Scientific Advisory Board

About LRF

Scientific Advisory Board

The Lymphoma Research Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) comprises 45 world-renowned lymphoma experts, who seek out the most innovative and promising lymphoma research projects for support.  Members of the Foundation’s SAB are leaders in blood cancer research, with outstanding experience and accomplishments in both lymphoma-specific research and clinical care. They guide the planning of LRF’s research program, selecting and monitoring grant recipients.


SONALI M. SMITH, MD, FASCO
Chair, Scientific Advisory Board
The University of Chicago

Dr. Sonali M. Smith is the Elwood V. Jensen Professor of Medicine, Section Chief of Hematology/Oncology, Co-Leader of the Cancer Service Line, and Co-Director of the Lymphoma Program at The University of Chicago in the Department of Medicine. She is a clinical investigator in lymphoma and a clinical expert in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. As a faculty member at The University of Chicago since 2001, she has over 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has written over 25 review articles on lymphoid malignancies. She is particularly interested in targeted agents and pathway inhibitors and has first and senior author publications through cooperative group trials and investigator-initiated trials.

In addition to her role as SAB Chair, Dr. Smith has had many active leadership roles, including Vice-Chair of the SWOG Lymphoma Committee, immediate past-chair of the ASCO Communications Committee, and now Chair of the ASCO Annual Meeting Scientific Committee in 2021-2022. She has won numerous teaching awards and considers mentorship a key aspect of her career.

ANN S. LACASCE, MD, MMSc
Chair-Elect
Harvard Medical School
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

RANJANA ADVANI, MD
Stanford University School of Medicine

ASH A. ALIZADEH, MD, PhD
Stanford University School of Medicine

STEPHEN ANSELL, MD, PhD
Mayo Clinic, Rochester

KRISTIE A. BLUM, MD
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University

JENNIFER BROWN, MD, PhD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

JAMES R. CERHAN, MD, PhD
Mayo Clinic, Rochester

ETHEL CESARMAN, MD, PhD
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell Medicine

BRUCE D. CHESON, MD, FACP, FAAAS, FASCO
Past Chair, 2010-2012
Scientific Advisor, LRF

SANDEEP DAVE, MD, MS
Duke University

KIERON M. DUNLEAVY, MD
Lombardi Cancer Center of Georgetown University

KOJO S.J. ELENITOBA-JOHNSON, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

ANDREW M. EVENS, DO, MSc, FACP
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

CHRISTOPHER R. FLOWERS, MD, MS
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

JONATHAN W. FRIEDBERG, MD, MMSc
University of Rochester
James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute

LEO I. GORDON, MD, FACP
Past Chair, 2015-2017
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University

MICHAEL GREEN, PhD, MD
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

THOMAS M. HABERMANN, MD
Past Chair, 2017-2019
Mayo Clinic, Rochester

STEVEN M. HORWITZ, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

ERIC D. HSI, MD
Wake Forest

BRAD S. KAHL, MD
Washington University School of Medicine

KARA KELLY, MD
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine

JOHN P. LEONARD, MD
Past Chair, 2012-2015
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell Medicine

BRIAN K. LINK, MD
University of Iowa

IZIDORE S. LOSSOS, MD
University of Miami Health System
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

PETER MARTIN, MD
Weill Cornell Medicine

ARI MELNICK, MD
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell Medicine

LINDSAY M. MORTON, PhD
National Cancer Institute

LORETTA NASTOUPIL, MD
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

TERESA PALOMERO, PhD
Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University

LAURA PASQUALUCCI, MD
Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University

BARBARA PRO, MD
Columbia University

LISA RIMSZA, MD
Mayo Clinic, Arizona


LISA ROTH, MD
Weill Cornell Medicine

KERRY SAVAGE, MD
BC Cancer, Vancouver

DAVID SCOTT, MBChB, PhD
BC Cancer, Vancouver

LAURIE SEHN, MD, MPH
BC Cancer, Vancouver

MARGARET SHIPP, MD
Harvard Medical School
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

EDUARDO M. SOTOMAYOR, MD
Tampa General Hospital

CHRISTIAN STEIDL, MD
BC Cancer, Vancouver

JOHN M. TIMMERMAN, MD
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

SVEN de VOS, MD, PhD
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

HANS-GUIDO WENDEL, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

ANDREW D. ZELENETZ, MD, PhD
Immediate Past Chair, 2019-2021
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Members Emeritus

JOSEPH R. BERTINO, MD
In Memoriam
Founding Chair
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

MORTON COLEMAN, MD
Chair, Medical Affiliates Board NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine

KANTI R. RAI, MD
Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine

MICHAEL E. WILLIAMS, MD, ScM
University of Virginia Cancer Center

Download the full list of LRF Scientific Advisory Board.

Learn more about our past Scientific Advisory Board Chairs.