Heather J. Allen, MD
Dr. Allen has been a medical oncologist in the Las Vegas area since 1981. She currently works at the Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada. She has previously served as president of both the Clark County Medical Society and the Nevada State Medical Society. She also serves on the Medical Executive Committee of Sunrise Hospital. She was instrumental in starting the first and only comprehensive breast center in Las Vegas.
She was an undergraduate at Stanford University. After earning her medical degree at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Allen completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Utah and a fellowship in hematology/oncology at the University of Arizona. She is a member of several professional organizations and is currently chairman of the board of Blood Systems, Inc. In addition, she serves as the principal investigator for the Translational Oncology Research Institute for Nevada and is chairman of the Carrier Advisory Committee for Nevada.
Dr. Allen has been recognized with several honors and awards, most recently the Outstanding Physician of the Year for 2007 from the Clark County Medical Society.
Her major research interests include breast cancer, supportive care, and hospice and palliative care.
Joanne L. Blum, MD, PhD
Dr. Blum earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and her doctorate degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She completed an internship in medicine at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, then an internal medicine residency and fellowship in Hematology-Oncology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Dr. Joanne L. Blum is the director of the Hereditary Cancer Risk Program and is research site leader at the Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. She served for six years as the vice-chair for the Baylor Health Care System Institutional Review Board (IRB) and continues to serve as a member of the breast cancer committee for US Oncology Research and the PROSE (Prevention and Observation of Surgical Endpoints) Study Group.
Dr. Blum is widely published in the area of breast cancer therapeutics with a focus on new chemotherapeutic agents and on the clinical and psychological implications of genetic testing for breast cancer.
Michael A. Danso, MD
Dr. Danso earned his medical degree from the University of London and held several House Officer positions while in the United Kingdom. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital and then served as chief fellow in hematology and oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is currently an attending physician at Cancer Centers of Florida.
Dr. Danso is a diplomate in internal medicine and medical oncology and is licensed to practice medicine in the United Kingdom, New York state, and Florida. He holds various professional memberships including that of the American College of Physicians, the American Association of Cancer Research, the American Society of Hematology, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Danso is well noted in the oncology literature and has made significant contributions to many books and journals. He has also served as principal investigator or research fellow on various phase II clinical trials.
Nicholas J. DiBella, MD
Dr. Nicholas DiBella has served as the medical director and president of Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers since 1993. A graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles, Dr. DiBella earned his medical doctorate at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. He completed his internship at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, California, and his residency in internal medicine at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in Denver, Colorado. Dr. DiBella then completed his fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, and served as a colonel in the U.S. Army Medical Corps.
Dr. DiBella is one of the founding physicians of US Oncology and currently serves as the chairman of the hematology research committee for US Oncology as well as chairman of the board for the Colorado Cancer Research Program. Dr. DiBella has been recognized and honored with many awards including the Outstanding Service Award given by US Oncology National Policy Board in February 2003 and the Special Service Award given by the Colorado Cancer Research Program in September 1999.
Thomas E. Hutson, DO, PharmD
Thomas E. Hutson specializes in genitourinary oncology with a research focus in renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer. He received his medical degree from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and his pharmacy degree from Ohio Northern University. He is the director of genitourinary oncology for Texas Oncology, PA at the Baylor University Medical Center, Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas, Texas, and associate chair of genitourinary research for US Oncology. His research has resulted in many publications including chapters in medical textbooks on prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma. He is a member of the medical advisory board for the Kidney Cancer Association.
A. David McCollum, MD
After receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. McCollum earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the Parkland Memorial Hospital/North Texas VA Medical Center, where he served an additional year as chief resident of internal medicine. After his residency training, Dr. McCollum completed a clinical and research fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care Training Program in Boston, MA, as well as a Clinical Effectiveness Program at Harvard School of Public Health.
In 2002, Dr. McCollum joined Texas Oncology, PA, where he specializes in gastrointestinal cancers. His research in this area has been published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, American Journal of Clinical Oncology, Head & Neck, and Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. McCollum is a clinical staff member at Baylor University Medical Center and the Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas, TX. He currently serves on the gastrointestinal cancers research committee of the US Oncology Research Network and is on the board of directors and the quality oversight committee of Texas Oncology, PA. He has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards. Additionally, Dr. McCollum is a current member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Medical Association, the Texas Medical Association, the Massachusetts Medical Society, the Dallas County Medical Society, and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
Eric Nadler, MD, MPP
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree with high honors from Wesleyan University in 1995, Dr. Eric Nadler earned a Master of Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government. He then earned his medical degree at Harvard Medical School in 2000. Dr. Nadler completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Following that, he moved to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for a clinical fellowship in medical oncology. In 2005, he joined Texas Oncology, PA in Dallas as a medical oncologist where he is the co-chair of thoracic oncology research. Dr. Nadler has had an active role in medical education; he served as medical director at Physician Education Resource and is currently an internet educational-initiative consultant at US Oncology as well as a medical advisor to Oncology Today.
Robert M. Rifkin, MD
Robert Rifkin, MD, is the director of cellular therapeutics of the Rocky Mountain Blood and Marrow Transplant Program in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Rifkin earned his BA, cum laude, at the Colorado College where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Dr. Rifkin earned his medical doctorate, with honors, at the University of Colorado School of Medicine where he was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha.
He completed an internal medicine residency at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver and a hematology/oncology fellowship at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson.
Dr. Rifkin has been on the medical school faculties of both the Universities of Arizona and Colorado. He is a national medical director for stem cell transplantation research at US Oncology. He is actively involved in the development and validation of outpatient community-based transplant therapies, as well as in medical resident education.
Dr. Rifkin has been a member of ASBMT since its inception and is a founding member of ISHAGE. He is presently the chairman of the ASBMT Professional Affairs Subcommittee on Member Needs and Future Initiatives. He has published more than 19 research articles, 6 book chapters and 28 abstracts.
He is a past recipient of the National Marrow Donor Program Trailblazer Award for leadership and development of innovative marrow-related programs. Dr. Rifkin is board-certified in internal medicine, hematology, and oncology.