NRG Oncology Board of Directors

Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University. She co-directs the Radiation Biology Program of the Stanford Cancer Institute. Her clinical focus is on radiation management of head and neck cancer (HNC). She has led multicenter phase II and III clinical trials, testing the addition of novel drugs as well as radiosensitizer or radioprotector with chemoradiotherapy in HNC. Her lab works on approaches to regenerate salivary glands after radiation damage, identification of biomarkers of prognosis and treatment resistance in HNC, and development of novel treatment strategies for HNC with a focus on the tumor microenvironment and Galectin-1. Dr. Le previously chaired NRG's HNC Committee and currently serves as Group Chair of NRG Oncology as well as Chairperson of NRG's Board of Directors. She has served as a reviewer for several journals and NIH study sections. She has been actively involved in many national and international organizations such as ASTRO, ASCO, AARC, and ARS. She was inducted into the Fellowship of the American College of Radiology (FACR), the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (FASTRO), and the Institute of Medicine / National Academy of Medicine (IOM/NAM).

Robert Mannel, MD, is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist, and has served as Director, Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma since 2007. Dr. Mannel has served in multiple national leadership positions in his field including serving as a committee member of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology Gynecologic Oncology Board and was Vice President for the Society of Gynecologic Oncology in 2012-2013. A graduate of the University of Texas College of Medicine at Galveston, Dr. Mannel completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Scott and White Hospital in Temple Texas. After residency, he pursued a gynecologic oncology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. His research interests lie in drug development in ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer. Dr. Mannel served as one of the inaugural Deputy Group Chairs for NRG Oncology. He was appointed as NRG Oncology Group Chair in 2017, and the NRG Oncology Presiding Group Chair in 2022. Dr. Mannel has served as the Senior Vice President of the GOG Foundation since 2017.

Norman Wolmark, MD, FACS, FRCSC, is the Chairman of the NSABP Foundation, a leading academic research organization with a nearly 60-year history of pioneering studies in breast and colorectal cancer. He also serves as Group Chair and Principal Investigator for NRG Oncology. Dr. Wolmark is Professor and Chairman of Human Oncology at Drexel University School of Medicine and a Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center. Dr. Wolmark has spent decades advancing research in breast and bowel cancers, contributing to early clinical trials at the University of Pittsburgh alongside Dr. Bernard Fisher. A specialist in general surgery, he is certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and completed his medical degree at McGill University, with residencies at McGill and the University of Pittsburgh. He later completed a fellowship in Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. During his near 45-year tenure as a cancer researcher, he has published over 400 scientific articles and book chapters, received numerous awards such as the William L. McGuire Memorial Award, and continues to serve on advisory boards and editorial boards in oncology across the globe.

Dr. Bear is the Walter Lawrence, Jr. Distinguished Professor in Oncology, Chairman of the Division of Surgical Oncology, Professor of Surgery and Microbiology and Immunology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Bear graduated from Yale University cum laude, earned both his M.D. and Ph.D. at Virginia Commonwealth University, completed his surgical residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and returned to VCU as a fellow in surgical oncology. Dr. Bear’s main clinical interests include breast cancer, melanoma, and sarcomas. His research interests include pre-clinical and clinical studies of immunotherapy and breast cancer treatment trials. Dr. Bear currently serves as NRG Oncology's Deputy Group Chair for Publications and Communications.

Mitchell Machtay, MD, is an academic radiation oncologist who has dedicated his professional life to advancing the treatment of locally advanced solid tumors. Dr. Machtay has made significant contributions in clinical care, teaching, and research. His primary interest is in combined modality therapy (using advanced radiation technology and novel systemic therapies) for several types of cancers, particularly lung, brain and head and neck cancer. Dr. Machtay has been a pioneer in integrating PET-scan functional imaging into radiotherapy management; he was the national PI on a major trial that documented the utility of early post-radiotherapy FDG-PET in lung cancer. Dr. Machtay has had many leadership roles in the NCTN, including serving as institutional PI for Main Member Institutions and PI of the Case-Western LAPS grant. His role evolved within the RTOG and later through NRG Oncology. He currently serves as NRG's Deputy Chair for Research and Chief Scientific Officer, and President of the RTOG Foundation. Dr. Machtay is currently at Penn State University and Cancer Institute, where he serves as a Professor of Radiation Oncology and Associate Director and Associate Dean for the Clinical Oncology Research.

David S. Miller, MD, is Director of Gynecologic Oncology, Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and holds the Amy and Vernon E. Faulconer Distinguished Chair in Medical Science and the Dallas Foundation Chair in Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He serves as Medical Director of Gynecologic Oncology and Chair of the Cancer Committee for the Parkland Health and Hospital System. Among his numerous professional affiliations, he is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and the American College of Surgeons, a member of the ASCO and SGO, and was President of the Western Association of Gynecologic Oncologists. He is certified by and was an examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology and its Division of Gynecologic Oncology. Long active in the development of clinical trials for the treatment of gynecologic cancers, he was Study Chair for multiple national trials of the GOG, served on the Board of Directors, and was Chair of its Uterine Corpus Committee. The NCI CTEP appointed Dr. Miller to the Gynecologic Cancer Steering Committee. He was also Chair of the Endometrial Committee for the Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup. He now serves NRG Oncology as the Deputy Group Chair for Membership and Quality.

Carol Aghajanian, MD, is an internationally recognized expert in the care of women with gynecologic malignancies. She has conducted several seminal, first-in-human trials which have led to first-in-class new drug approvals. She has concentrated on building a comprehensive research program focused on the introduction of new therapeutic agents for gynecologic malignancies, particular in ovarian and endometrial cancers. Currently, Dr. Aghajanian is the Chief of Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, co-leader of the Gynecologic Oncology Disease Management Team, and Avon Chair in Gynecologic Oncology Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), as well as a Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. Currently, Dr. Aghajanian serves as the Chair of the Gynecologic Cancer Committee of NRG Oncology. Dr. Aghajanian represents the NCTN groups on the Investigational Drug Steering Committee and is the Principal Investigator for the MSK LAPS grant. She has received numerous awards for her research efforts and teaching accomplishments.

Deborah Watkins Bruner, RN, PhD, FAAN, is Senior Vice President for Research at Emory University. Dr. Bruner is also Professor and Robert W. Woodruff Chair in Nursing, Professor of Radiation Oncology, and a member of the Winship Cancer Institute. She is an internationally renowned researcher and clinical trialist with a focus on patient reported outcomes (PROs), symptom management, and comparative effectiveness of radiotherapy modalities. Her most current research is focused on the role of the human microbiome in carcinogenesis and cancer treatment outcomes. Dr. Bruner has worked for almost three decades with the NCTN and is the first and only nurse to ever lead a national clinical trials cooperative group, first as the Principal Investigator (PI) of the RTOG Community Clinical Oncology Program, and currently as co-PI of the NRG Oncology National Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP).

Thomas Julian, MD, has been involved with clinical breast cancer research for over 20 years within the NSABP and Allegheny General Hospital. Dr. Julian is the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Principal Investigator for the NSABP and NRG Oncology, overseeing active trials with responsibility for trial oversight, grant/budget management, and accrual. Dr. Julian is interested in the de-escalation of local regional therapies for breast cancer and has worked closely with members in the NSABP Foundation, NRG Oncology, and the NCI to develop such trials. Dr. Julian previously sat as a Co-Chair for the NCI BOLD Task Force to evaluate concepts related to local regional therapies for breast cancer providing guidance to improve concept design. Dr. Julian is the Assistant Director for the Surgical Breast Fellowship Program mentoring new breast surgeons in both clinical and research training. In his role as Chair of Communications Committee for NRG Oncology, he oversees the cooperative group’s electronic social media. In his current role as Associate Medical Director for Cancer Program Development at the AHN Cancer Institute, he identifies areas to expand clinical trial usage and development for patient care and involvement of new investigators.

Paul DiSilvestro, MD, is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University and Director of the Program in Women’s Oncology at Women and Infants Hospital (WIH) in Providence, Rhode Island. His research interests include clinical trials in gynecologic cancer, with special emphasis on national cooperative group clinical research. Dr. DiSilvestro is the Principal Investigator for NRG Oncology of the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Research at WIH. Dr. DiSilvestro has held several leadership roles within NRG Oncology and is currently the Vice Chair of the Gynecologic Cancer Committee. He is also a member of the NCI's Gynecologic Cancer Steering Committee. Dr. DiSilvestro is a board examiner for the Obstetrics and Gynecology specialty exam as well as the Gynecologic Oncology subspecialty exam of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has also won numerous teaching awards and has served as a mentor to residents, fellows, and junior faculty throughout his career, with many of those mentorship experiences yielding published manuscripts and successful grant applications for the mentees.

Kristin Higgins, MD, is Professor in Radiation Oncology at City of Hope, and is Chief Clinical Officer at the City of Hope Atlanta campus. She specializes in the treatment of lung cancer. Prior to joining City of Hope, Dr. Higgins was a faculty member at Emory University from 2011-2024, and served as Professor of Radiation Oncology at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and Vice Chair of Clinical Research. Dr. Higgins serves in many roles within the NRG Oncology organization. She is a member of the Lung Cancer Core Committee, the Communications Committee, Research Strategy Committee, and the Protocol Operations Management (POM) Committee. Within the Communications Committee, she has helped develop and implement a social media ambassador program for scientific conferences that feature NRG work. She has helped develop the PI tool kit to optimize accrual to late phase clinical trials within the POM Committee. Dr. Higgins serves as the PI for NRG Oncology/Alliance LU005. This phase III trial is testing the addition of atezolizumab to standard of care chemoradiation in limited stage small cell lung cancer.

Priya Rastogi, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and a medical oncologist at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. She is also the CEO/CMO of NSABP Foundation. Her clinical research interests include Phase II and Phase III neoadjuvant and adjuvant breast cancer clinical trials. She has been involved with the development and implementation of clinical trials through NRG Oncology and the NSABP Foundation. Dr. Rastogi has published on breast cancer in traditional medical journals. Representative publications can be found in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Within NRG, Dr. Rastogi serves as the Vice Chair for the Early Career & New Investigator Committee, and is a member of the Breast Cancer Committee.

Minesh Mehta, MD, is the Deputy Director of the Miami Cancer Institute (MCI) and Chief of Radiation Oncology, Dasburg Endowed Chair, Baptist Health Cancer Care, Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology at Florida International University. Dr. Mehta is a world-renowned expert in radiation oncology, proton therapy, radiosurgery, brain tumors, and cancer research. Since joining MCI, he has overseen one of the world’s most comprehensive radiation therapy programs. Prior to this, he served as Medical Director of the University of Maryland's Proton Treatment Center, where he launched the mid-Atlantic’s first dedicated pencil-beam proton treatment center, and was Associate Director of Clinical Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Previously, Dr. Mehta was Chair of the Department of Human Oncology at the University of Wisconsin (UW), leading significant research, technology innovations, and oversaw substantial clinical practice expansion. He serves on the editorial board of several peer-reviewed journals and has held national leadership positions at numerous organizations including ASTRO, ASCO, SNO, PTOG, PCG, and NAPT. Dr. Mehta has chaired the RTOG/NRG Oncology Brain Tumor Committee since 1999. With over 1,600 publications, manuscripts, book chapters, and professional abstracts, Dr. Mehta is a highly respected clinician, researcher, and thought leader in oncology.

Dorothy Erlanger is an experienced professional with a nearly 40-year career in healthcare consulting, training and speaking across more than 40 countries. Her fluency in Spanish and Portuguese have enabled her to connect with diverse communities and understand their perspectives in a unique way. As a 20-plus year survivor of advanced ovarian cancer, Dorothy has channeled her personal journey into patient advocacy - in a way, paying it forward for so many of her group who aren’t here. She has served for nearly 15 years as a patient advocate for NRG Oncology and the GOG. Her commitment extends beyond NRG Oncology, as she presents for the Survivors Teaching Students program, serves on the advisory board for Massey Cancer Center, and shares her experiences with groups, including Tina's Wish and others. In the business world, Dorothy is recognized as an expert online producer and a keynote speaker, inspiring others with her stories of overcoming obstacles. A graduate of the University of Chicago with a Biology major and an MBA in Finance from Seton Hall University, Dorothy Erlanger brings to her advocacy a unique blend of scientific knowledge, diverse experience, facilitation skills and financial acumen.

Tashanna KN Myers, MD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. She is the Vice Chair of Academic Affairs for the Department of OB/GYN at Baystate Health and Division Chief of Gynecologic Oncology. She completed her medical degree at Temple University School of Medicine and her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her gynecologic oncology fellowship was completed at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center. She serves on the NRG Oncology Cervical Cancer Subcommittee. She also serves on the Board of GOG Partners, and chairs the Quality and Assessment Committee of that organization. She currently serves on the Investigators Council of GOG Partners and chairs the Clinical Trials Equity/Patient Advocacy Committee. Her research interests include the design and implementation of equitable oncologic trials for women with gynecologic cancer. Dr. Myers serves as the institutional PI for Gynecologic Oncology Research at Baystate Health.

James Dignam, PhD, served as the Deputy Director of the NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center (SDMC) since 2014, and assumed the role as Group Statistician in 2019. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the SDMC. Dr. Dignam's primary research involves the design, conduct, and analysis of cancer clinical trials, including early development (phase I), pilot efficacy and safety (phase II), and definitive evaluation (phase III) trials. Dr. Dignam's methodology interests include trial monitoring and early stopping rules, competing risks, hazard function estimation, and prognostic modeling. He has engaged in and led investigations into sociodemographic factors such as race/ethnicity and BMI/obesity on cancer prognosis and treatment response. He is a Professor in the Public Health Sciences Department at the University of Chicago. Courses taught include introductory biostatistics, clinical trials, survival analysis, and regression modeling methods.

Lisa Kachnic, MD, FASTRO, is the Chair of the Radiation Oncology Department and Associate Director of Regional Strategy of Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) and Columbia University Medical Center. She is the former Chairperson of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She received her undergraduate degree from Boston College and her medical degree from Tufts University. Dr. Kachnic completed her residency in Radiation Oncology at Harvard University, her last year as chief resident. Dr. Kachnic’s primary areas of interest include assessing novel radiation technologies for gastrointestinal malignancies and outcomes/symptoms management research. Dr. Kachnic is actively involved in NRG Oncology where she serves as the Associate PI of the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) and Chair of the Cancer Control Committee. Her NCI clinical trials have changed the standard of care in several GI malignancies, most notably anal cancer. As of 2023, Dr. Kachnic has been the Principal Investigator of Columbia University’s NCORP and started serving as an NCORP Representative for the NCI Gastrointestinal Steering Committee.