Dr. Ross C. Donehower

Dr. Nilofer S. Azad is Professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and serves as the Associate Cancer Center Director for Clinical Research for the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Dr. Azad earned her medical degree and completed a residency in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She then completed a fellowship in oncology and hematology at the National Institute of Health's National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland where she served as chief fellow. Dr. Azad’s research focused on early phase drug development and the intersection of moving exciting laboratory findings into patients for new treatment options Dr. Azad joined the faculty at the Kimmel Cancer Center in 2008. Dr. Azad’s clinical expertise is in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, with a concentration in colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma and pancreaticobiliary tract cancer. Her research efforts are dedicated to developing new drug combinations for patients with advanced cancer. In particular, Dr. Azad’s laboratory and clinical trials explore epigenetic therapy in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy to improve survival for patients, as well as molecularly targeted drugs. She is an active clinical trialist, leading multiple clinical trials of molecularly targeted agents for advanced cancer patients. Dr. Azad has received numerous grants for her work from entities such as the NCI (National Cancer Center), American Cancer Society, American Society of Clinical Research, Breakthrough Cancer Foundation, the Lustgarten Foundation, The Gateway Foundation, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, among others. She served as Principal for Johns Hopkins on the AACR Stand Up 2 Cancer Colorectal Cancer Dream Team and is a member of the Stand Up 2 Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team, leading the GI cancer initiatives for the group. Dr. Azad is a national leader in GI cancer, including serving as a member of the national NCI Colon Cancer Task Force and as Co-Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. She has a presidential appointment to the National Cancer Advisory Board. Dr. Azad is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer). Her top areas of expertise are Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Colorectal Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, and Liver Embolization.

Dr. Mark Yarchoan is a physician–scientist based in Baltimore who specializes in the treatment and study of gastrointestinal cancers, with a particular focus on liver malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). He received his undergraduate degree from Amherst College and his medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a fellowship in medical oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he joined the faculty in 2018. Dr. Yarchoan leads a research laboratory dedicated to developing novel immunotherapies for liver cancers. His translational research program integrates analyses of clinical trial biospecimens with preclinical modeling to identify and overcome barriers to effective antitumor immunity. A major focus of his work is the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines for hepatobiliary malignancies. He serves as Principal Investigator on multiple clinical trials for hepatobiliary cancers, contributes to international guideline committees for liver cancer, and is a member of the Johns Hopkins Graduate Training Programs in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Immunology. Dr. Yarchoan’s contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the ASCO Young Investigator Award, the Conquer Cancer Foundation Career Development Award, the Mark R. Clements Award from the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, and the Blue Faery Award for Excellence in Liver Cancer Research. Dr. Yarchoan is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer). His top areas of expertise are Fibrolamellar Carcinoma, Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Liver Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, and Hepatectomy.

Marina Baretti, MD, is an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Jiasheng Chair in Hepato-Biliary Cancer Research. She also serves as Co-Director of the Liver and Biliary Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC). Dr. Baretti received her medical degree from the University of Pisa in Italy. She completed her internal medicine residency and oncology fellowship at University of Milan. She then went on and completed her Postdoctoral and Medical Oncology Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. She is deeply engaged in bridging the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical application, working closely with laboratory-based scientists to accelerate the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Her academic research is centered on the development of novel agents in hepatobiliary cancers, with particular interest in combinatorial approaches of immunotherapies. She is currently the principal investigator on multiple clinical trials in FLC, HCC and cholangiocarcinoma at Johns Hopkins University, collaborating closely with laboratory-based researchers to move laboratory findings into patients. Through her work, Dr. Baretti strives to improve outcomes for patients with rare GI cancers by identifying innovative therapies that are informed by a deeper understanding of tumor biology and the tumor microenvironment. Dr. Baretti was the recipient of the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award. Dr. Baretti was also awarded with the 2020 Career Development Award for the MD Anderson Cancer Center’s pancreatic cancer NCI Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE). Dr. Baretti is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer). Her top areas of expertise are Fibrolamellar Carcinoma, Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Liver Cancer, and Pancreatic Cancer.