to identify strategies to tailor treatment for improv...
An Atypical Road to a Career in Medicine and Leading a Cancer Center for Robert A. Winn, MD
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Robert A. Winn, MD, Director of VCU Massey Cancer Center, Richmond, Virginia. In 2020, he became the first Black physician to lead a National Cancer Institute–designated cancer center. Among other things,...
Neuroendocrine Tumor Specialist Pamela Kunz, MD, Looks to Promote Equity in the Workforce
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Pamela Kunz, MD, Director, Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center. Dr. Kunz is an international leader in the clinical care of patients with neuroendocrine tu...
Drive, Curiosity, and a Love of Science: One Nurse’s Road to a Leadership Role in Oncology
For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Deborah Watkins Bruner, RN, PhD, FAAN, noted for her work in patient-reported outcomes, symptom management, and comparative effectiveness of radiotherapy modalities. Her current research is focused on th...
A Physician-Scientist’s Mother, Who Nursed Those With Chronic Diseases, Fueled His Passion for Biomedical Research
For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Griffin P. Rodgers, MD, MACP, Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Rodgers, a physician-scientist, join...
Groundbreaking Cancer Researcher Brian J. Druker, MD, Shows No Signs of Slowing Down
For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with physician-scientist Brian J. Druker, MD, Director of the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland. In 2009, Dr. Druker won the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research ...
Breaking the Cultural Norms: A Young Indian Girl Attains Her Dream of Becoming a Global Oncologist
Ronald Piana
For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Bhawna Sirohi, FRCP, who is currently the lead medical oncologist at the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Along with her work in the clinic and her research endeavors, Dr. Siroh...
After Leaving His Home in Syria to Train Abroad, an Oncologist Makes a Tough Decision to Return
Ronald Piana
For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Nedal Estfan, MD, a noted Syrian oncologist who was at the forefront of his county’s earliest efforts to establish a national cancer care system during a time of political and military turmoil. Dr....
A Leader in Drug Development, Patricia Keegan, MD, Reflects on Making a Difference in Cancer Care
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Patricia Keegan, MD, who served at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 30 years, most recently as Acting Associate Director of Medical Policy at the Oncology Center for Excellence (OCE). Prior...
A Pioneering Neurosurgeon Shares Hard-Earned Wisdom Gained Along the Road From the Segregated South
Ronald Piana
For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with noted neurosurgeon Keith L. Black, MD, Chair of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Department of Neurosurgery and Director of the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute. During his career, Dr. Black has perf...
A Long-Time Student of Leadership, Brian J. Bolwell, MD, FACP, Ultimately Takes the Reins at the Taussig Cancer Institute
In this edition of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, interviewed his colleague Brian J. Bolwell, MD, FACP, Chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. Among other things, Dr. Bolwell discussed his view...
Polio and Cancer Survivor Mickie McGraw Channels the Power of Creative Arts to Heal Broken Bodies and Minds
GUEST EDITOR Dr. Abraham is Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, and Chair of the Hematology and Medical Oncology Department at Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic. In this edition of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with pioneering a...
How California Dreamer John Craig Venter, PhD, Changed Paths to Focus on Sequencing the Human Genome
In this edition of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with John Craig Venter, PhD, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of the J. Craig Venter Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to human, microbial, and environmental genomic research. A bio...
After Training Across Three Continents, a Hematologist Leads the Wisconsin Hematology/Oncology Division
In this edition of Living a Full Life, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with hematologist Parameswaran Hari, MD, MRCP, Chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. In addition, Dr. Hari holds the Armand J. Quick/William F. Stapp Chai...
Former ASCO President Sandra M. Swain, MD, FACP, FASCO, Shares Highlights of a Noted Career
In this edition of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Sandra M. Swain, MD, FACP, FASCO, Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Research Development at Georgetown University Medical Center, and Vice President of MedStar Genetic Medicine at Medstar Hea...
Radiation Oncologist Felix Y. Feng, MD, Strives for Balance Between Work and Family Life
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Felix Y. Feng, MD, Professor of Radiation Oncology, Urology, and Medicine; George and Judy Marcus Distinguished Professor; Vice Chair of Translational Research in the Department of Radiation Oncolog...
Navneet S. Majhail, MD, MS, Was Inspired by His Father’s Career as a Military Doctor and His Mother’s Battle With Cancer
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Navneet S. Majhail, MD, MS, about his journey from India to the Cleveland Clinic, where he is Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. He is also President of the American Society for Tr...
A Pioneer in Breast Cancer Clinical Trials, Norman Wolmark, MD, FACS, Looks Back on His Practice-Changing Accomplishments
Ronald Piana
GUEST EDITOR Dr. Abraham is the Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute, and Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with breast cancer resea...
Insightful Advice From a College Advisor Leads to an Unexpected Career in Oncology
Ronald Piana
For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Tatiana M. Prowell, MD, who currently serves as Associate Professor of Oncology in the Breast Cancer Program at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and as a Medical Officer and Bre...
An Early Decision to Become an Oncologist
Ronald Piana
GUEST EDITOR Dr. Abraham is the Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute, and Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, Guest Editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Gilberto de Lima...
A Compassionate Family Doctor Sparked an Interest in Medicine for Lori Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO
GUEST EDITOR Jame Abraham, MD, FACP Dr. Abraham is the Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute, and Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. For this installment of the Living a Full Life series of articles, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, ...
Otis W. Brawley, MD, MACP, FASCO: Doctor, Policy Advocate, Writer, and Champion of the Underserved
In this installment of Living a Full Life, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Otis W. Brawley, MD, MACP, FASCO, a global leader in cancer research and health disparities. Dr. Brawley, who served as Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Direc...
Robert A. Kyle, MD, Luminary in Myeloma Research: Journey From a One-Room Schoolhouse to Groundbreaking Research
In this installment of Living a Full Life, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, interviewed multiple myeloma pioneer Robert A. Kyle, MD, whose groundbreaking work has changed the practice of hematology. Among his many honors are the David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award from ASCO and the Wallace H. Co...
ASCO President-Elect Howard A. Burris III, MD, FACP, FASCO, Gained Leadership Skills From His Experience at West Point
GUEST EDITOR Dr. Abraham is the Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute, and Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. In this installment of Living a Full Life, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Howard A. “Skip” Burris III, MD, FACP...
A Career Based on Service: Both Medical and Military
For this installment in the Living a Full Life series of articles, Edith Peterson Mitchell, MD, was interviewed by Guest Editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP. Dr. Mitchell is Clinical Professor of Medicine and Medical Oncology in the Division of Medical Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University as well a...
For James Allison, PhD, Perseverance and Hard Science Are Paramount in Cancer Research
For this installment in the Living a Full Life series of articles, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, interviewed immunology pioneer James Allison, PhD, Chair of the Department of Immunology, the Vivian L. Smith Distinguished Chair in Immunology, Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Research...
Norman E. Sharpless, MD: From Director of a Comprehensive Cancer Center to Director of the NCI
Ronald Piana
GUEST EDITOR Dr. Abraham is the Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute, and Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. In this installment of the Living a Full Life series of articles, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, interviewed Norman ...
Recognizing the Importance of a Work-Life Balance in Oncology
Ronald Piana
The ASCO Post introduces this new department, Living a Full Life, in which we will share insightful narratives of oncology professionals highlighting personal aspects of these clinicians’ lives separate from the world of oncology. We also intend to open a dialogue about the challenges that today’s b...
Restorative Effects of Painting Offset the Demands of Oncology
Ronald Piana
Oncologists are apt to give patients the worst news of their lives: You have cancer. Yet studies show that, by and large, despite the stressful aspects of treating people with a life-threatening disease, oncologists report one of the highest percentages of professional satisfaction among medical d...
Medical Oncologist Takes the Paths Less Traveled to Unwind and Reboot
Ronald Piana
GUEST EDITOR Dr. Abraham is the Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute, and Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. For this installment in the Living a Full Life series of articles, Andrew D. Seidman, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Canc...
A River Runs Through the Life of a Leukemia Specialist
GUEST EDITOR Dr. Abraham is the Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute, and Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. MATT KALAYCIO, MD Affiliation: Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer InstituteOn balancing priorities: “As an oncologist i...
A Humble Beginning Built on Commitment: The Life and Times of Lee S. Schwartzberg, MD, FACP
In this edition of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, interviewed medical oncologist Lee S. Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, Executive Director at the West Cancer Center, Memphis. Dr. Schwartzberg’s major research interests are new therapeutic approaches to breast cancer, ta...
Academic Oncology and Industry Offer the Best of Both Worlds for Mace L. Rothenberg, MD
Ronald Piana
GUEST EDITOR Dr. Abraham is the Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute, and Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, interviewed Mace L. Rothenberg, MD, ...
Breast Cancer Surgeon Hannah Hazard-Jenkins, MD, Deftly Balances Career and Family
Ronald Piana
GUEST EDITOR Dr. Abraham is the Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute, and Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with breast cancer surgeon Han...
Wally Curran, MD, FACR, FASCO, Reflects on a Career in Academic Oncology
Ronald Piana
GUEST EDITOR Dr. Abraham is the Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute, and Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. Find him on Twitter @jamecancerdoc. For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor, Jame Abraham, MD,...
Humbled by Challenges, Renowned Hematologist Kanti R. Rai, MD, Recalls a Rich Career
Ronald Piana
For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor, Jame Abraham, MD, interviewed Kanti R. Rai, MD, Professor of Medicine at the Karches Center for Oncology Research, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset; Professor of Medicine at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofs...
A Career Path Shaped by Unlimited Possibilities for Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, interviewed Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO, ASCO’s Chief Executive Officer. Prior to his current position, Dr. Hudis served in a variety of roles at ASCO, including President during ASCO’s 50th anniversary year....
Oncology Pioneer V. Shanta, MD, Has Long Championed Access to Quality Cancer Care
Ronald Piana
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, interviewed V. Shanta, MD, an internationally renowned oncologist and Chairperson of the Cancer Institute in Adyar, Chennai, India. Dr. Shanta has been with the Institute since 1955, holding several positions incl...
