Neuro-Oncology Branch: Our Teams

About the Neuro-Oncology Branch

The Center for Cancer Research's Neuro-Oncology Branch (NOB) is a trans-institutional initiative that aims to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents for patients with primary central nervous system tumors. Launched in 2000, the branch is sponsored by both the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The NOB also serves as the lead institution for collaborative networks including NCI-CONNECT (Comprehensive Oncology Network Evaluating Rare CNS Tumors) and the Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative (BTTC).

If you need to reach our NOB administrative team, please email NCINeuroOncology@mail.nih.gov.

Leadership

• Kevin A. Camphausen, M.D. (Acting Chief)

Administrative Team

• Lilian Yang (Senior Branch Administrator)

• Sherita Morris (Executive Assistant)

• Ore Ogundimu (Clinical Program Assistant)

• Brittany Cordeiro (Program Manager, NCI-CONNECT)

Clinical Team

• Attending Physicians

  • Jing Wu, M.D., Ph.D. (Investigator)
  • Marta Penas-Prado, M.D. (Senior Clinician)
  • Eric Burton, M.D. (Associate Research Physician)
  • Byram Ozer, M.D., Ph.D. (Associate Research Physician)
• Clinical Collaborators
  • Brett Theeler, M.D.
• Clinical Fellows

  • Danielle Bazer, D.O. (Clinical Fellow)

  • Grace Tobin, M.D. (Clinical Fellow)

  • Shuodan (Danny) Zhang, M.D. (Clinical Rotator)
  • Kevin Breen, M.D., Ph.D. (Special Volunteer)
• Nurse Practitioners
  • Lisa Boris, C.R.N.P.
  • Marissa Panzer, D.N.P., A.G.N.P.
  • Tina Pillai, C.R.N.P.
  • Lily Polskin, C.R.N.P.
  • Renee Tweneboah-Koduah, D.N.P., C.R.N.P.
• Research Nurses
  • Tricia Kunst, R.N.

  • Christine McGowan, R.N.

  • Kathleen Wall, R.N. (NCI-CONNECT)
• Patient Care Coordinators
  • Tracy Ani

  • Kristen Oshin (NCI-CONNECT)

• Fellows
  • Brayden Chavis (CRTA Fellow)
  • Lorenzo Argao (CRTA Fellow)

Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative (BTTC)

• Jennifer Reyes (Protocol Coordinator)
• Claudia Chambers (Protocol Coordinator)

NCI-CONNECT (Comprehensive Oncology Network Evaluating Rare CNS Tumors)

• Terri Armstrong, Ph.D. (Co-Lead) 
• Marta Penas-Prado, M.D. (Co-Lead)

• Brittany Cordeiro (Program Manager)

• Kathleen Wall, R.N. (Research Nurse)
• Kristen Oshin (Patient Care Coordinator)
• Anna Choi, B.S.N. (Clinical Research Coordinator)
• Brita Anderson (Laboratory Technician)
• Hope Miller (Research Analyst)

• Sana Hussaini (CRTA Fellow)

Translational Immunology Team

• Masashi Watanabe, Ph.D. (Staff Scientist)
• Chen Cam-El Makranz, M.D., Ph.D. (Research Fellow)

• John Hancock (OxCam Fellow)

• Caitlin Huguely (CRTA Fellow)

Patient Outcomes Team

• Terri Armstrong, Ph.D. (Senior Investigator) 
• Alvina Acquaye-Mallory (Outcomes Program Manager)
• Michelle Wright, Ph.D. (Clinical Staff Scientist)
• Vivian De Alvarenga Guedes, Ph.D. (Staff Scientist)
• Dhaivat Raval (Laboratory Technician)
• Kimberly Reinhart (Research Analyst)

• Tara Davis, Ph.D. (iCURE Fellow)

• Emory Hsieh (CRTA Fellow)

• Bennett McIver (CRTA Fellow)

Cancer Stem Cell Biology Team

• Zhengping Zhuang, M.D., Ph.D. (Senior Investigator) 

• Herui Wang, Ph.D. (Staff Scientist)

• Juan Ye, Ph.D. (Visiting Fellow)

• Xueyu Sang, Ph.D. (Visiting Fellow)

• Qingfeng Xue, M.D. (Visiting Fellow)
• Yasemin Cole (OxCam Fellow)
• Mitchell Sun (OxCam Fellow)

Translational Research Team

• Jing Wu, M.D., Ph.D. (Investigator) 

• Peng Lu, Ph.D. (Staff Scientist)

• Qi Li (Laboratory Technician)
• Zachary Sergi (CRTA Fellow)

Cancer Metabolism Team

• Mioara Larion, Ph.D. (Investigator)
• Adrian Lita, Ph.D. (Staff Scientist)
• Lumin Zhang, Ph.D. (Scientist I)

• Helena Muley Vilamú, Ph.D. (Visiting Fellow)

Molecular and Cell Biology Team

• Chunzhang Yang, Ph.D. (Investigator) 
• Fengchao Lang, Ph.D. (Visiting Fellow)

• Karambir Kaur, Ph.D. (Visiting Fellow)

• Javeria Zaheer, Pharm.D., Ph.D. (Visiting Fellow)
• Diego Luis Ribeiro, Ph.D. (Special Volunteer) 

Basic Immunology Team

• Masaki Terabe, Ph.D. (Investigator)

• Ayaka Hara, Ph.D. (Visiting Fellow)
• Seketoulie Keretsu, Ph.D. (Visiting Fellow)
• Hye Kim, Ph.D. (Biologist)
• Emily Steffke (OxCam Fellow)

• Morgan Coombs (CRTA Fellow)

• Jo Spurgeon

   (CRTA Fellow)

• Laila Latifi (Special Volunteer)

Bioinformatics Team

• Orieta Celiku, Ph.D. (Staff Scientist)

• Aiguo Li, Ph.D. (Biologist)

Preclinical Translational Research Team

• Wei Zhang, M.D., Ph.D. (Technical Lab Manager)
• Jinkyu Jung, Ph.D. (Staff Scientist)
• Meili Zhang, M.D., Ph.D. (Scientist II)

• Hua Song, Ph.D. (Scientist I)

Tissue Procurement Team

• Susie Ahn (Biologist)
• Nicole Briceno (Biologist)