SCOR Members

Evan Graboyes, M.D., MPH

Member, Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center
Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina

graboyes@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Graboyes is a surgical oncologist and cancer care delivery researcher. His research focuses on the development, evaluation and implementation of scalable multilevel interventions to improve the access, fairness and quality of care delivery for patients with cancer along the care continuum.

Jean-Sebastien K. Anoma, MA, MS

Biostatistician, Biostatistics Shared Resource, Hollings Cancer Center
Senior Research Associate, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

anomaj@musc.edu

Research Interests: Jean-Sebastien is a biostatistician whose work focuses on clinical cancer research. He collaborates with various investigators across the cancer center, assisting with study design, data analysis, manuscript preparation, grant proposals and developing new statistical methods to address emerging approaches in ongoing cancer research.

Sundaravadivel Balasubramanian, Ph.D., C-IAYT

Member, Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center
Yoga Specialist, MUSC Health & Wellness ICCE
Assistant Professor & Wellness Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina

balasubr@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Balasubramanian is a cell biologist and founder of PranaScience Institute. He conducts research on yogic breathing’s mechanisms and applications with a particular focus on cancer survivors and develops methods and tools (e.g., apps) to provide training on yogic breathing.

Thomas Curran, M.D., MPH

Member, Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina

currant@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Curran is a colorectal surgeon and health services researcher. His research focuses on improving the utilization of guideline-concordant cancer care to improve outcomes and mitigate health disparities.

Jennifer Dahne, Ph.D.

Member, Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

dahne@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Dahne is a clinical psychologist whose program of research aims to reduce the public health impact of mental health disorders, with a focus on depression and substance use disorders among patients with cancer and other vulnerable populations (e.g., individuals with physical and mental health comorbidities, socioeconomically disadvantaged adults, rural residents).

Reid DeMass, MS

Biostatistician, Biostatistics Shared Resource, Hollings Cancer Center
Senior Research Associate, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

demass@musc.edu

Research Interests: Reid is a biostatistician who assists researchers with the design and appropriate analysis of oncology projects ranging from basic and translational experiments to clinical and population-based research. He is additionally involved in database creation and management and the monitoring of data quality to ensure the collection of clinical and safety endpoints.

Benjamin Djulbegovic, M.D., Ph.D.

Director, Hematology Stewardship Program, Medical University of South Carolina
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina

djulbegov@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Djulbegovic is a medical oncologist and health services researcher. His program of research aims to close the translational research circle by integrating methods and techniques across evidence-based medicine, predictive analytics, health outcome research, and decision sciences with the goals of reducing overuse, underuse, and misuse of delivery of health services to improve patients’ health outcomes.

Kathryn E. Engelhardt, M.D., MS

Member, Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina

engelhar@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Engelhardt is a thoracic surgical oncologist and health services researcher. Her research includes quality and outcomes database analyses for lung cancer and esophageal cancer care delivery, and the implementation of cancer care delivery interventions to improve the delivery of guideline-concordant care that meets individual patients' care goals across all populations.

Kelly Hyland, Ph.D.

Director of Psychosocial Oncology Research, SCOR, Hollings Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Bio-behavioral Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina

hylandk@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Hyland is a licensed clinical psychologist and psychosocial oncology researcher. Her research aims to develop, test, and disseminate psychosocial and behavioral interventions to improve symptom management and quality of life in cancer survivors.  

Teresa Kelechi, Ph.D., RN

Program Director for Recruitment, South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research Institute SUCCESS Center
Associate Dean for Research, Medical University of South Carolina
David & Margaret Clare Endowed Chair, College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina
Professor, College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina

kelechtj@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Kelechi is a gerontological clinical nurse specialist, certified wound care nurse, and nurse scientist. Her research focuses on the development, evaluation and implementation of self-management interventions to improve wound healing outcomes in populations with chronic conditions and stress reduction interventions in older caregivers.

Sarah Tucker Marrison, M.D., Ph.D.

Affiliate Member, Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina

marrison@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Marrison is a family medicine physician and cancer survivorship researcher whose research focuses on multimorbidity among cancer survivors.

Jihad Obeid, M.D.

Associate Director, Biomedical Informatics Center (BMIC), Medical University of South Carolina
SmartState Endowed Chair in Biomedical Informatics, Medical University of South Carolina
Member, Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center
Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

jobeid@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Obeid is a pediatrician, Associate Director of the Biomedical Informatics Center (BMIC) and Director of the Social Determinants of Health Shared Resource (SHARE) at Hollings. His research interests include artificial intelligence (AI), specifically, deep learning with EHR data for e-phenotyping and prediction of outcomes with focus on clinical text mining. Other research interests include natural language processing (NLP), social determinants of health, electronic consents, secondary use of EHR data/data warehousing, analysis of research networks and biomedical ontologies.

Suparna Qanungo, Ph.D.

Director, Global Health, College of Nursing
Member, Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center
Associate Professor, College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina

qanungo@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Qanungo is a nursing science researcher whose interests lie in palliative care, global health, cancer and aging. Her focus is to develop and implement interventions for underserved communities to improve health outcomes, access to care and quality of life, both locally and globally.

Alana Rojewski, Ph.D.

Member, Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center
Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

rojewski@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Rojewski is a psychologist with a focus on cancer control. Her research interests include tobacco treatment interventions for populations with medical comorbidities and implementing tobacco treatment interventions in the health care system.

Ken Ruggiero, Ph.D.

Director, Digital Health Solutions Program, MUSC South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research Institute
South Carolina SmartState Chair, Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Medical University of South Carolina
Professor, College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina

ruggierk@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Ruggiero is a licensed clinical psychologist whose work focuses on the development, evaluation, implementation, and dissemination of digital mental health interventions to improve access and quality of care for a wide range of trauma-affected and high-risk populations.

Katherine Sterba, Ph.D., MPH

Division Director, Health Behavior and Health Promotion, College of Medicine
Member, Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center
Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

sterba@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Sterba is a behavioral scientist and implementation scientist whose research focuses broadly on the development, testing and dissemination of technology-focused clinic-based interventions for cancer survivors and their caregivers.

Benjamin Toll, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Education and Training, Hollings Cancer Center
Member, Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center
Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

toll@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Toll is a clinical psychologist with a focus in cancer control. His research aims to test novel smoking cessation treatments that capitalize on message framing and motivational interventions, particularly among patients diagnosed with cancer.

Maggie Westfal, M.D., MPH

Assistant Professor, Department of Colon & Rectal Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina

westfal@musc.edu

Research Interests: Dr. Westfal is a colorectal surgeon at MUSC and health services researcher. Her research focuses on improving outcomes of patients with hereditary cancer, specifically related to their compliance with guideline appropriate surveillance and access to genetic testing and counseling.

Kevin Hughes, M.D.

Director, Hollings Hereditary Cancer Clinic, Hollings Cancer Center
Director, Cancer Genetics, Medical University of South Carolina
Professor, Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina

hughkevi@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Dr. Hughes is the director of cancer genetics at MUSC and the director of the Hollings Hereditary Cancer Clinic. He is recognized nationally and internationally for his expertise in breast cancer, breast disease management, genetic testing and the identification and management of patients with hereditary breast cancer risk.

Stacey Maurer, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

maurers@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Dr. Maurer is a clinical psychologist with expertise in psychosocial oncology. Her clinical practice focuses on managing distress among patients with cancer and cancer survivors who are adjusting to living with their chronic illness. She leads psychosocial oncology services at Hollings Cancer Center.

Paul Myers, LISW-CP, CCM

Lead Social Worker, Hollings Cancer Center

myerspa@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Paul is a clinical social worker with expertise in oncology. As the leader of the Hollings social work team, his current clinical focus is on helping identify and address health-related social risks and needs among people with cancer, particularly those undergoing bone marrow transplant.

Valerie Salmon, OTR/L, OTD, CLT

Oncology Occupational Therapist, Hollings Cancer Center

salmonv@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Dr. Salmon is an occupational therapist who specializes in caring for patients with cancer and cancer survivors. She leads occupational therapy services at Hollings Cancer Center. Her interests include helping patients get back to participating in meaningful activities both during and after their cancer treatment.

Katharine Schmitt, PT, DPT, CLT

Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Oncologic Physical Therapy, Hollings Cancer Center

schmitka@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Dr. Schmitt is a physical therapist who specializes in caring for patients with cancer and cancer survivors. She leads physical therapy services at Hollings Cancer Center.

Sarah Tucker Marrison, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina

marrison@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Dr. Marrison is a family medicine physician with expertise in cancer survivorship. She leads onco-primary care services at Hollings Cancer Center.

Cindi Day, AAS

Clinical Exercise Program Coordinator, MUSC Wellness Center
Fitness Specialist, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Cancer Exercise Specialist

dayc@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Cindi coordinates holistic fitness programs for clinical populations at the MUSC Wellness Center. Her focus is on optimizing overall wellness for individuals living with chronic medical conditions including cancer survivors. Her passion lies in meeting individuals where they are in their wellness journey and empowering them to achieve their health goals.

Alana Rojewski, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

rojewski@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Dr. Rojewski is a psychologist and tobacco treatment specialist who specializes in tobacco treatment interventions for patients with cancer. As the associate director of the Tobacco Treatment Program, she helps to lead tobacco treatment services for cancer survivors at Hollings Cancer Center.

Marie Doll, ATR-BC, LMFT

Art Therapist, Hollings Cancer Center

mariedolltherapy@gmail.com

Clinical Focus: Marie is an art therapist and marriage & family therapist with expertise in counseling oncology patients and their caregivers during and after cancer treatment. She focuses on stress management, improved quality of life, and legacy work with her patients.

Anca Dumitriu, M.D.

Director, FACT Survivorship Clinic, MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital

dumitriu@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Dr. Dumitriu is a pediatric hematologist/oncologist and the director of MUSC's pediatric cancer survivorship program. Her interest lies in continuity of care for pediatric cancer survivors in South Carolina and addressing challenges that survivors face. Dr. Dumitriu participates in Children's Oncology Group (COG) studies that look at long-term side effects in childhood cancer survivors.

Ashton Getchell, MSPAS, PA-C

Physician Assistant, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina

getchell@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Ashton is a dedicated physician assistant with a strong passion for providing comprehensive care to head and neck cancer patients throughout their journey—from diagnosis to treatment and beyond. Her expertise includes managing the unique challenges of head and neck cancer and post-treatment side effects, such as those from surgery and radiation therapy, while remaining proactive in preventative care to minimize future risks. Ashton takes great pride in offering patient-centered care that not only addresses cancer and treatment-related concerns, but also embraces a holistic approach to support the overall well-being of her patients.

Emily Ryttse, MSN, FNP-BC

Nurse Practitioner, Department of Radiation Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center

ryttse@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Emily is a nurse practitioner with a passion for providing tailored care to oncologic patients from diagnosis to survivorship. Emily’s goals are to support patients throughout their treatment but also provide continued care through the lifespan. She enjoys forming trusting relationships with patients and emphasizes the importance of long term follow up post treatment.

Montana Woods, MS, WHNP

Nurse Practitioner, Gynecology Oncology Division, Hollings Cancer Center

woodmont@musc.edu

Clinical Focus: Montana is a nurse practitioner with a passion for empowering women and optimizing health after cancer. Her interests include sexual health, nutrition, physical activity, and overall well-being.

Hermes Florez, M.D., Ph.D., MPH

Professor and Chair, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

Denis Guttridge, Ph.D.

Professor and Director, Darby Children’s Research Institute
Associate Director of Translational Science, Hollings Cancer Center

Anand Mehta, Ph.D.

Interim Vice President for Research, Medical University of South Carolina
Endowed Chair, Smart State Chair in Proteomic Biomarkers
Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Immunology, College of Medicine

Patricia Ganz, M.D.

Distinguished Professor, Health Policy & Management and Medicine, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Director, Cancer Prevention & Control Research, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

Angela Timashenka Geiger

BrainsOn Counsel, LLC
Former President & CEO, Autism Speaks
Former Survivorship Program Lead, American Cancer Society

Frank Penedo, Ph.D., FABMR, FSBM

Center Associate Director, Population Sciences, University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Director, Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care, University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Nivetha Baskar, M.D., MSCR

SCOR Research Coordinator, Hollings Cancer Center

baskar@musc.edu

Nivetha is currently gearing up for residency board examinations while actively collaborating with the SCOR director and investigators across the cancer center. Her role involves contributing to study design, aiding in recruitment efforts, and facilitating the preparation of manuscripts.

Anne Puckett, J.D., MHA

Survivorship Program Manager, Hollings Cancer Center

hanleya@musc.edu

Anne manages the design, implementation, and associated daily administrative activities of the survivorship program at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. Anne’s focus is to further develop comprehensive programming and services to meet survivorship patients' needs per national standards, accreditation, and best practice quality standards.

Willie Schaub

SCOR Administrative Coordinator, Hollings Cancer Center

schaub@musc.edu

Willie works closely with the SCOR director and the SCOR advisory council to provide administrative support for the research, clinical, and educational activities that are critical to SCOR’s mission.