Clinical Trials Specialist in NCI Clinical Trials Research

The planned activities describe a set of efforts that will build upon my primary interest in brain tumors, leveraging my experience and leadership roles to develop national clinical trials, implement NCI-sponsored trials at the NCI-designated P30 Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC), and continue to provide service to the NCI Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) among other efforts. I have dedicated nearly 25 years of service to NCI-sponsored clinical trials as a member of the Brain Tumor and later Brain Tumor Core Committees of NRG Oncology (and seeking to become the new Brain Tumor Committee Chair) and its predecessor, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. I have served as national PI/overall Study Chair for multiple RTOG/NRG Oncology sponsored trials, represented the Brain Tumor Core Committee at the NRG Oncology grant planning retreat, and represent NRG Oncology itself on the NCI Brain Malignancies Steering Committee. At Columbia University Irving Medical Center, I serve as HICCC Associate Director (AD) for Clinical Trials, overseeing the HICCC clinical trial infrastructure with 125 full-time research professionals supporting > 70 HICCC members conducting > 400 oncology studies. I am also a member of the HICCC Director’s Leadership Team. Receiving this grant will afford me an opportunity to: (1) develop innovative HICCC Investigator-led NCTN trials; (2) expand the NCTN, Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN, Yale as coordinating center), and NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) trial portfolio for all disease sites at HICCC and its affiliated hospitals; (3) mentor the next generation of oncology translational scientists. I will continue to bring NCTN trials to HICCC and our NCORP subcomponent sites, drawing on my previous experience as co-principal investigator on NCORP grant. To enhance accrual I will collaborate with our Community Outreach and Engagement office and Vice Dean of Community Health to facilitate new programs including the Clinical Trials Training Program (CTTP), a didactic course (3 months) that aims to educate current and future investigators in the conduct of clinical trials. It is part of a broader initiative dedicated to increased trial accrual, such as by identifying and overcoming barriers to clinical trial participation. Finally, as HICCC AD for Clinical Trials, I am mentoring the next generation of investigators, including our site PIs who represent the HICCC in the NCTN, ETCTN, and NCORP. Buttressed by an exceptional team, advisors, and institutional support, I am poised to expand my professional perspective and elevate my academic achievements that fulfill the NCI R50 goals and objectives. Project Number: 1R50CA288588-01A1 | Fiscal Year: 2025 | NIH Institute/Center: National Cancer Institute (NCI) | Principal Investigator: Andrew Lassman | Institution: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES, NEW YORK, NY | Award Amount: $193,926 | Activity Code: R50 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZCA1 SRB-5 (M1)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11225531