Roles
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Breast Medical Oncologist
Clinical Research Lead, Breast Site Disease Group
Physician Leader, Genetic Predisposition Syndrome (GPS) Initiative
Associate Director of Community Outreach-Breast Cancer Program-Plantation
Medical Co-Director Cancer Survivorship
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Biography
I am a breast medical oncologist and serve as the Medical Co-Director for Cancer Survivorship and Translational Behavioral Science Program at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. I am also the Associate Director of Community Outreach of the Breast Cancer Program at Sylvester-Plantation. Since graduating from a Hematology Oncology Fellowship in 2008, I dedicated my career exclusively to building expertise in breast cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship. Immediately after my fellowship, I joined Memorial Cancer Institute in Broward County, where I had the privilege to participate in several committees focused on patient satisfaction and quality improvement.
My goal was always to provide outstanding care that not only offers standard treatments but participation in vital clinical trials that offer patients innovative treatments before their approval. I served as a member of the local IRB for 8 years prior to 2015, when I joined University of Miami. Since joining our institution, I was invited to become a PRMC member and a member of Social Behavior committee. I value this committee and their role of making sure best research is available to our patients, not only scientifically but also ethically. I am committed to bringing new trials to our Breast Cancer Program and I am serving as a Principal Investigator on more than 10 clinical trials at the present time. I am the chair-elect for the ASCO lead TAPUR clinical trial and the local PI for TAPUR.
I have worked closely with Dr. Crane and her team on this application entitled, Comparative Effectiveness of Lifestyle Interventions for Older Cancer Survivors and Their Caregivers: the VITALITY Trial and will serve as Co-Investigator for this study. I will serve as a champion for this study for recruitment and provide my clinical oncology expertise in breast cancer to address participant related issues that may arise during this study including determining patient eligibility on a case by case basis, participate in regular research meeting, data interpretation and dissemination of findings. -
Education & Training
Education
Post Graduate Training
Licensures and Certifications
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Honors & Awards
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Teaching Interests
Breast cancer treatment, breast cancer prevention, high risk for breast cancer, survivorship, breast cancer research, AYA, Genetic predisposition syndromes, genetics. -
Research Interests
I had the opportunity to join Dr. Joseph Rosenblatt’s lab during my training as a Medical Oncologist. I was able to learn and appreciate the very initial steps, from construct making and animal testing to bringing a new drug into the phase I of clinical research. Since 2008, I have been a PI for a large number of breast clinical trials. I have participated in national steering committees and took part of new clinical trials’ design, along with top national Breast Cancer leaders. I have recently joined the ASCO TAPUR steering committeealong with esteemed internationally recognized breast cancer leaders, as well as ASCO TAPUR molecular tumor board. I have enrolled hundreds of patients in clinical trials and helped build the most successful Breast Community Program in South Florida.
My research interests now involve understanding how lifestyle behaviors impact cancer survivors and how a tailored lifestyle intervention can improve a survivor’s quality of life. I am most interested in the role that diet and physical activity plays on survival of cancer patients. Moderate and high intensity physical activity has been consistently associated with improved breast cancer outcomes. Recently, it has been shown that the minimum guidelines for physical activity both before diagnosis and after treatment appear to significantly reduce hazards of recurrence and mortality. Our role is to have each survivor evaluated and offered a personalized survivorship care plan that will enhance her/his ability to capitalize on the benefit of lifestyle modification can bring. I am collaborating with expert colleagues in behavioral medicine and public healthsciences in further refining and developing a lifestyle intervention that include physical activity components to improve patient survival and overall quality of life. -
Publications
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Professional Activities
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