The Research Executive Advisory Committee (REAC) is focused on research-related issues. Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, Director of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, chairs the committee. REAC meets twice per month to discuss a broad range of research issues, including: basic, translational, and clinical research; overall strategic planning to achieve future goals; and assessment of needs and opportunities for recruitment and infrastructure development. The Shared Resource Directors are also invited to attend REAC meetings.
REAC Members
| Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD (Co-Chair) | Director, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Associate Vice-Chancellor for Cancer Research, Hillman Professor of Oncology, and Professor of Otolaryngology, of Immunology, and of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Jeremy N. Rich, MD, MHS, MBA (Co-Chair) | Deputy Director, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Professor of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Monica Baskin, PhD | Deputy Director, Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement, and Associate Director for Health Equity, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Assistant Vice Chancellor for Community Health Equity, Health Sciences, and Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Chris Bakkenist, PhD | Associate Director, Education and Training, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Professor of Radiation Oncology and of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Dana Bovbjerg, PhD | Co-Leader, Biobehavioral Cancer Control Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, and of Clinical and Translational Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Adam Brufsky, MD, PhD | Co-Leader, Cancer Therapeutics Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Co-Director, Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center; Associate Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Ronald Buckanovich, MD, PhD | Co-Leader, Cancer Biology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Director, Ovarian Cancer Center of Excellence; Co-Director, Women’s Cancer Research Center, Magee-Womens Research Institute and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; and Professor of Medicine and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Theresa Cummings, RN, DBA, CCRP | Associate Director, Research Administration, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center |
| Devin Dressman, PhD | Associate Director, Research Operations and Strategic Alliances, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center |
| Shou-Jiang (SJ) Gao, PhD | Co-Leader, Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Pittsburgh Foundation Professor for Cancer Drug Discovery, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Haitao Guo, PhD | Co-Leader, Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| James G. Herman, MD | Co-Leader, Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; UPMC Endowed Chair for Lung Cancer Research, and Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| John M. Kirkwood, MD | Director, Melanoma Disease Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Usher Professor of Medicine, Dermatology & Translational Science, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Adrian V. Lee, PhD | Cancer Biology Research Program Member, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Director, Institute for Precision Medicine, Pittsburgh Foundation Chair in Precision Medicine, and Professor of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Jason J. Luke, MD, FACP | Associate Director, Clinical Research, and Director, Cancer Immunotherapeutics Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Steffi Oesterreich, PhD | Co-Leader, Cancer Biology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Co-Director, Women’s Cancer Research Center, Magee-Womens Research Institute and and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Professor of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Patricia L. Opresko, PhD | Co-Leader, Genome Stability Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health |
| Yael Schenker, MD, MS | Associate Director, Education and Training, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Director, Palliative Care Research, Associate Chief of Research, Section of Palliative Care and Ethics, and Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH | Co-Leader, Biobehavioral Cancer Control Program, Associate Director, Catchment Area Research, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Visiting Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Shivendra V. Singh, PhD | Associate Director, Basic Research, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; UPMC Chair in Cancer Prevention Research, and Professor of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Heath Skinner, MD, PhD | Chair and Professor of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Bennett Van Houten, PhD | Co-Leader, Genome Stability Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Richard M. Cyert Professor of Molecular Oncology, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Dario Vignali, PhD | Co-Leader, Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Distinguished Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Peter Wipf, PhD | Co-Leader, Cancer Therapeutics Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Jian-Min Yuan, MD, PhD | Associate Director, Cancer Control and Population Sciences, and Co-Leader, Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Arnold Palmer Endowed Chair in Cancer Prevention, and Professor of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health |
| Dan Zandberg, MD | Director, Head and Neck Cancer Disease Section, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Hassane M. Zarour, MD | Co-Leader, Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center; James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Chair in Melanoma Immunotherapy Research, and Professor of Medicine, of Immunology, and of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
