José Luis Lopez, MD

Caracas, Venezuela

Dr. Lopez is a Professor of Hematology and Internal Medicine at the "Universidad Central de Venezuela". Head of  the Department of Hematology Clinics at the Banco Municipal de Sangre in Caracas, starting his work in this Institution in Hemato-Oncology Clinic at 1991 and developed the Molecular Dx Laboratory in 1992.

He occupied the Secretary position (2001-2003) at Venezuelan Society of Hematology and was a Founder Member of the National Transplant Organization of Venezuela.

Dr Lopez is an active member in the Investigation Department of his Medical Center and have been interested in Clinical Research and Molecular Genetic of Chronic Leukemias, collaborating like an Investigator Overseas in NCI-Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (1995-1997).

Professor of Medicine

Chief, CML Section

Department of Leukemia

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas

Jorge Cortes, MD, is deputy chair and professor of medicine in the Department of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Texas where he directs the CML Program. Dr. Cortes received his medical degree in 1986 from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, and has been at MD Anderson Cancer Center since 1991.  Dr. Cortes, whose clinical interest focus on new drug development and the management of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, acute and chronic leukemias, and myeloproliferative disorders has authored over 400 peer-reviewed medical publications.  He has received numerous awards including the Faculty Scholar Award from MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2003, the Annual Celgene Young Investigator Achievement Award for Clinical Research in Hematology in 2005, The Dr. John J. Kenny Award from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in 2006, the Service to Mankind Award from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in 2007, and the Otis W. and Pearl L. Walters Faculty Achievement Award in Clinical Research from MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2007. Dr. Cortes is chief editor of Current Hematological Malignancies Reports and Clinical Leukemia and serves in the Editorial Board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Leukemia, Clinical Cancer Research, Leukemia and Lymphoma and the American Journal of Hematology.

Francisco Cervantes

 

Francisco Cervantes is senior consultant at the Hematology Department of the Hospital Clínic, in Barcelona, Spain, and associate professor at the University of Barcelona. His main scientific interest is the study of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and the Ph-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), mainly their natural history, prognosis, biology, and treatment. As a result of the activity in this field, he has published more than 190 articles in peer-review international journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Blood, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Leukemia, British Journal of Haematology, Experimental Hematology, Haematologica, Cancer, Oncogene, Seminars in Oncology, and the European Journal of Haematology. In the CML field,Dr. Cervantes contributed to the elaboration of Sokal’s score, is a coauthor of the publications of the IRIS study, which established imatinib as first-line treatment for CML, has participated in the introduction of the second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors for patients resistant to imatinib, as well as in the authorship of the European LeukemiaNet recommendations for the treatment of CML. His more recent contributions in the field of the MPNs have been the elaboration of the new prognostic classification of primary myelofibrosis on behalf of the International Working Group for Myelofibrosis Research and Treatment, as well as several studies on the role of leukocyte and platelet activation in the thrombosis of MPN patients. At local level, he is the national coordinator of the CML studies within the collaborative PETHEMA Spanish group. Dr Cervantes is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the European Hematology Association, the International Working Group for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Research and Treatment, the European Leukemianet, and the Spanish Society of Hematology.

Dr. Druker is director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, JELD-WEN Chair of Leukemia Research at Oregon Health & Science University, and investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Upon graduating from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in 1981, Dr. Druker completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Barnes Hospital, Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He then trained in oncology at Harvard's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

 

Dr. Druker then returned to the lab to begin his research career studying the regulation of the growth of cancer cells and the practical application to cancer therapies. He developed 4G10, an anti-phosphotyrosine antibody that was an essential reagent to scientists at Novartis in their kinase inhibitor drug discovery program. In collaboration with Novartis, his laboratory performed pre-clinical studies that were instrumental to the development of Gleevec (imatinib), a drug that targets the molecular defect in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). After completing a series of preclinical studies, Dr. Druker spearheaded the highly successful clinical trials of imatinib for CML. Imatinib is currently FDA approved for CML, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and five other cancers.

 

His role in the development of imatinib and its application in the clinic have resulted in numerous awards for Dr. Druker, including the AACR-Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Award, the Warren Alpert Prize from Harvard Medical School, the American Society of Hematology's Dameshek Prize, the Lance Armstrong Foundation's Pioneer of Survivorship Carpe Diem Award, the American Cancer Society's Medal of Honor, the Kettering Prize from General Motors Cancer Research Foundation, the David A. Karnofsky Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Robert-Koch Award, and the 2009 Lasker-DeBakey Award for Clinical Medical Research. He was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies in 2003, the American Association of Physicians in 2006, and the National Academy of Sciences in 2007.

 

Pat Garcia-Gonzalez

Executive Director, The Max Foundation

 

Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, Executive Director of The Max Foundation, has been dedicated to improving the lives of blood cancer survivors around the world for over twelve years.  A native of Argentina, Pat has a Master degree from the University of Washington and technical degree in nursing. 

 

Pat is co-founder of The Max Foundation, an international NGO based in Edmonds, Washington, started in 1997 to connect families facing leukemia with resources for treatment access. 

 

Under Pat's direction since 2005, The Max Foundation provides services to over 15,000 CML patients in more than 90 countries annually and has successfully started and supported local patient organizations in 12 countries.

 

In 2008, Pat was awarded the distinguished honor of the Golden Tennis Shoe Award from United States Senator, Patty Murray for her service and dedication to her community.   She is a member of the Global Health Council and of the CML Advocates Network.

Professor Tessa Holyoake

• 1980-85 Medicine Glasgow University
• 1985-86 House jobs Stobhill and Victoria, Glasgow
• 1986-89 General medical training Inverclyde Hospital, Greenock
• 1989-92 Haematology, Western Infirmary, Glasgow
• 1992-96 PhD, Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow
• Specialist Haematology Training, Glasgow Royal Infirmary
• 1996-98 LRF Senior Lecturer, Terry Fox Labs, Vancouver
• 1999-2001 Senior Lecturer, Academic Transfusion Medicine Unit, Glasgow Royal Infirmary
• 2001-2004 Reader, Section of Experimental Haematology, Glasgow Royal
• 2004-present Professor, Section of Experimental Haematology, Glasgow Royal
• 2008 Relocation of Section of Experimental Haematology to the Paul O'Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre and West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Gartnavel Hospital

 

Research Interests

My research focuses on the cancer stem cell. Cancer stem cells sustain cancers and leukaemias, are inherently resistant to many cancer therapies, including novel targeted agents and ultimately cause relapse in patients following therapy. We are most interested in the blood cancers, in particular chronic myeloid leukaemia. We have developed laboratory methods to purify the cells of interest from leukaemia patients and from normal donors, allowing side by side comparisons of leukaemic versus normal stem cells. These comparisons include global analyses of gene expression and protein expression. Any differences can then be fully investigated and exploited through drug discovery. Recently we have begun to explore high throughput drug screening against the purified cancer stem cells hoping to find drugs that rapidly kill the cancer stem cells but leave normal stem cells intact.
On the clinical side I run clinical trials of novel agents for patients with CML Scotland wide.

 

Francisco Cervantes, MD, PhD                                    

Hematology Department

Hospital Clínic

University of Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain

Dr Francisco Cervantes is senior consultant at the Hematology Department of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona and Professor at the University of Barcelona. His scientific interest has been focused on the study of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and the Ph-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), mainly their natural history, prognosis, biology and treatment. As a result of the activity in this field, he has published over 300 articles in peer-review journals. He was co-author of the publications of the IRIS study that allowed the approval of imatinib as frontline treatment of CML, participated in the introduction of the second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and is a member of the expert panels of the European LeukemiaNet for CML and MPN treatment. In the MPN field, he was the leading author of the prognostic classification of primary myelofibrosis or IPSS. Dr Cervantes is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the European Hematology Association, the International Working Group for MPN Research and Treatment, the European LeukemiaNet, and the PETHEMA Spanish Collaborative Group.

Prof. Raymond Hin-Suen LIANG

Department of Medicine

Queen Mary Hospital

Hong Kong

 

Present appointments:

 

21.1.05 - present

S.H. Ho Professor in Haematology and Oncology,

Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong

 

1.7.99 – present

Chair Professor in Haematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong

 

1.7.95 - present

Chief, Division of Haematology/Oncology and

Bone Marrow Transplant Unit

Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong

 

1.12.92 - present

Honorary Consultant, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong

 

1.9.04 – present

Deputy Head, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong

 

1.8.08 – present

Senior Advisor to the Dean, Li Ka Shing Faculty of    Medicine, University of Hong Kong.

 

19.12.08 – present

President, Hong Kong Academy of Medicine.

 

Previous appointments:

 

1.7.79 ‑ 31.12.79

House Physician, University Department of Medicine,

Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong

 

1.1.80 ‑ 30.6.80

House Surgeon, Surgical Unit C, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong

 

1.7.80 ‑ 31.10.85

Medical Officer, University Department of Medicine,

Tung Wah Hospital, Hong Kong.

 

1.8.83 ‑ 31.3.84

Honorary Registrar, Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, University College Hospital, London, United Kingdom

 

1.4.84 ‑ 30.9.85

Lecturer, Departments of Medical Oncology and Clinical Pharmacology, Guy's Hospital Medical School, London, United Kingdom (Joint appointment)

 

1.11.85 ‑ 30.6.91

Lecturer in Medicine (Haematology/Oncology), Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong

 

1.7.91 ‑ 30.6.93

Senior Lecturer in Medicine (Haematology/Oncology)

Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong

 

1.7.93 – 30.6.99

Professor (Reader)

Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong

 

1.2.95 – 31.3.2002

Director, Cancer Research Centre,

Faculty of Medicine

University of Hong Kong

 

1.3.92 - 28.2.95

Associate Dean

 

1.4.97 – 12.3.07

Faculty of Medicine

University of Hong Kong

 

1.11.06 – 12.3.07

Director, Centre of Cancer Research,

University of Hong Kong

 

12.3.07 – 31.7.08

Acting Dean/Dean of Medicine

Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine

University of Hong Kong.

 

Qualifications:

 

1979

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery,

University of Hong Kong

 

1983

Member of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, United Kingdom

 

1986

Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Physicians

Specialty Accreditation  :

Advanced Internal Medicine

Haematology and Haematological Oncology

Medical Oncology

 

1990

Doctor of Medicine, University of Hong Kong

Title of thesis: "Malignant lymphomas in Hong Kong Chinese"

(Sir Patrick Manson Gold Medal)

 

1992

Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

 

1992

Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, United Kingdom

 

1993

Foundation Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (Internal Medicine)

 

1995

Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, United Kingdom

 

1995

Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Australia

 

2000

Registered specialist : Haematology, General Medical Council, United Kingdom

 

Special Appointments (International)

 

4.90 – 11.98

Member of Editorial Board, the International Journal

“Hematological Oncology”

 

11.98 - 2005

Associate Editor, Hematological Oncology

 

11.91

Hon. Treasurer, Organizing Committee, 7th Asian‑Pacific Congress of the International Society of Haematology

 

7.92

Assessor for the South Australian Research Grants,

Anti-Cancer Foundation of South Australia

 

1995 - 2000

Member of the International Affair Committee,

 

1999 - 2000

Chairman, International Affair Committee,

American Society of Clinical Oncology

 

1995 - present

Member of the Advisory Committee of the International

Bone Marrow Transplantation Registry, Milwaukee,

Wisconsin, USA.

 

1995 - 1997

Member, Advisory Board Panel, 3rd Pan-Pacific Lymphoma Conference,  USA.

 

1995 - 1997

Chairman, Scientific Committee of the 14th Asian Pacific Cancer Conference.

 

1997 - 1998

Advisor, Asian Clinical Trials Conference, Hong Kong, 1997 - 98.

Member, Scientific Committee, 1997 - 98.

 

1997 - 1999

Member of Editorial Board, the International Journal

“Cancer Therapeutics”.

 

1997 - present

Examiner, MRCP (UK) Examination, Royal Colleges of Physicians, United Kingdom.

 

1998

Member,  International Organising Committee, The 6^th Congress of Asian-Pacific Bone Marrow Transplantation Group, Taipei, Taiwan.

 

1998 - 1999

Member, Advisory Board Panel, 4^th Pan-Pacific Lymphoma Conference, USA.

 

1999 - 2003

Editor-in Chief,  Journal of Clinical Oncology (Chinese Edition) and member of Editorial Board, Journal of Clinical Oncology.

 

1999

Member, Scientific Committee, Pan-Arab Conference on Lymphoma Cairo, Egypt.

 

1999 – present

Member of Editorial Board, the International Journal “Clinical Lymphoma”.

 

1999

External Reviewer, National Medical Research Council, Singapore.

1. Chairman, International Symposium.

36^th Annual Meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology.

1. Member, International Advisory Board,

“Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine” – an international textbook on medicine.

 

2000

Member, International Strategic Planning Task Force, American Society of Clinical Oncology.

 

2001

International Advisor, 16^th Asian Pacific Cancer Conference, Manila, Philippines.

 

2002

Member, International Advisory Committee, 26^th International Congress of Internal Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.

 

2003 - present

Member, Editorial board, “Medical Progress”, the Journal.

 

2004

Member, International Scientific Committee

2^nd Annual Meeting of Asian Hematology Association Beijing, China.

 

2004

Guest Editor, Asian Pacific Cancer Review.

 

2004

Member of the Expert Panel, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

 

2005 – present

Member of the International Haematology Advisory Board, Janssen Pharmaceutical.

 

2005

Member, International Scientific Committee.  10^th Congress of the Asian Pacific Bone Marrow Transplantation Group.  Hang Zhou, October, 2005.

 

2006

Member, Editorial Board of the International journal : “Targeted Oncology”

 

2006

Member, Executive Committee, International T-cell lymphoma Project, Italy.

 

2007

Member, clinical advisory committee for Lymphoid Neoplasms, World health Organisation classification of neoplasms of the Hematologic and Lymphoid neoplasms.

 

2007

Chairman, Universitat 21 Medical Conference, Hong Kong

 

2007

Associate Editor, Journal of Hematology and Oncology

 

2008

Co-Chairman, Chinese Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation.

Professor John M Goldman DM, FRCP,FRCPath, FMedSci

 

Senior Research Investigator

Division of Investigative Science

Imperial College London, UK

 

Professor John M. Goldman has a long standing interest in the biology and therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).  He was until 2004 Chairman of the Department of Haematology at Imperial College London, Director of the Leukaemia Research Fund Centre for Adult Leukaemia and Clinical Director of the Haematology Department at the Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust. Thereafter he took up a 2-year appointment as Fogarty Scholar at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda USA.  He is now active as Emeritus Professor of Haematology at Imperial College London and Medical Director of the Anthony Nolan Trust.  He is editor of Bone Marrow Transplantation, a former editor of The Haematology Journal, and an associate editor of the European Journal of Haematology. He is also an editorial board member of numerous other journals and, during the course of his career, has published over 800 papers in peer-reviewed journals. As well as being the founding president of the British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, he is a former president of the International Society for Experimental Hematology, the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the European Hematology Association.

Professor Goldman was the first to autograft patients with CML using peripheral blood stem cells and started allogeneic stem cell transplant for CML in 1980. He pioneered the use of unrelated donors for transplanting CML patients and developed PCR technology for monitoring residual disease. He confirmed the preclinical efficacy of the original tyrosine kinase inhibitor (STI571, now imatinib) in 1997 and first used it in the clinic in 1999. Thereafter he has been involved in development of second generation TKIs, notably dasatinib and nilotinib.