Special Services
If you require special assistance to attend this event, please contact Abigail Anderson at aman239@uky.edu
An Equal Opportunity University.
Speakers
Josiah Allen, Derek Allison, Therese Bocklage, Jordan Brady, Carleton Ellis, Douglas Flora, Daniel Flora, Patrick Hensley, Sanjay Juneja, Joseph Kim, Jill Kolesar, Donita Lightner, Rachel Miller, Timothy Mullett, Zin Myint, Elizabeth O'Donnell, Reema Patel, Justine Pickarski, Jeri Reynolds, John Villano
Josiah Allen, PharmD
Precision Medicine Pharmacist
PGY2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics Pharmacy Residency Program Director
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Edgewood, Kentucky
Josiah Allen PharmD has worked in the field of pharmacogenomics for nearly 15 years including time spent at the Mayo Clinic Assurex Health OneOme and MHealth Fairview. His research and clinical interests are in the implementation and application of pharmacogenomics in behavioral health and primary care settings. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Wheaton College IL and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota.
Derek Allison, MD
Associate Professor
Vice Chair of Research
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Allison is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He received his MD from Georgetown University School of Medicine where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Next, he completed residency training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, served as Chief Resident, and completed subspecialty fellowship training, all at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In addition to his clinical work, he is interested in clinical and translational cancer research, especially related to precision medicine. To date, he has published more than 65 peer‐reviewed manuscripts, authored several book chapters, and published two books. He currently serves as the Assistant Director and the Quality Officer of the Biospecimen Procurement & Translational Pathology Shared Resource Facility (BPTP SRF) at the Markey Cancer Center, which recently became a College of American Pathologists accredited Biorepository.
Therese Bocklage, MD
Vice-Chair, Education
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Director
Markey Cancer Center's Biospecimen Procurement and Translational Pathology Shared Resource Facility
College of Medicine
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Bocklage practices academic surgical pathology and cytopathology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Health Sciences Center. After graduating medical school at the University of Toledo, she completed a pathology residency at the University of Vermont and followed that with a fellowship in surgical pathology at the University of New Mexico and a cytopathology fellowship at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. Over three decades, she has personally microscopically examined ~150,000 cases. Dr. Bocklage has co-authored three texts in diagnostic and molecular pathology primarily focusing on head and neck and bone and soft tissue tumors and has enthusiastically collaborated with basic researchers as well as conducted clinical research throughout her career. Dr. Bocklage serves also as the Vice Chair for Education at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and is the Director of the Markey Cancer Center’s Biospecimen Procurement and Translational Pathology Shared Resource Facility.
Jordan Brady, MS, CGC
Licensed, Certified Genetic Counselor
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Edgewood, Kentucky
Jordan Brady currently works as a Genetic Counselor at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, KY, with over two years of experience in the role. She received her MS in Genetic Counseling from Baypath University. Before starting her career as a genetic counselor, she was hired on as the first-ever genetic counseling assistant at St. Elizabeth and helped to establish the position. One of her significant accomplishments includes helping to pioneer a program that ensures all newly diagnosed breast cancer patients are offered genetic testing, a crucial step in personalized cancer care. More recently, Jordan helped establish a neurogenetic program that offers counseling and testing services to patients who previously had to seek care in out-of-state hospitals. Jordan is deeply committed to enhancing patient access to genetic counseling and genetic testing, aiming to advance precision medicine-based healthcare in Kentucky.
Carleton Ellis, PharmD, BCOP
Assistant Adjunct Professor
Pharmacy Practice and Science
University of Kentucky
College of Pharmacy
Clinical Pharmacist
UK HealthCare
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Ellis received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky. He then completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency at the University of Kentucky – Good Samaritan Hospital and a PGY2 specialty residency in hematology/oncology at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.
Dr. Ellis practices clinical pharmacy at UK’s Markey Cancer Center, primarily focusing on gastrointestinal cancers, genitourinary cancers, and sarcomas. He teaches in the oncology therapeutics curriculum and precepts APPE students, PGY-1 residents, and PGY-2 residents and is the Assistant Residency Program Director of the hematology/oncology specialty residency at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center. His research interests include innovative treatments for cancer and optimizing dosing of cancer drugs.
Douglas Flora, MD, LSSBB
Executive Medical Director
Oncology Services
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
The Robert and Dell Ann Sathe Endowed Chair
Oncology
Edgewood, Kentucky
Dr. Flora serves as the Executive Medical Director of Oncology Services and The Robert and Dell Ann Sathe Endowed Chair in Oncology at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. He was born and raised in Cincinnati, graduating from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1999. He has been named a Cincinnati Magazine Top Doctor in Hematology and Oncology for consecutive years since 2005.
Dr. Flora is a Board Member of the American Cancer Society, the Association of Community Cancer Centers, and the Kentucky Society of Clinical Oncology. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief for the pioneering per-reviewed journal AI in Precision Oncology.
Daniel Flora, MD
Director
Oncology Research Program
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Edgewood, Kentucky
Dr. Daniel Flora is a medical oncologist and the Medical Director for Oncology Research at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Cincinnati and his medical degree from Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, completing his residency and fellowship at the University of Cincinnati.
Dr. Flora specializes in melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancers, breast cancer, and sarcoma. His research interests include early-phase clinical trials, immunotherapy, and the use of ctDNA as a predictive biomarker in precision oncology. He is actively involved in NCI-sponsored cooperative group trials, industry-sponsored studies, and serves on the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Community Research Committee. His work focuses on advancing community-based oncology research and evaluating novel immunotherapy approaches and cancer therapies. He also has a strong interest in preventative oncology, emphasizing the role of exercise and nutrition in cancer prevention and survivorship.
Patrick Hensley, MD
Assistant Professor
Urology and Pathology
University of Kentucky
College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky
Patrick Hensley is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Urology and Pathology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington KY He completed an SUO Urologic Oncology fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and his clinical and academic interest is urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and upper tract Dr Hensleys research focuses on predictive biomarkers and bladder preservation for the muscleinvasive bladder cancer He serves on the Board of Directors of the International Bladder Cancer Group and maintains active research clinical trials and advocacy initiatives aimed at improving care and outcomes of patients with bladder cancer
Sanjay Juneja, MD
Dr. Sanjay Juneja, a hematologist and medical oncologist widely recognized as “TheOncDoc,” is a trailblazer in healthcare innovation and a rising authority on the transformative role of AI in medicine. Garnering over 750k followers and 20 million views on social media, Dr. Juneja’s unique ability to simplify complex topics has earned him global acclaim. His debut podcast, Target Cancer: Podcast, amassed over 2 million downloads in more than 100 countries within just two years, setting the stage for his current AI-focused series featuring world-renowned guests.
Dr. Juneja’s accolades include being named Targeted Oncology’s inaugural 2024 Oncology Icon, an invitation to the White House’s 2023 Healthcare Leaders in Social Media Roundtable, and recognition as a 40 Under 40 honoree and one of the Capital Region’s Top 500 Most Influential Leaders for three consecutive years. His insights have been featured in The Washington Post, WIRED, Bloomberg, and PBS.
In addition to founding TensorBlack, an education and consulting company specializing in AI integration into oncology, Dr. Juneja serves as Vice President of Clinical AI Operations at Tempus AI. He is an Editorial Board Member for the peer-reviewed journal AI in Precision Oncology, and an affiliate of Citrus Oncology.
Joseph Kim, MD
Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Medical Director, Multidisciplinary Clinic
UK Markey Cancer Center
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Kim completed his undergraduate studies at Northwestern University and received his MD degree in 1998 from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He trained in general surgery at the University of Cincinnati, and then completed a three-year fellowship in surgical oncology at the John Wayne Cancer Institute. Following his training, Dr. Kim joined the City of Hope National Medical Center in 2006, where he rose to the rank of associate professor of surgery. Dr. Kim now works at the University of Kentucky and Markey Cancer Center in Lexington, KY, as Professor and Chief of Surgical Oncology.
Jill Kolesar, PharmD, MS, FCCP, BCPS
Jill Kolesar, PharmD, MS, FCCP
Dean and Professor, Jean M. Schmidt Chair in Drug Discovery
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Dr. Jill Kolesar serves as Dean and Professor and the Jean M. Schmidt Chair in Drug Discovery at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, where she also completed a residency and fellowship in oncology. Previously, she was Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Kentucky and the Dr. Michael E. Karpf Endowed Chair in Precision Medicine at Markey Cancer Center. She also held an administrative position at the Markey Cancer Center as the co-leader of the Translational Oncology (TO) Research Program. Under her leadership, TO program funding doubled in 5 years and the cancer center obtained comprehensive status.
Her research focuses on precision medicine and oncology drug development. She has authored more than 400 abstracts, research articles, and book chapters, and as a principal investigator has received more than $25 million in research funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), ARPA-H, the American Cancer Society, and other sources. In addition, she has 9 patents or patents pending and has founded two start-up companies, Helix Diagnostics and VesiCure Technologies, based on technologies developed in her laboratory. She also edits leading pharmacy textbooks, including Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice, Top 300 Pharmacy, Top 200 Injectables and Top 100 Over the Counter Medication Flash Cards.
Dr. Kolesar contributes substantial and sustained professional service to the NCI, the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) and several pharmacy organizations. She is currently the chair of the ORIEN Steering committee and is a past president of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). At NCI she has served on both the Early Phase and Cancer Prevention Central IRBs (CIRBs), multiple NCI study sections, the Cancer Therapy and Evaluation Program (CTEP) Pharmacology task force, and the Investigational Drug Steering Committee. Dr. Kolesar has also received teaching and research awards from local, national, and international organizations including the Innovations in Teaching Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
Donita Lightner, MD
Assistant Professor of Neurology
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Lightner earned her medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington. She completed a Pediatric Neurology residency at UK HealthCare and a Pediatrics residency at the University of Louisville Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville. She completed a fellowship in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York.
She is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Child Neurology.
Clinical interests include neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, and brain tumors.
Rachel Miller, MD
Associate Professor
Obstetrics and Gynecology
College of Medicine
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Rachel Miller is a Clinical Professor in the College of Medicine, Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Kentucky. She is Co-Chair of the Markey Cancer Center Molecular Tumor Board, Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Clinical Care and Research Team (CCART), and Medical director of the Markey Cancer Center Gynecologic Oncology Ambulatory Clinic.
Rachel received her MD from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. She completed residency in obstetrics and gynecology and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, followed by fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Miller has interests in ovarian cancer research including chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments; early detection of ovarian cancer; novel strategies in the treatment of advanced ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancers; and population-based ovarian cancer research. She has experience with investigator initiated clinical trial development, participated in numerous cooperative group trials and played a key role in a longstanding ovarian screening study.
Timothy Mullett, MD, MBA, FACS
Professor, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Medical Director, Network Operations
UK Markey Cancer Center
Lexington, Kentucky
Chair, Commission on Cancer
American College of Surgeons
Timothy Wm. Mullett, MD, MBA, FACS, is a professor of surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Kentucky (UK). He received his medical degree and surgical training at the University of Florida, and has served on faculty at UK for the past 25 years. Although he has experience in cardiac surgery and transplantation, Dr. Mullett’s clinical practice and research focuses on the overwhelming burden of lung cancer in Kentucky. He is a member of the UK Markey Cancer Center – Kentucky’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center – and is chair of UK’s cancer committee. This Commission on Cancer program achieved an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2017. He served as CoC state chair for six years and was awarded Outstanding State Chair in 2019. In October of 2019, Dr. Mullett was elected to serve as the next national Chair of the CoC, a role he assumed in November 2020.
Currently, Dr. Mullett is the medical director of the Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network, a program that provides high-quality cancer care closer to home at collaborating centers through specialty services, education and outreach programs. He also serves as medical director of the Markey Cancer Center Research Network, a collaborative network of sites that conducts a portfolio of high priority trials including therapeutic oncology trials and interventional and non-interventional studies appropriate for community centers.
Dr. Mullett’s research interests include studying quality implementation of lung cancer screening. He is principal investigator of the Kentucky LEADS Collaborative, a portfolio of studies to reduce the burden of lung cancer in Kentucky. For three years, he has been the clinical champion for the L.A.U.N.C.H. Collaborative, working with the NCI, the Federal Communications Commission, Amgen, and other stakeholders to study barriers to cancer care and the impact of limited broadband access.
In addition to his medical career, Dr. Mullett is a retired colonel with 27 years in the US Army Reserves Medical Corps, with tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and with Homeland Security in response to terrorist threats. He is also an eight-year cancer survivor, having been treated successfully with targeted therapy for a metastatic sarcoma.
Zin Myint, MD
Assistant Professor
Medical Oncology Division, Department of Internal Medicine
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Zin Myint MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, at University of Kentucky. Dr. Myint received her medical degree at the University of Medicine Mandalay, Myanmar. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at Medstar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland and Hematology Oncology fellowship at University of Kentucky. She is a dedicated clinician-scientist, her primary focus lies in the realm of genitourinary cancer, particularly delving into innovative approaches for treating localized prostate cancer, addressing biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer, management of advanced stage prostate cancer, conducting population-based prostate cancer research, bladder cancer research and exploring the use of medical cannabis in the context of cancer treatment. She is also the GU director. She co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers and has experience with investigator-initiated clinical trial development, participated in numerous cooperative group trials, and involvement of ETCTN trials.
Elizabeth O'Donnell, MD
Director
Early Detection and Prevention of Malignant Conditions
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts
Dr. O’Donnell received her medical degree from Vanderbilt University. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where she served an additional year as a Chief Resident. She completed her fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She is the Director of Early Detection and Prevention at Dana-Farber and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of precursor plasma cell disorders including MGUS and smoldering myeloma and is leading the clinical program for multi-cancer early detection. Dr. O’Donnell has a particular interest in lifestyle medicine including diet and exercise.
Reema Patel, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Hematology and Oncology
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Reema Patel graduated from Quillen College of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency and Hematology and Medical Oncology at the University of Kentucky. She is the associate program director of the Hematology & Medical Oncology Fellowship at UK and holds a faculty appointment as an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology. She specializes in the treatment of bone and soft-tissue sarcomas, and gastrointestinal malignancies in the setting of a multidisplinary cancer center.
Justine Pickarski, MS, LGC
Genetic Counselor Supervisor
Markey Cancer Center
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Justine Pickarski is a Licensed Genetic Counselor at the University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center. Justine obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and her Master of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas. She completed the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program (CPRTP) at MD Anderson in 2010. Justine is a genetic counselor supervisor and is responsible for providing programmatic leadership for genetic counseling services at Markey Cancer Center and also provides telegenetic counseling services for the Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network. She is board certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling.
Jeri Reynolds, RN, BSN, CCRC
Research Nurse Manager
Precision Medicine Center
University of Kentucky
Markey Cancer Center
Lexington, Kentucky
Jeri Reynolds, RN, BSN, CCRC, is the Research Nurse Manager for the Precision Medicine Center at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center. Ms. Reynolds earned her nursing degree from the University of Kentucky and focused the majority of her career working in clinical research. In her current role she manages the Precision Medicine clinical research team which coordinates MCC’s Phase I and complex clinical trials.
John Villano, MD, PhD
Director of Clinical Neuro-Oncology
Professor, Depts. of Medicine, Neurosurgery, and Neurology
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. John Villano specializes in the treatment of brain and lung cancers, and currently serves as the medical director of the Precision Medicine Center and leads our clinical Neuro-Oncology Research Program. He is an active clinical trial practitioner and has participated in Neuro-Oncology Committee of ALLIANCE and NCI cooperative group activities.
Dr. Villano has been at UK since 2012 and is currently a Professor in the College of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine and the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery. His MD and PhD degrees are from the University of Texas Southwestern, and received fellowship training at the University of Chicago. He has been a PI for NCI funding and is the current PI for State wide molecular tumor board for pediatric brain tumors funded by Pediatric Cancer Research Trust Fund (PCRTF).
