E-Newsletter - October 2025
Spotlight on Alliance Leadership
Alliance Appoints New Committee Leaders
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology has named new investigators to leadership roles across its Immuno-Oncology, Radiation Oncology, and Imaging Committees. These accomplished leaders bring expertise spanning immunotherapy, breast and brain cancers, precision radiotherapy, and advanced imaging technologies. Their leadership will help guide the Alliance’s mission to advance cancer research, improve patient outcomes, and drive innovation in clinical trials.
Immuno-Oncology Committee
Elad Sharon, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Clinical and Translational Director of the Immunotherapy Toxicity Program
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School
Dr. Sharon has been appointed Co-Chair of the Alliance Immuno-Oncology Committee. His research interests include antibody-drug conjugates, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and other agents. As a national leader in these emerging fields, Dr. Sharon conducts clinical and translational research for the NCI and DFCI, with impactful papers elucidating a mechanistic understanding of immune-related Adverse Events (irAEs) and their effect on overall patient well-being.
Saranya Chumsri, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Professor of Oncology, Hormones and Cancer Laboratory
Mayo Clinic Florida
Dr. Chumsri has been appointed Vice Chair of the Alliance Immuno-Oncology Committee. She conducts research focused on several aspects of breast cancer, including immunotherapy, cancer vaccines, genomics, epigenetics, stem cells, and endocrine resistance. She is also researching triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of breast cancer in which cancer cells lack receptors for current drug targets for breast cancer, including HER2 and hormone (estrogen and progesterone) receptors. Her research extends to HER2-positive breast cancer, another form of aggressive breast cancer.
Radiation Oncology Committee
Daniel Trifiletti, MD
Professor of Radiation Oncology
Mayo Clinic in Florida
Joseph Salama, MD
Professor of Radiation Oncology
Chief, Durham VA Radiation Oncology Service
Duke University Cancer Institute
Drs. Trifiletti and Salama have been appointed Co-Chairs of the Alliance Radiation Oncology Committee. Dr. Trifiletti specializes in the treatment of brain, spine, pituitary, and skull base tumors, employing advanced techniques such as stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiotherapy. His clinical interests also encompass clinical trials aimed at improving patient outcomes. His research focuses on understanding how radiation therapy influences the tumor microenvironment, particularly in brain cancers.
Dr. Salama's research focuses on developing new ways to treat head and neck, lung, and prostate cancers, as well as those with limited cancer spread. He also has led multiple clinical trials investigating the role of ablative radiotherapy in controlling metastatic cancer and enhancing systemic therapy effectiveness. His work has contributed to shaping national standards in precision radiotherapy and to advancing multidisciplinary approaches for cancer patients.
Imaging Committee
Jeffrey Yap, MD
Research Professor, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences
Director, Center for Quantitative Cancer Imaging
Hunstman Cancer Institute/University of Utah
Heiko Schöder, MD, MBA
Professor of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine
Chief, Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service, Department of Radiology
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Andy Plodkowski, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine
Director, CT and General Radiology
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
All three researchers have been appointed Vice Chairs of the Alliance Imaging Committee. Dr. Yap's (Vice Chair, Experimental Therapeutics) research interest is in the use of quantitative multimodality imaging to develop and evaluate novel cancer therapy in murine tumor models and cancer clinical trials. His work aims to enhance the precision of cancer treatment by integrating advanced imaging technologies with therapeutic strategies.
Dr. Schöder's (Vice Chair, Lymphoma) clinical expertise encompasses the use of PET/CT imaging for cancer diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring, with a particular focus on lymphoma, head and neck, and genitourinary cancers. He is also involved in developing and evaluating new radiopharmaceuticals for radiotheranostics. Through his leadership in clinical research and participation in multicenter clinical trials, he contributes significantly to the advancement of molecular imaging and theranostics in oncology.
Dr. Plodkowski (Vice Chair, Thoracic) specializes in cardiothoracic and musculoskeletal imaging. His clinical research focuses on the application of cardiac MRI and CT in cancer patients, aiming to improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning. Additionally, he is conducting innovative research in thoracic oncology, particularly in the emerging field of radiogenomics. Radiogenomics integrates genetic data with imaging findings to enhance personalized care for patients with lung cancer.
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