Research Interests
Genome sciences and cancer molecular genetics with experience in a number of tumor types, including prostate, breast, colorectal, renal, and hepatobiliary cancers, and melanoma and multiple myeloma; pediatric cancer research; rare combination of expertise in germline cancer genetics, somatic cancer profiling, and cancer cell biology; prostate cancer GWAS and family linkage studies; somatic tumor profiling across a vast array of tumor types with seminal discoveries and functional validation of oncogenic mutations; precision oncology and clinical profiling of cancers to understand and improve the effectiveness of targeted therapies; determination of the potential molecular underpinnings of cancer health disparities.
Current Affiliations
Chief scientific officer and director, Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California; professor, integrative translational sciences, and director, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California.
Previous Positions
Associate Director (2021-2023), basic sciences, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, professor and chair (2016-2023), codirector (2016-2023), translation genomics, and professor (2016-2023), urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; chair (2020-2023), Royce and Mary Trotter in Cancer Research; director (2018-2024), USC molecular genomics core, and program co-leader (2016-2021), translational and clinical sciences program, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; deputy director (2012-2016), basic sciences, and professor/division director (2003-2016), division of integrated cancer genomics, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona; tenure track investigator (2000-2003), cancer genetics branch, and senior staff fellow (1994-2000), cancer genetics branch, NIH/NHGRI, Bethesda, Maryland.
Education
PhD, molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (1994); BS, biology and chemistry, Lane College, Jackson, Tennessee (1988).
Postdoctoral Training
Senior staff fellow, Cancer Genetics Branch, NHGRI, NIH (1994-2000), Bethesda, Maryland; adjunct faculty, medical microbiology, Howard University College of Medicine (1998-1999), Washington, D.C.
Selected AACR Service, Honors, and Awards
Faculty member, educational workshop, “Winn-AACR Design and Implementation of Clinical Trials” (2023); Fellow, AACR Academy (2021); member, Board of Directors (2021-2022*Special Appointment; 2022-2025); member, International Affairs Committee (2021-2024); past chair (2021-2022), chair (2020-2021), and member (2007-present), Minorities in Cancer Research (MICR) Council; session chair, AACR Special Conference on COVID-19 and Cancer (2020); chair, AACR Special Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved (2020, 2013, 2009, 2007); member, scientific advisory board, AACR-MPM Transformative Cancer Research Grants (2019-2022); chair, AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2020 Steering Committee (2019-2020); plenary speaker, Opening Plenary Session, Annual Meeting (2019); chair (2018-2019), cochair (2014-2017), and member (2007-2008), Annual Meeting Program Committee; recipient, AACR-Minorities in Cancer Research Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship (2018); chair, Think Tank on Cancer Health Disparities (2018); participant, AACR Scientist↔Survivor Program® (2018); invited speaker, Presidential Select Symposium, Annual Meeting (2017); member, Publications Committee (2016-2019); recipient, AACR Distinguished Lectureship on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities, Funded by Susan G. Komen® (2014); faculty member, educational workshop, “Integrative Cancer Epidemiology” (2013); senior editor, Cancer Research (2012-2016); member, Cancer Epigenome Task Force (2007-2010).
Selected Honors, Awards, and Non-AACR Service
Chair, National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) (2022-2026); member, external advisory board, Duke University P20 Cancer Disparities (2020-present); member, Stand Up To Cancer Advisory Committee (2019-present); member, Stand Up To Cancer Health Equity Committee (2019-present); member, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Advisory Committee to the Director (2018-present); member, data science working group, NIH/NCI National Cancer Advisory Board (2018-present); member, Board of Scientific Counselors, National Cancer Institute (NCI) (2017-present); member, California Governor’s Precision Medicine Advisory Council (2017-2019); chair, study section, National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities, NIH (2017); recipient, Jeffrey M. Trent Lectureship, NIH (2016); member, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) ClinGen External Scientific Panel (2015-present); invited speaker, African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer International Conference on Cancer in Africa, Marrakech, Morocco (2015); permanent member, GNOM-G Study Section, NHGRI, NIH (2013-2015); member, external advisory committee, NHGRI/NIH Biorepository (2007-2015).