Advisors

The ABTA relies on leaders and experts in the brain tumor community to make sure the work we do is meaningful and accurate. Our Scientific Advisory Council, led by SAC Chairperson, Dr. Minesh Mehta, makes research funding recommendations to the ABTA Board of Directors and also advises the ABTA about scientific trends and new areas of research. Our Clinical Advisory Council, led by CAC Chairperson, Dr. Elizabeth Claus, and the Metastatic Brain Tumor Advisory Committee review our brochures and other content we put into our programs and services to make sure information is clinically current and evidence-based.

Scientific Advisory Council

Manish Aghi, MD, PhD

Professor of Neurosurgery

Institution:
University of California, San Francisco

Location:
San Francisco, CA

Priscilla Brastianos, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine and Director, CNS Metastasis Center

Institution:
Massachusetts General Hospital

Location:
Boston, MA

Steven Brem, MD

Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of Neurosurgery Medical Student Education

Institution:
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Location:
Philadelphia, PA

Jeffrey Bruce, MD

Edgar M. Housepian Professor of Neurological Surgery and Co-Director, Brain Tumor Center

Institution:
Columbia University Medical Center

Location:
New York, NY

Maria Castro, PhD

R.C. Schneider Collegiate Professor of Neurosurgery and Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology

Institution:
University of Michigan Medical School

Location:
Ann Arbor, MI

Milan Chheda, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurology, and Director of Neuro-oncology

Institution:
Washington University School of Medicine

Location:
St. Louis, MO

E. Antonio Chiocca, MD, PhD

Harvey W. Cushing Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief and Chairman

Institution:
Brigham and Women’s and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Location:
Boston, MA

Benjamin Ellingson, PhD, MS

Professor of Radiological Sciences, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, and Neurosurgery

Institution:
University of California, Los Angeles

Location:
Los Angeles, CA

Anita Hjelmeland, PhD

Associate Professor, Dept. of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, and Basic Science Co-Leader, Neurooncology Program, O’Neal CCC

Institution:
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Location:
Birmingham, AL

Craig Horbinski, MD, PhD

Director of Neuropathology, Professor of Pathology and Neurological Surgery

Institution:
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Location:
Chicago, IL

Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD

Director, Neuro-oncology, and Chair and Professor, Department of Translational Neuro-oncology and Neurotherapeutics

Institution:
Pacific Neuroscience Institute

Location:
Santa Monica, CA

Betty Kim, MD, PhD

Professor, Neurosurgery

Institution:
University of Texas – MD Anderson Cancer Center

Location:
Houston, TX

Albert Lai, MD, PhD

Professor of Neurology

Institution:
University of California, Los Angeles

Location:
Los Angeles, CA

Justin Lathia, ABTA Grant Recipien, Brain Tumor Researcher and 1st AARN Meeting Co-Chair

Justin Lathia, PhD

Vice Chair and Professor, Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, and Scientific Director, Rose Ella Brain Tumor & Neuro-Oncology Center

Institution:
Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic

Location:
Cleveland, OH

Minesh Mehta, MD

Deputy Director and Chief of Radiation Oncology

Institution:
Baptist Health South Florida and Cancer Institute

Location:
Miami, FL

Harald Sontheimer, PhD

Harrison Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Neuroscience

Institution:
University of Virginia School of Medicine

Location:
Charlottesville, VA

Erik Sulman, MD, PhD

Professor and Vice-Chair of Research and Co-Director, Brain Tumor Center

Institution:
Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center and NYU Langone Health

Location:
New York, NY

Kyle Walsh, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurosurgery

Institution:
Duke University School of Medicine

Location:
Durham, NC

Kyuson Yun, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurology, Kenneth R. Peak Brain & Pituitary Tumor Treatment Center 

Institution:
Houston Methodist Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College

Location:
Houston, TX

Clinical Advisory Committee

Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, FACP, MBA

Deputy Director, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief of Solid Tumor Medical Oncology

Institution:
Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida

Location:
Miami, FL

Jean Arzbaecher, RN, MS

Advanced Practice Nurse for Neuro-Oncology

Institution:
University of Illinois

Location:
Chicago, IL

Elizabeth B. Claus, MD, PhD

Professor of Biostatistics and Director of Medical Research, Yale School of Public Health and Director of Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Institution:
Yale School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Location:
New Haven, CT/Boston, MA

Erin Dunbar, MD

Director of Neuro-Oncology

Institution:
Piedmont Atlanta Hospital

Location:
Atlanta, GA

Vinai Gondi, MD

Director of Research & Education, Northwestern Medicine Proton Center Co-Director, Brain Tumor Center, Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Warrenville

Institution:
Northwestern Medicine

Location:
Chicago, IL

Shanu Khanuja, MPH, BA

Patient Focused Capabilities Leader, ABTA mentor and volunteer

Institution:
N/A

Location:
Chicago, IL

Mary Ann Laubacher, MSN, RN

Retired Nurse, Clinical Focus on Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, ABTA Mentor and Volunteer

Institution:
N/A

Location:
Marlborough, MA

Ashlee Loughan, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurology / Clinical Neuropsychologist; Director of LiveNOW

Institution:
Virginia Commonwealth University

Location:
Richmond, VA

Jeffrey S. Wefel, PhD, ABPP

Associate Professor and Neuropsychology Section Chief

Institution:
MD Anderson Cancer Center

Location:
Houston, TX

Gabriel Zada, MD, FAANS, FACS

Professor of Neurological Surgery, Otolaryngology and Internal Medicine and Director, USC Brain Tumor Center

Institution:
USC Keck School of Medicine

Location:
Los Angeles, CA

Jennifer Yu, MD, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine Program Leader, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Co-Leader, Cancer Stem Cell Working Group, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Staff, Department of Cancer Biology and Department of Radiation Oncology

Institution:
Cleveland Clinic

Location:
Cleveland, OH

Metastatic Brain Tumor Advisory Committee

Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, FACP, MBA

Deputy Director, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief of Solid Tumor Medical Oncology

Institution:
Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida

Location:
Miami, FL

Jill Barnholtz-Sloan, PhD

Associate Director for Informatics and Data Science

Institution:
National Cancer Institute

Location:
Rockville, MD

Adrienne Boire, MD, PhD, FAAN

Department of Neurology, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program

Institution:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Location:
New York, NY

Priscilla Brastianos, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine and Director, CNS Metastasis Center

Institution:
Massachusetts General Hospital

Location:
Boston, MA

Daniel J Brat, MD, PhD

Chair, Department of Pathology

Institution:
Northwestern Medicine

Location:
Chicago, IL

Minesh Mehta, MD

Deputy Director and Chief of Radiation Oncology

Institution:
Baptist Health South Florida and Cancer Institute

Location:
Miami, FL

Robin Page

Patient Advocate

Institution:
Director, The Core Life Cancer Wellness Program at Affinity Integrated Health Care

Location:
IL