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Biographies - National Cancer Institute
Jerry S.H. Lee, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives
National Cancer Institute
Dr. Lee serves as Health Sciences Director within the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Office of the Director where he has dual roles as Deputy Director for both the Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives (CSSI) and the Center for Cancer Genomics (CCG). He provides leadership and input in planning, developing, and implementing rapid strategic scientific and technology initiatives that keep the Institute ahead of the scientific curve with respect to potential new exciting areas and discoveries. This may involve direct development and application of advanced technologies, creation of new trans-disciplinary teams, and/or use of available federal mechanisms to forge novel partnerships that emphasize innovation and convergence of scientific disciplines.
Specifically, Dr. Lee is responsible for scientific, programmatic, and operational oversight of CSSI and CCG's broad scientific portfolio (~$190.2 million in FY12) carried out by more than 60 staff members within offices that include the Office of Cancer Nanotechnology Research (OCNR), Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research (OCCPR), Office of Physical Sciences-Oncology (OPSO), The Cancer Genome Program Office (TCGA PO), and the Office of Cancer Genomics (OCG). Programs developed to date by Center staff include the Innovation Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT), Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers (PS-OC), Provocative Questions (PQ), and Cancer Target Discovery and Development (CTD2). These exploratory initiatives focus on the integration of advanced technologies, trans-disciplinary approaches, infrastructures, and standards, to accelerate the creation of publicly available, broadly accessible, multi-dimensional data, knowledge, and tools to empower the entire cancer research continuum for patient benefit.
Prior to joining the NCI, Dr. Lee's research experience involved elucidating mechanisms of age-related diseases by combining cell biology, molecular biology, and engineering approaches to understand various cellular reactions to external stimuli. He has co-authored over a dozen papers, three book chapters, and one book on the role of Rho GTPase-mediated nuclear and cellular mechanical responses to fluid flow and 3D culture and demonstrated their potential impact in diseases such as progeria and cancer. He continues to advance understanding in this area by serving as adjunct assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University, where he also earned his bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering and Ph.D. degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering.
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Larry A. Nagahara, Ph.D.
Director
Office of Physical Sciences-Oncology
National Cancer Institute
Dr. Nagahara is Director of the Office of Physical Sciences-Oncology in the Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives (CSSI), National Cancer Institute (NCI), where he coordinates and directs program and research activities related to expanding the role of the physical sciences in cancer research, including the Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers (PS-OC) Program. Previously, he served as the Nanotechnology Projects Manager for the NCI's Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer program, for which he helped oversee the development of promising nano-based diagnostics and therapeutics projects and turned them into applications that will eventually benefit cancer patients. Dr. Nagahara also currently represents NCI on the Trans-NIH Nano Task Force, which is tasked to develop NIH-wide scientific and policy vision for nanotechnology, as well as NCI's Project Scientist for the NIH's Nanomedicine Development Centers and NIH's Genes and Environment Initiative (GEI), Exposure Biology Program.
Dr. Nagahara has been actively involved in physical sciences and nanotechnology for over 15 years, most notably novel scanning probe microscopy development, carbon nanotube applications, molecular electronics, nanoenergy, and nanosensors. Before joining NCI, he was a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at Motorola and led their nanosensor effort. He is also currently an adjunct professor in the Department of Physics at Arizona State University and an Associate Editor of the IEEE Sensors Journal. Dr. Nagahara has published over 80 technical papers and 3 book chapters, and has 1 book pending as well as over 15 patents issued/filed in these fields. He is an American Physical Society (APS) Fellow and a Nano50 Awardee, and was a member of Motorola's Scientific Advisory Board.
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Sean E. Hanlon, Ph.D.
PS-OC Project Manager
Office of Physical Sciences-Oncology
National Cancer Institute
Dr. Sean E. Hanlon serves as a Project Manager for the Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers (PS-OC) program within the Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives (CSSI) at the NCI. In this role, he assists in the oversight and scientific management of PS-OC projects by encouraging interdisciplinary collaborations of investigators and researchers within the PS-OC network.
Dr. Hanlon came to the National Cancer Institute through the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship program. Prior to his selection as an AAAS Fellow, Dr. Hanlon was a postdoctoral fellow in the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Carolina Center for Genome Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His postdoctoral work used genomics and bioinformatics approaches to address problems in transcriptional regulation on a genome-wide scale. This work helped further the understanding of how cells and organisms ensure that each gene in the transcriptome is expressed and repressed only at the appropriate time. As a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Hanlon has taught graduate level courses in genomics and bioinformatics research. Dr. Hanlon received his PhD in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Rutgers University in 2003 where his work focused on understanding how chromatin structure influences transcription and cell-cycle progression. Dr. Hanlon is interested in enhancing all levels of science education and promoting funding of basic and translational science research.
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Nastaran Zahir Kuhn, Ph.D.
PS-OC Project Manager
Office of Physical Sciences-Oncology
National Cancer Institute
Dr. Nastaran Zahir Kuhn serves as a Project Manager for the Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers (PS-OC) program within the Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives (CSSI) at the NCI. In this capacity, she assists in the oversight and scientific management of PS-OC projects by encouraging interdisciplinary collaborations of investigators and researchers within the PS-OC network.
Dr. Kuhn's scientific expertise lies in using an engineering approach to study microenvironment regulation of breast cancer and stem cell fate. Her doctoral dissertation, completed at the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Medicine and Engineering, focused on the effects of aberrant mechanical cues from the extracellular matrix on mammary epithelial cell morphogenesis and therapeutic resistance. Dr. Kuhn extensively characterized and identified a progressive increase in the mechanical stiffness of mouse mammary tissue during tumor progression in a transgenic mouse model of human breast cancer, indicating a role for extracellular matrix stiffness in regulation of breast tumor progression and highlighting a possible therapeutic target in breast cancer. In recognition for her graduate work, the Bioengineering Department at the University of Pennsylvania awarded Dr. Kuhn with the Solomon R. Pollack Award for Excellence in Graduate Bioengineering Research. Dr. Kuhn completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the NIH in the Cartilage Biology and Orthopaedics Branch of the National Institute of Arthritis, and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases where she investigated microenvironment regulation of bone marrow stromal stem cell fate. Namely, Dr. Kuhn identified laminin alpha4 and interleukin-6 as critical stemness factors of adult stem cells, thus allowing these cells to be more efficiently propagated in culture and possibly utilized for regenerative medicine.
Dr. Kuhn received her Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and her Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She has co-authored several research publications in both the biological and the physical sciences. In addition, she has taught undergraduate level courses in cancer biology and graduate level courses in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
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Nicole M. Moore, Sc.D.
PS-OC Project Manager
Office of Physical Sciences-Oncology
National Cancer Institute
Prior to joining the Office of Physical Sciences in Oncology, Dr. Nicole M. Moore was a research chemist in the Biomaterials Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Her research efforts focused on fabricating biaoctive gradients with click chemistry for high throughput measurement of cell response to functionalized materials. This work highlighted key concentrations of immobilized biomimetic peptides that direct osteogenic differentiation and induce inflammation promoting rational design of biomaterials. While at NIST, Dr. Moore was awarded an exploratory research grant to develop new technology for measuring intracellular trafficking of nanoparticles and the Material Science and Engineering Laboratory Work-Life and Diversity Award. Dr. Moore received her doctorate in chemical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis where she systematically explored the effect of peptides on the intracellular trafficking of nanoparticles culminating in the development of a non-toxic and efficient multifunctional polyethylene glycol vehicle for gene therapy. Upon completion of her dissertation, she was awarded a National Research Council Postdoctoral fellowship at NIST in the Biomaterials Group. Dr. Moore earned her Bachelor of Science in Biomolecular and Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. She has co-authored several research publications in both the biological and the physical sciences. In addition, she is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science postdoctoral and graduate student advisory board.
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Mariam Eljanne, Ph.D.
PS-OC Project Manager
Office of Physical Sciences-Oncology
National Cancer Institute
Dr. Mariam Eljanne has a MS. in Microbial Genetics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Ph.D. in Human Genetics from the University of Pittsburgh. She has 14 years of experience as a research scientist and 6 years in clinical research. After earning her Master's degree, Dr. Eljanne managed the Molecular Diagnostics laboratory for infectious diseases at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She then joined the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh where she worked on gene therapy, stem cell research, and genomic imprinting. Dr. Eljanne studied the methylation pattern of DNA in the mouse, an epigenetic modification of the genome that leads to genomic imprinting. After earning her Ph.D. she joined Cytyc Corporation in Boxborough, MA where she worked on breast and cervical cancer diagnostic assay development. In 2004 she moved to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston as a Senior Research Associate where she worked on prostate cancer diagnostic/prognostic assay development and prostate clinical research. With this clinical research experience from BIDMC, Dr. Eljanne joined the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Lupus Center as a Research Program Manager where she managed several industry-sponsored lupus clinical trials. In 2009 Dr. Eljanne joined NIAID to manage the Vaccine Treatment and Evaluation Units (VTEU) clinical trial contract. Dr. Eljanne's interest lies in understanding the epigenetic modifications of DNA that lead to cancer development and in testing some of the new discoveries in preclinical and clinical settings.
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Jonathan Franca-Koh, Ph.D.
PS-OC Project Manager
Office of Physical Sciences-Oncology
National Cancer Institute
Dr. Jonathan Franca-Koh serves as a Project Manager for the Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers (PS-OC) program within the Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives (CSSI) at the NCI. In this role, he assists in the oversight and scientific management of PS-OC projects by encouraging interdisciplinary collaborations of investigators and researchers within the PS-OC network.
Dr. Franca-Koh received his PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of London's Institute of Cancer Research in 2003 where his work focused on understanding the role of the Frat oncogene in regulating Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 and the Wnt signaling pathway. Prior to joining the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Franca-Koh worked as postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University and as a staff scientist at the J. Craig Venter Institute. His postdoctoral work focused on the molecular mechanisms of chemotaxis using Dictyostelium discoideum as a model system. This work led to the discovery of a novel role for the conserved protein kinase, tsunami/fused, in regulating chemotaxis. At the J. Craig Venter Institute, Dr. Franca-Koh developed high throughput protein-protein interaction technologies and participated in work that led to a comprehensive map of the E.coli protein interaction network.
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Karen Jo
Cancer Research Training Award Fellow
Office of Physical Sciences-Oncology
National Cancer Institute
Ms. Jo is currently serving as a Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) Fellow for the Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers (PS-OC) Program within the Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives (CSSI) at the NCI. She began her fellowship in May of 2010 and conducts programmatic analysis of the twelve PS-OCs, with a focus on evaluation of the innovative multi-disciplinary training programs within the Network. Additionally, she assists the PS-OC Project Managers in their oversight and scientific management of the PS-OC projects.
Ms. Jo is currently attending the University of Maryland, College Park and will be graduating in May 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance. She is planning to attend medical school after the completion of her fellowship at NCI.
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Kelly Weaver
Grants Management Specialist
Office of Grants Administration
National Cancer Institute
Ms. Weaver serves as Grants Management Specialist for the Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers initiative. She began working as a Grants Management Specialist with the National Cancer Institute's Office of Grants Administration in April 2009. Prior to joining the NCI, she worked as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative in Bethesda, MD.
Ms. Weaver attended East Carolina University, from which she graduated in December 2004 with a bachelor's degree in Communications.
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Carole Baas
Patient Advocate
Office of Advocacy Relations
National Cancer Institute
Dr. Carole Baas is the national advocate for the Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers (PS-OC) program within the Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives (CSSI) at the NCI. Drawing upon her background in research and academia as well as from her personal experience with cancer—Dr. Baas has a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University and is a survivor of both skin and breast cancer—she serves as a liaison between the scientists and the cancer communities. Her role is to represent the patient perspective, encourage advocacy involvement within the PS-OC network and promote the dissemination of research findings to the public.
Prior to her involvement in patient advocacy, Dr. Baas was a medical researcher studying high altitude physiology for USAF and NASA. Her doctoral work included coursework in medical imaging, biomaterials, medical instrumentation, biofluid dynamics and physiology with a secondary focus in human factors engineering. Dr. Baas’ dissertation was a mathematical model of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in which she refined existing multicompartmental mathematical models of the CSF system and combined these with a model simulating valve shunt function during the treatment of hydrocephalus. The resulting model was used in a computer simulation describing the behavior of the CSF system under a variety of pathologic situations and illustrating the use of shunting systems in the treatment of these conditions.
Dr. Baas became a cancer advocate following her diagnosis with breast cancer in 2004. She serves a variety of roles within a number of cancer organizations and programs, including: the American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery program; Susan G. Komen for the Cure, as a member of the Advocates in Science Education and Training Working Group; I-SPY2 Clinical Trial for new breast cancer therapeutic agents, as a member of the Data Access & Publication Request Review Working Group; Hope for Two: The Pregnant with Cancer Network, as a peer counselor to help women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy or postpartum; and the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN), an NCI cooperative group, as patient advocate for the Experimental Imaging Sciences Committee. Dr. Baas is a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s Project LEAD, an intensive program for advocates on cancer biology, genetics, epidemiology and research design to prepare them to serve as educated voices in breast cancer research and public policy processes; and Clinical Trials Project LEAD, an advanced course focused on understanding and improving breast cancer clinical trials research. Dr. Baas regularly participates as an advocate reviewer for the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program and for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She is also involved in public health policy, lobbying Congress on healthcare issues and for funding of cancer research, and, at the local level, as one of nine voting members of the Board of Health for Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.
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