Lifespan Cancer Institute
Find a Physician by Specialty
About the Lifespan Cancer Institute team
Lifespan Cancer Institute physicians work collaboratively in disease-specific teams to provide leading-edge, patient-centered cancer care and access to the latest, most appropriate clinical trials for each patient.
This care is offered at all our locations: Rhode Island, The Miriam, and Newport hospitals and the Lifespan Ambulatory Care Center in East Greenwich. We bring the expert care to the places where our patients live and work.
Our physicians and scientists have pioneered groundbreaking treatments for cancers through their research and leadership in national and international cooperative groups of cancer researchers. LCI physicians’ expertise positions our cancer center among a select group of sites in the world participating in the most innovative clinical trials that are driving the next generation of immunotherapy and genomic-based treatments for cancer.
Partnership with the Brown University Oncology Group is also instrumental to our ultimate mission to improve the lives of patients with cancer through better treatments and care.
Select one of the specialties below to learn about the physicians whose outstanding care will achieve the best outcomes.
Find a Cancer Specialist
Quickly find a physician by clicking on one of these specialties:
- Breast Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Gastrointestinal Cancer
- Genetics
- Gynecologic Oncology
- Head and Neck/Thyroid Cancer
- Hematology
- Immunology
- Interventional Radiology/Diagnostic Imaging
- Medical Oncology
- Neuro-Oncology
- Palliative Care
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Hasbro Children's Hospital
- Radiation Oncology
- Skin Cancer/Melanoma
- Surgical Oncology
- Thoracic Cancer
- Urology
Medical Oncology
Mary Ann Fenton, MD, FACP is an oncologist at the Lifespan Cancer Institute and a clinical associate professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Her specialty area is the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
Mary L. Lopresti, DO, is an oncologist who specializes in breast and gynecological cancers at Rhode Island Hospital and Lifespan Cancer Institute. She serves as assistant professor of hematology oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and is also an assistant program director of the Brown University hematology oncology fellowship program.
Dr. Lopresti is currently involved in breast cancer research studies at Brown University and Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. Her work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals, books and book chapters. She is a member of the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Radiation Oncology
Jaroslaw T. Hepel, MD, serves as director of stereotactic radiosurgery at Rhode Island Hospital and as an assistant professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He also serves as associate director of the Tufts-Affiliated Hospitals Residency Training Program in Radiation Oncology. He is board certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology. Hepel received his undergraduate degree at Cornell University and earned his medical degree at the University of Rochester. He completed internal medicine residency at the University of California Irvine Medical Center, and then went on to complete residency in the specialty of radiation oncology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA.
Hepel has broad experience and knowledge, and is active in caring for patients with a wide range of malignant diseases. However, he holds a particular interest and clinical expertise in the treatment of breast cancer and in stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy for diseases involving the lung, brain, spine, liver and other sites. He is not only very active in the clinic but also has a keen academic interest in these areas. He has published several book chapters and multiple scientific papers, and has regularly presented his work at national meetings. Through his academic work, he strives to improve treatment outcomes for patients not only in regard to achieving higher cure rates but also to minimizing treatment side effects.
Kara Leonard, MD, is a radiation oncologist at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Leonard received her undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Columbia University in New York, her master of science from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and her medical degree from Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Albany Medical Center, followed by a residency in radiation oncology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. She specializes in treating breast, gastrointestinal, and head and neck cancers. She is a member of several national honor societies, including Alpha Omega Alpha and Psi Chi.
David Wazer, MD, is director of the Lifespan Cancer Institute of Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals as well as radiation oncologist-in-chief at Rhode Island Hospital. He is professor and chairman of the departments of radiation oncology at both The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Tufts University School of Medicine.
Dr. Wazer is an internationally recognized expert in the application of new technology in the field of radiation oncology. He has published more than 200 scientific articles, written several books, and is also editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Clinical Oncology. Wazer earned his medical degree (with honors) from the New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, and also completed a research fellowship in neurochemistry at New York University. Dr. Wazer obtained his clinical training in internal medicine at Brown University and in radiation oncology at Tufts University. His clinical research interests include the study of the efficacy, toxicity, and cost/utility analysis of image-guided radiation therapy, partial breast irradiation, electronic brachytherapy and hyperthermia. He is actively involved in the development of clinical trials for cancers of the breast, skin, gastrointestinal tract and lung.
Dr. Wazer is a fellow of the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American College of Radiation Oncology and a member of the Radiation Research Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American College of Radiology, the American Radium Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Brachytherapy Society.
Surgical Oncology
Christine Emmick, MD is a board-certified general surgeon who cares for a wide array of surgical diseases. She received her medical degree from the Albany Medical College and completed her surgical residency at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital. She has a special interest in the treatment of both benign and malignant breast disease and is a member of the Lifespan Cancer Institute's multidisciplinary breast clinic team at The Miriam Hospital. Dr. Emmick is an assistant clinical professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is also a member of the American College of Surgeons.
Bradford Gray, MD, FACS, is a board-certified general surgeon affiliated with Newport Hospital. Dr. Gray received his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and completed his resident training at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pennsylvania. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Gray has interest and expertise across a broad range of surgical services, including management of benign and malignant breast conditions; thyroid surgery; endoscopic procedures; management of malignant skin conditions, including melanoma; and advanced laparoscopic surgery, including hernia repair, colon surgery and foregut surgery.
Julia Tassinari, MD, is a board-certified general surgeon affiliated with Newport Hospital. Dr. Tassinari received her medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and completed her internship and residency at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Among her interests and expertise are minimally invasive surgery, including hernia repair, colon and foregut surgery; breast surgery; and skin and soft tissue surgery.
Charu Taneja, MD, is an affiliated surgical oncologist in the High-Risk Breast Program at the Women's Medicine Collaborative. She is a clinical assistant professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She received her medical degree from Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi in New Delhi, India. Taneja completed a residency in surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry at New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the surgical oncology fellowship at Boston University.
Taneja is board certified in surgery. She has published many original research articles in the field of oncology and breast surgery.
Doreen Wiggins, MD, MHL, FACOG, FACS, is an affiliated physician at the Women's Medicine Collaborative. She is director of the Cancer Survivorship Medicine program and is an assistant clinical professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Rhode Island and her medical degree from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She pursued further medical training at Women & Infants Hospital and completed a Society for Surgical Oncology Breast Disease fellowship, and an intensive course in cancer risk assessment at the City of Hope in Los Angeles, California. Wiggins earned a master’s degree in healthcare leadership from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Wiggins is a fellow of both the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American College of Surgeons. She is the founder of Center for Obstetrics & Gynecology in Providence. Her areas of expertise are breast cancer surgery, gynecologic surgery, female cancer genetics, female sexuality and cancer survivorship.
Medical Oncology
Rimini A. Breakstone, MD is a medical oncologist who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers. She received her medical degree from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University and completed her residency and fellowship at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Dr. Breakstone is board certified in hematology, oncology and internal medicine.
Prior to joining the Lifespan Cancer Institute, she was an instructor at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and served on the Unit Based Clinical Leadership Committee focused on inpatient quality improvement measures. Dr. Breakstone is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Medical Association. Her research interests include malignancies of esophagus, stomach, biliary system, pancreas, colon and rectum.
Howard P. Safran, MD is the chief of hematology/oncology at the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals, and the medical director for the Brown University Oncology Group. Safran is a professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a nationally recognized leader in the development of new treatments for upper GI cancers. He is a member of the U.S. National Cancer Institute's pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancer task forces.
Surgical Oncology
Adam Klipfel, MD, FACS, FASCRS, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained colorectal surgeon with expertise in colon cancer and surgical oncology. He received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and completed a residency at New York Methodist Hospital. Dr. Klipfel gained further experience through a colorectal fellowship and an anorectal physiology fellowship at University of Southern California-affiliated hospitals. He has expertise in robotic surgery for benign and malignant disease. He is a clinical assistant professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and is program coordinator of the Colorectal Surgery Fellowship program. Dr. Klipfel is the current president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Rectal and Colon Surgeons as well as a member of Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract and the New England Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, among others.
Leslie Roth, MD, FACS, FASCRS is co-director of the Program for Pelvic Floor Disorders in the Center for Women’s Gastrointestinal Medicine at the Women’s Medicine Collaborative and a colorectal surgeon at University Surgical Associates.
Dr. Roth is the Rosalyn and Joseph Sinclair Clinical Professor of Pelvic Floor Disorders and an assistant professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and her medical degree from the Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine, New York State/American Program, in Ramat Aviv, Israel and New York.
She completed her residency at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She is a graduate of the colon and rectal surgery fellowship at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Dr. Roth is board certified in both general and colorectal surgery. She is also a fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.
Dr. Roth's areas of clinical interest and expertise include colon and rectal cancer surgery, colonoscopy, laparoscopic/minimally invasive surgery, benign anorectal conditions, fecal incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders.
Steven Schechter, MD, is the interim chief of colorectal surgery for Lifespan and a board-certified colorectal surgeon with special expertise in laparoscopic, minimally invasive surgery, fecal incontinence, pelvic floor reconstructive surgery, and colon cancer.
His research interests include rectal cancer treatment, and the link between anal cancer and human papilloma virus in women.
Dr. Schechter is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and the New England Surgical Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and a member of the International Society of Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery.
Dr. Schechter is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and recipient of several awards for his teaching at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where he is a clinical associate professor.
Radiation Oncology
Thomas DiPetrillo, MD, is clinical director of radiation oncology at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. He is a leading authority on a variety of radiation treatments for cancer, including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. DiPetrillo is a pioneer in the use of IMRT, a noninvasive procedure that allows physicians to pinpoint delivery of radiation therapy, resulting in better tumor control with less toxicity. He is also an expert in the use of HDR brachytherapy, a treatment that involves the use of a robotic arm to deliver a radioactive “seed” to a tumor.
DiPetrillo is a graduate of the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed his residency at New England Medical Center (now Tufts Medical Center). He is an associate professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and an adjunct associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Timothy J. Kinsella, MD, is an internationally recognized radiation oncologist and a research scholar professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Kinsella received his undergraduate degree from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY; a master’s degree with honors from Brown University; and both his master of science in radiation biology and his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, NY. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic, fellowship training in medical oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, and his residency training in radiation oncology at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program. He was a fellow of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. Kinsella has been editor-in-chief of Frontiers in Radiation Oncology and editorial board member of eight other journals. He is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and radiation oncology. His areas of clinical expertise include the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas, brain tumors, lymphomas, gastrointestinal cancers and pediatric cancers. He has laboratory expertise in the development of intraoperative radiotherapy, radiation sensitizing drugs and small molecules that modify DNA repair processing of radiation damage.
Kara Leonard, MD, is a radiation oncologist at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Leonard received her undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Columbia University in New York, her master of science from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and her medical degree from Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Albany Medical Center, followed by a residency in radiation oncology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. She specializes in treating breast, gastrointestinal, and head and neck cancers. She is a member of several national honor societies, including Alpha Omega Alpha and Psi Chi.
Medical Oncology
Khaldoun Almhanna, MD, MPH, is a gastrointestinal oncologist at the Lifespan Cancer Institute, specializing in hematology and oncology. Dr. Almhanna earned his medical degree from Damascus University in Syria and a master of public health degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. His research interests include esophageal cancer and gastrointestinal malignancies. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Diabetes Association and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He is fluent in English, Arabic and French.
Rimini A. Breakstone, MD is a medical oncologist who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers. She received her medical degree from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University and completed her residency and fellowship at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Dr. Breakstone is board certified in hematology, oncology and internal medicine.
Prior to joining the Lifespan Cancer Institute, she was an instructor at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and served on the Unit Based Clinical Leadership Committee focused on inpatient quality improvement measures. Dr. Breakstone is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Medical Association. Her research interests include malignancies of esophagus, stomach, biliary system, pancreas, colon and rectum.
Howard P. Safran, MD is the chief of hematology/oncology at the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals, and the medical director for the Brown University Oncology Group. Safran is a professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a nationally recognized leader in the development of new treatments for upper GI cancers. He is a member of the U.S. National Cancer Institute's pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancer task forces.
Radiation Oncology
Thomas DiPetrillo, MD, is clinical director of radiation oncology at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. He is a leading authority on a variety of radiation treatments for cancer, including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. DiPetrillo is a pioneer in the use of IMRT, a noninvasive procedure that allows physicians to pinpoint delivery of radiation therapy, resulting in better tumor control with less toxicity. He is also an expert in the use of HDR brachytherapy, a treatment that involves the use of a robotic arm to deliver a radioactive “seed” to a tumor.
DiPetrillo is a graduate of the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed his residency at New England Medical Center (now Tufts Medical Center). He is an associate professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and an adjunct associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Timothy J. Kinsella, MD, is an internationally recognized radiation oncologist and a research scholar professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Kinsella received his undergraduate degree from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY; a master’s degree with honors from Brown University; and both his master of science in radiation biology and his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, NY. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic, fellowship training in medical oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, and his residency training in radiation oncology at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program. He was a fellow of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. Kinsella has been editor-in-chief of Frontiers in Radiation Oncology and editorial board member of eight other journals. He is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and radiation oncology. His areas of clinical expertise include the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas, brain tumors, lymphomas, gastrointestinal cancers and pediatric cancers. He has laboratory expertise in the development of intraoperative radiotherapy, radiation sensitizing drugs and small molecules that modify DNA repair processing of radiation damage.
Kara Leonard, MD, is a radiation oncologist at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Leonard received her undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Columbia University in New York, her master of science from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and her medical degree from Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Albany Medical Center, followed by a residency in radiation oncology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. She specializes in treating breast, gastrointestinal, and head and neck cancers. She is a member of several national honor societies, including Alpha Omega Alpha and Psi Chi.
Surgical Oncology
Kevin P. Charpentier, MD, FACS is the director of the Upper GI Multidisciplinary Clinic. His expertise is as a liver, biliary, and pancreatic surgeon. He is an Associate Professor of Surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His research interests include complex liver surgery and upfront treatment of locally advanced hepatobiliary cancers to facilitate resection.
William G. Cioffi, MD, FACS, is the surgeon-in-chief at the Miriam and Rhode Island hospitals. He is also the J. Murray Beardsley Professor and chairman of the department of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Previously he was the chief of the burn study branch at the Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He received his medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed his residency in general surgery at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont.
He serves on various hospital, university and national committees dedicated to improving patient care for critically ill surgical patients. He is the past president of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the International Surgical Group, the Surgical Critical Care Program Directors Society, the Society of University Surgeons and the North American Burn Society. Cioffi is currently the treasurer of the American College of Surgeons and the International Society of Burn Injuries and secretary of the American Burn Association. He is on the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of the American College of Surgeons and serves on multiple other committees for the college and is a member of the The Halsted Society, American Surgical Association, Association for Academic Surgery, and Southern Surgical Association. Cioffi has also served on the editorial boards of such journals as Shock, Journal of Trauma, and Surgery and the American Journal of Surgery.
A board-certified general surgeon with added qualifications in surgical critical care, Cioffi’s clinical expertise and research interests are in the areas of pancreatic, oncologic, colorectal and trauma surgery. He has authored or co-authored more than 460 articles, book chapters and abstracts and continues to lecture nationally and internationally in his field.
Thomas Miner, MD, is chief of surgical oncology at Rhode Island Hospital. He is an associate professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and an expert in gastric cancer surgery.
Dr. Miner's research interests include the use of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for cancers with diffuse involvement of the abdominal cavity.
Thomas Ng, MD, is a thoracic surgeon at Rhode Island Hospital and is an associate professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Ng received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and his medical degree from Queen’s University School of Medicine in Kingston, Canada. He completed his residency in general surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, a fellowship in critical care medicine at the University of Toronto and a fellowship in thoracic surgery at the University of Ottawa. Ng is active in a number of societies, including the American College of Surgeons, Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons, Cancer and Leukemia Group B, New England Surgical Society, Rhode Island Medical Society, Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, Society of Surgical Oncology and Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Mary Ann Fenton, MD, FACP is an oncologist at the Lifespan Cancer Institute and a clinical associate professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Her specialty area is the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
Lauren Massingham, MD is with the division of genetics at Hasbro Children’s Hospital; she is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Dr. Massingham is board certified in pediatrics and clinical genetics. Her clinical interests include all aspects of pediatric genetics, with specific focus on pediatric genetics and cancer genetics. Her research interests include gene expression profiling of Turner syndrome and Down syndrome. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Genetics Teleconference Feingold Center.
Dr. Massingham received her medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington, VT. She completed a residency in pediatrics at University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA as well as a residency in medical genetics at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA.
Mari Mori, MD, is with the division of genetics at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and also an assistant professor of pediatrics at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Dr. Mori is board certified in clinical genetics, medical biochemical genetics, and clinical informatics. Her clinical interests include pediatric genetics and biochemical genetics. Her research interests include effects of genetic background on phenotype of Mendelian and complex genetic disorders, and improving clinical care using electronic medical records.
Dr. Mori received her medical degree from the Nagasaki University School of Medicine in Japan. She went on to earn her MS in biomedical informatics from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She completed her residency in medical genetics at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital/Ohio State University, Columbus, and fellowship in medical biochemical genetics at Duke University Medical Center in Durham.
Chanika Phornphutkul, MD, is the director of human genetics at Rhode Island and its Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and is an associate professor of pediatrics at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She provides genetic risk assessment as well as counseling for patients with a family history of genetic disorders. She is board certified in pediatric endocrinology and biochemical genetics.
Dr. Phornphutkul received her medical degree from the Chiang Mai University School of Medicine in Thailand, and completed her residency at Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. She completed a fellowship at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Her clinical and research interests focus on biochemical genetics (metabolic disorders), the application of genomic information in clinical medicine and newborn screening.
View the Brown University biography page for Chanika Phornphutkul, MD
Medical Oncology
Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO, is an oncologist who specializes in women's cancers. He is the director of women's cancers at Lifespan Cancer Institute and director of medical oncology at Rhode Island Hospital. He is also an associate professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His research interests are in novel treatments of women’s cancers and issues related to survivorship, particularly as they relate to sexual health after cancer for both men and women.
He is a prolific researcher and writer, and he has authored hundreds of publications, including peer-reviewed articles, books and book chapters. He is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, SWOG cancer research network, and the National Consortium of Breast Cancers, of which he has served as both vice president and president.
Mary L. Lopresti, DO, is an oncologist who specializes in breast and gynecological cancers at Rhode Island Hospital and Lifespan Cancer Institute. She serves as assistant professor of hematology oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and is also an assistant program director of the Brown University hematology oncology fellowship program.
Dr. Lopresti is currently involved in breast cancer research studies at Brown University and Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. Her work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals, books and book chapters. She is a member of the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Radiation Oncology
Yakub Puthawala, MD, is chief of brachytherapy services at Rhode Island Hospital and an associate clinical professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Puthawala is a board-certified radiation oncologist. He received his undergraduate degree in biology from Gujarat College and his medical degree from Municipal Medical College, both in Ahmedabad, India. He completed his fellowship training in radiation oncology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, and his residency training in radiation oncology at University Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His areas of clinical expertise include intraoperative radiation therapy, gynecologic and head and neck oncology, high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). He is an adjunct associate clinical professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Surgical Oncology
Christina A. Bandera, MD, is a gynecologic oncologist and director of the Center for Gynecologic Cancers at the Women’s Medicine Collaborative, and chief of obstetrics and gynecology at The Miriam Hospital and Rhode Island Hospital. Dr. Bandera received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University, and her medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She completed her postgraduate training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, and held fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.
Dr. Bandera is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, and gynecologic oncology. She served as director of robotic surgery at Women & Infants Hospital, and is a member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and the American Association for Gynecologic Laparoscopy.
Dr. Bandera’s clinical expertise includes the medical and surgical treatment of gynecologic cancers arising from the uterus, ovary, cervix, vagina and vulva, as well as the treatment of molar pregnancies and conditions resulting in abnormal pap smears. She has a special interest in cancer prevention and minimally invasive cancer surgery, including robotic surgery.
Medical Oncology
Ariel Birnbaum, MD, is a medical oncologist at Rhode Island Hospital. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio, completed his residency training at the University of Minnesota hospitals, and completed his fellowship in hematology/oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His clinical interests include combined modality treatment for lung cancer and end of life care. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical oncology and a participant in the Brown University Oncology Group.
Radiation Oncology
Thomas DiPetrillo, MD, is clinical director of radiation oncology at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. He is a leading authority on a variety of radiation treatments for cancer, including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. DiPetrillo is a pioneer in the use of IMRT, a noninvasive procedure that allows physicians to pinpoint delivery of radiation therapy, resulting in better tumor control with less toxicity. He is also an expert in the use of HDR brachytherapy, a treatment that involves the use of a robotic arm to deliver a radioactive “seed” to a tumor.
DiPetrillo is a graduate of the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed his residency at New England Medical Center (now Tufts Medical Center). He is an associate professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and an adjunct associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Kara Leonard, MD, is a radiation oncologist at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Leonard received her undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Columbia University in New York, her master of science from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and her medical degree from Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Albany Medical Center, followed by a residency in radiation oncology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. She specializes in treating breast, gastrointestinal, and head and neck cancers. She is a member of several national honor societies, including Alpha Omega Alpha and Psi Chi.
Yakub Puthawala, MD, is chief of brachytherapy services at Rhode Island Hospital and an associate clinical professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Puthawala is a board-certified radiation oncologist. He received his undergraduate degree in biology from Gujarat College and his medical degree from Municipal Medical College, both in Ahmedabad, India. He completed his fellowship training in radiation oncology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, and his residency training in radiation oncology at University Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His areas of clinical expertise include intraoperative radiation therapy, gynecologic and head and neck oncology, high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). He is an adjunct associate clinical professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Gabriela Ballester, MD, is a board-certified hematologist with the Lifespan Cancer Institute. Dr. Ballester gained experience as a hematologist with New York Oncology-Hematology at Albany Medical College. She also served as a hematologist at Hospital Italiano in Buenos Aires and as an assistant professor of hematology/oncology at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center at Marshall University in West Virginia. Dr. Ballester is a member of the American Society of Hematology.
Peter M. Barth, MD, is a hematologist/oncologist at Lifespan Cancer Institute who specializes in the treatment of benign and malignant blood disorders. He completed his residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia and his fellowship at Rhode Island Hospital with Brown University. He has presented his work on platelet disorders and blood count abnormalities on a national level. His research interests are in the treatment of plasma cell neoplasms such as multiple myeloma. He is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the International Myeloma Society and the American Medical Association.
James N. Butera, MD, is a board-certified hematologist/oncologist who treats patients with blood disorders including bleeding and clotting problems, leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. He sees patients at the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island Hospital and the Lifespan Ambulatory Care Center in East Greenwich. He is a clinical associate professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Dr. Butera’s research findings have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and he is the site principal investigator at Lifespan for several chemotherapy studies. Among other honors, Dr. Butera has received the Brown University Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award multiple times and been named one of Rhode Island Monthly magazine’s Top Docs for several years.
Adam Olszewski, MD is a board-certified clinical hematologist/oncologist and researcher with the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island Hospital. Dr. Olszewski is also an assistant professor of clinical medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He previously served as a cancer committee chair member and clinical oncologist/hematologist at the Cancer Center at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. Dr. Olszewski was also a physician director of outpatient infusion services at Kent County Hospital. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology.
Robert Sokolic, MD, FACP, is a hematologist and oncologist at Lifespan Cancer Institute. He is a member of the sickle cell disease multidisciplinary team and specializes in primary disorders of bone marrow. His research interests include sickle cell disease and primary immunodeficiency diseases. His work has been published in many scientific journals and book chapters, including the New England Journal of Medicine. He is a member of the American Society of Hematology, Clinical Immunology Society, the American Society of Cell and Gene Therapy and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
Terrance T. Healey, MD, director of thoracic radiology at Rhode Island Hospital, received a medical degree from the combined Dartmouth-Brown program. He completed his residency at Rhode Island Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and thoracic radiology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He is an assistant professor of diagnostic imaging at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Healey’s area of expertise involves using image-guided thermal ablation to treat lung tumors.
Khaldoun Almhanna, MD, MPH, is a gastrointestinal oncologist at the Lifespan Cancer Institute, specializing in hematology and oncology. Dr. Almhanna earned his medical degree from Damascus University in Syria and a master of public health degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. His research interests include esophageal cancer and gastrointestinal malignancies. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Diabetes Association and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He is fluent in English, Arabic and French.
Christopher Gerard Azzoli, MD, has joined the Lifespan Cancer Institute as director of thoracic oncology. A native Rhode Islander, Dr. Azzoli received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, followed by residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He completed his fellowship in Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York then served there as faculty from 2002 - 2012. He served as faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Boston from 2012 - 2018.
Dr. Azzoli is a former Chairman of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Clinical Practice Guideline Committee, and was recently named a Fellow of ASCO. He specializes in the care of patients with lung cancer, thymoma, and mesothelioma.
Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO, is an oncologist who specializes in women's cancers. He is the director of women's cancers at Lifespan Cancer Institute and director of medical oncology at Rhode Island Hospital. He is also an associate professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His research interests are in novel treatments of women’s cancers and issues related to survivorship, particularly as they relate to sexual health after cancer for both men and women.
He is a prolific researcher and writer, and he has authored hundreds of publications, including peer-reviewed articles, books and book chapters. He is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, SWOG cancer research network, and the National Consortium of Breast Cancers, of which he has served as both vice president and president.
Gabriela Ballester, MD, is a board-certified hematologist with the Lifespan Cancer Institute. Dr. Ballester gained experience as a hematologist with New York Oncology-Hematology at Albany Medical College. She also served as a hematologist at Hospital Italiano in Buenos Aires and as an assistant professor of hematology/oncology at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center at Marshall University in West Virginia. Dr. Ballester is a member of the American Society of Hematology.
Ariel Birnbaum, MD, is a medical oncologist at Rhode Island Hospital. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio, completed his residency training at the University of Minnesota hospitals, and completed his fellowship in hematology/oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His clinical interests include combined modality treatment for lung cancer and end of life care. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical oncology and a participant in the Brown University Oncology Group.
Rimini A. Breakstone, MD is a medical oncologist who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers. She received her medical degree from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University and completed her residency and fellowship at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Dr. Breakstone is board certified in hematology, oncology and internal medicine.
Prior to joining the Lifespan Cancer Institute, she was an instructor at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and served on the Unit Based Clinical Leadership Committee focused on inpatient quality improvement measures. Dr. Breakstone is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Medical Association. Her research interests include malignancies of esophagus, stomach, biliary system, pancreas, colon and rectum.
James N. Butera, MD, is a board-certified hematologist/oncologist who treats patients with blood disorders including bleeding and clotting problems, leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. He sees patients at the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island Hospital and the Lifespan Ambulatory Care Center in East Greenwich. He is a clinical associate professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Dr. Butera’s research findings have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and he is the site principal investigator at Lifespan for several chemotherapy studies. Among other honors, Dr. Butera has received the Brown University Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award multiple times and been named one of Rhode Island Monthly magazine’s Top Docs for several years.
Benedito A Carneiro, MD, is a medical oncologist with research interests in developmental therapeutics, solid organ malignancies and genitourinary cancers. As director of Cancer Drug Development for the Lifespan Cancer Institute of Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital and Newport Hospital, and associate director of the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Dr. Carneiro leads clinical trials with novel treatments for cancers of the kidney, bladder, prostate, lung, pancreas, colon and other solid tumors. His research explores innovative immunotherapy and genomic-driven treatment strategies.
His work has been published in several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He is a member of many professional societies and scientific committees, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association of Cancer Research. Dr. Carneiro speaks English and Portuguese.
Mary Ann Fenton, MD, FACP is an oncologist at the Lifespan Cancer Institute and a clinical associate professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Her specialty area is the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
Hina Khan, MD, is a medical oncologist who specializes in thoracic cancers, and an assistant professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She practices at Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals, and is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and oncology.
Dr. Khan's work has been published in several peer-reviewed medical journals and books. She is a member of the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Randall Ingham, MD, is a hematologist/oncologist with the Lifespan Cancer Institute and is board certified in hematology oncology and internal medicine. Dr. Ingham is an assistant professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He has been a research associate for the vaccine development group at ID Biomedical Corporation/GlaxoSmithKline biologics in Massachusetts. Dr. Ingham is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology.
Humera Khurshid, MD, is the director of the Lifespan Cancer Institute’s Thoracic Multidisciplinary Clinic, where she sees patients and collaborates with a team of specialists to coordinate patient care for newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. She is a medical oncologist with a special interest in geriatric oncology and the care of older lung cancer patients. She is also an assistant professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Mary L. Lopresti, DO, is an oncologist who specializes in breast and gynecological cancers at Rhode Island Hospital and Lifespan Cancer Institute. She serves as assistant professor of hematology oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and is also an assistant program director of the Brown University hematology oncology fellowship program.
Dr. Lopresti is currently involved in breast cancer research studies at Brown University and Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. Her work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals, books and book chapters. She is a member of the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Adam Olszewski, MD is a board-certified clinical hematologist/oncologist and researcher with the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island Hospital. Dr. Olszewski is also an assistant professor of clinical medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He previously served as a cancer committee chair member and clinical oncologist/hematologist at the Cancer Center at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. Dr. Olszewski was also a physician director of outpatient infusion services at Kent County Hospital. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology.
Howard P. Safran, MD is the chief of hematology/oncology at the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals, and the medical director for the Brown University Oncology Group. Safran is a professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a nationally recognized leader in the development of new treatments for upper GI cancers. He is a member of the U.S. National Cancer Institute's pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancer task forces.
Angela Taber, MD, is a palliative care specialist and medical oncologist at the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island, The Miriam, and Newport hospitals. She has a special interest in issues involving patient quality of life, improving doctor-patient communication, and palliative care for patients with lung cancer. She is board certified in palliative care, and is an active participant in the Brown University Oncology Group, where she is involved in the development of clinical research protocols.
Taber earned her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts, and completed her residency and hematology-oncology fellowship at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and has been honored nationally for outstanding compassion and cancer care by the American Cancer Society. She is also the American Cancer Society’s designee to the Palliative Care and Quality of Life Interdisciplinary Advisory Council for the state of Rhode Island.
Neurology/Medical Oncology
Heinrich Elinzano, MD is an adult neurologist, with subspecialty training in neuro-oncology and spinal cord injury medicine, and is also an assistant professor of neurology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He is experienced in the management of tumors of the central nervous system and has a particular interest in conducting clinical trials for the treatment of primary brain tumors and the neurological complications of systemic cancer.
Elinzano completed his neurology residency at St. Vincent Hospital and Medical Center of New York, his spinal cord injury medicine fellowship training at Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri, and his neuro-oncology fellowship training at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and The Neuro-Oncology Branch of the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Neurologic Diseases and Stroke. Prior to his current position at Rhode Island Hospital, he was an adult neuro-oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center.
Alexander Mohler, MD, MS is a neurologist and neuro-oncologist with the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island, The Miriam, and Newport hospitals, and an assistant professor of neurology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Dr. Mohler received his medical degree at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa, and a master of science in physiology and biophysics from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He completed his neurology residency and a neuro-oncology fellowship at University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the Society for Neuro-Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Timothy J. Kinsella, MD, is an internationally recognized radiation oncologist and a research scholar professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Kinsella received his undergraduate degree from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY; a master’s degree with honors from Brown University; and both his master of science in radiation biology and his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, NY. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic, fellowship training in medical oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, and his residency training in radiation oncology at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program. He was a fellow of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. Kinsella has been editor-in-chief of Frontiers in Radiation Oncology and editorial board member of eight other journals. He is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and radiation oncology. His areas of clinical expertise include the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas, brain tumors, lymphomas, gastrointestinal cancers and pediatric cancers. He has laboratory expertise in the development of intraoperative radiotherapy, radiation sensitizing drugs and small molecules that modify DNA repair processing of radiation damage.
Our team includes the neurosurgery team at Rhode Island Hospital.
Dana Levy Guyer, MD, is a palliative care physician at Lifespan Cancer Institute and Rhode Island Hospital. She received her medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She completed her residency training in internal medicine and pediatrics, as well as her fellowship in palliative care and hospice, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She is board certified in hospice and palliative medicine, internal medicine, and pediatric medicine, and is a member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
Edward Martin, MD is a board-certified specialist in hospice and palliative medicine. He is a professor of medicine (clinical), at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, as well as director of its Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program and section chief of palliative medicine.
Dr. Martin earned his medical degree at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, followed by a residency at University of Rochester Associated Hospitals, Strong Memorial Hospital, in Rochester, New York. He received a master of public health degree from the Brown University School of Public Health.
Dr. Martin is certified in hospice and palliative medicine as well as internal medicine, geriatrics, and addiction medicine. He is chief medical officer of Hope Hospice and Palliative Care Rhode Island.
Dr. Martin is a member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the American Society of Addiction Medicine, among other professional societies. The Alpert Medical School has recognized Dr. Martin with several teaching awards; in 2015, he received the Josefina B. Magno Distinguished Hospice Physician Award from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. His research focuses on end-of-life care and decision-making.
Angela Taber, MD, is a palliative care specialist and medical oncologist at the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island, The Miriam, and Newport hospitals. She has a special interest in issues involving patient quality of life, improving doctor-patient communication, and palliative care for patients with lung cancer. She is board certified in palliative care, and is an active participant in the Brown University Oncology Group, where she is involved in the development of clinical research protocols.
Taber earned her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts, and completed her residency and hematology-oncology fellowship at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and has been honored nationally for outstanding compassion and cancer care by the American Cancer Society. She is also the American Cancer Society’s designee to the Palliative Care and Quality of Life Interdisciplinary Advisory Council for the state of Rhode Island.
Thomas DiPetrillo, MD, is clinical director of radiation oncology at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. He is a leading authority on a variety of radiation treatments for cancer, including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. DiPetrillo is a pioneer in the use of IMRT, a noninvasive procedure that allows physicians to pinpoint delivery of radiation therapy, resulting in better tumor control with less toxicity. He is also an expert in the use of HDR brachytherapy, a treatment that involves the use of a robotic arm to deliver a radioactive “seed” to a tumor.
DiPetrillo is a graduate of the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed his residency at New England Medical Center (now Tufts Medical Center). He is an associate professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and an adjunct associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Jaroslaw T. Hepel, MD, serves as director of stereotactic radiosurgery at Rhode Island Hospital and as an assistant professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He also serves as associate director of the Tufts-Affiliated Hospitals Residency Training Program in Radiation Oncology. He is board certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology. Hepel received his undergraduate degree at Cornell University and earned his medical degree at the University of Rochester. He completed internal medicine residency at the University of California Irvine Medical Center, and then went on to complete residency in the specialty of radiation oncology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA.
Hepel has broad experience and knowledge, and is active in caring for patients with a wide range of malignant diseases. However, he holds a particular interest and clinical expertise in the treatment of breast cancer and in stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy for diseases involving the lung, brain, spine, liver and other sites. He is not only very active in the clinic but also has a keen academic interest in these areas. He has published several book chapters and multiple scientific papers, and has regularly presented his work at national meetings. Through his academic work, he strives to improve treatment outcomes for patients not only in regard to achieving higher cure rates but also to minimizing treatment side effects.
Timothy J. Kinsella, MD, is an internationally recognized radiation oncologist and a research scholar professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Kinsella received his undergraduate degree from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY; a master’s degree with honors from Brown University; and both his master of science in radiation biology and his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, NY. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic, fellowship training in medical oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, and his residency training in radiation oncology at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program. He was a fellow of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. Kinsella has been editor-in-chief of Frontiers in Radiation Oncology and editorial board member of eight other journals. He is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and radiation oncology. His areas of clinical expertise include the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas, brain tumors, lymphomas, gastrointestinal cancers and pediatric cancers. He has laboratory expertise in the development of intraoperative radiotherapy, radiation sensitizing drugs and small molecules that modify DNA repair processing of radiation damage.
Kara Leonard, MD, is a radiation oncologist at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Leonard received her undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Columbia University in New York, her master of science from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and her medical degree from Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Albany Medical Center, followed by a residency in radiation oncology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. She specializes in treating breast, gastrointestinal, and head and neck cancers. She is a member of several national honor societies, including Alpha Omega Alpha and Psi Chi.
Yakub Puthawala, MD, is chief of brachytherapy services at Rhode Island Hospital and an associate clinical professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Puthawala is a board-certified radiation oncologist. He received his undergraduate degree in biology from Gujarat College and his medical degree from Municipal Medical College, both in Ahmedabad, India. He completed his fellowship training in radiation oncology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, and his residency training in radiation oncology at University Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His areas of clinical expertise include intraoperative radiation therapy, gynecologic and head and neck oncology, high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). He is an adjunct associate clinical professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
David Wazer, MD, is director of the Lifespan Cancer Institute of Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals as well as radiation oncologist-in-chief at Rhode Island Hospital. He is professor and chairman of the departments of radiation oncology at both The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Tufts University School of Medicine.
Dr. Wazer is an internationally recognized expert in the application of new technology in the field of radiation oncology. He has published more than 200 scientific articles, written several books, and is also editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Clinical Oncology. Wazer earned his medical degree (with honors) from the New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, and also completed a research fellowship in neurochemistry at New York University. Dr. Wazer obtained his clinical training in internal medicine at Brown University and in radiation oncology at Tufts University. His clinical research interests include the study of the efficacy, toxicity, and cost/utility analysis of image-guided radiation therapy, partial breast irradiation, electronic brachytherapy and hyperthermia. He is actively involved in the development of clinical trials for cancers of the breast, skin, gastrointestinal tract and lung.
Dr. Wazer is a fellow of the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American College of Radiation Oncology and a member of the Radiation Research Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American College of Radiology, the American Radium Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Brachytherapy Society.
Esther Yu, MD, is a radiation oncologist at Rhode Island Hospital. A 2012 graduate of Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Yu has published her research on breast, central nervous system, and gastrointestinal cancers in many medical journals, and has presented at several national meetings for radiation oncology. She was named chief resident during her final year of residency at Tufts Medical Center in 2016-2017.
Dr. Yu is a winner of the American Brachytherapy Society’s 2016 HDR Scholarship Award. She holds a number of professional memberships including the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American College of Radiation Oncology.
Dermatology
Medical Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Yakub Puthawala, MD, is chief of brachytherapy services at Rhode Island Hospital and an associate clinical professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Puthawala is a board-certified radiation oncologist. He received his undergraduate degree in biology from Gujarat College and his medical degree from Municipal Medical College, both in Ahmedabad, India. He completed his fellowship training in radiation oncology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, and his residency training in radiation oncology at University Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His areas of clinical expertise include intraoperative radiation therapy, gynecologic and head and neck oncology, high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). He is an adjunct associate clinical professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
David Wazer, MD, is director of the Lifespan Cancer Institute of Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals as well as radiation oncologist-in-chief at Rhode Island Hospital. He is professor and chairman of the departments of radiation oncology at both The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Tufts University School of Medicine.
Dr. Wazer is an internationally recognized expert in the application of new technology in the field of radiation oncology. He has published more than 200 scientific articles, written several books, and is also editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Clinical Oncology. Wazer earned his medical degree (with honors) from the New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, and also completed a research fellowship in neurochemistry at New York University. Dr. Wazer obtained his clinical training in internal medicine at Brown University and in radiation oncology at Tufts University. His clinical research interests include the study of the efficacy, toxicity, and cost/utility analysis of image-guided radiation therapy, partial breast irradiation, electronic brachytherapy and hyperthermia. He is actively involved in the development of clinical trials for cancers of the breast, skin, gastrointestinal tract and lung.
Dr. Wazer is a fellow of the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American College of Radiation Oncology and a member of the Radiation Research Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American College of Radiology, the American Radium Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Brachytherapy Society.
Surgical Oncology
Thomas Miner, MD, is chief of surgical oncology at Rhode Island Hospital. He is an associate professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and an expert in gastric cancer surgery.
Dr. Miner's research interests include the use of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for cancers with diffuse involvement of the abdominal cavity.
Christina A. Bandera, MD, is a gynecologic oncologist and director of the Center for Gynecologic Cancers at the Women’s Medicine Collaborative, and chief of obstetrics and gynecology at The Miriam Hospital and Rhode Island Hospital. Dr. Bandera received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University, and her medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She completed her postgraduate training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, and held fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.
Dr. Bandera is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, and gynecologic oncology. She served as director of robotic surgery at Women & Infants Hospital, and is a member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and the American Association for Gynecologic Laparoscopy.
Dr. Bandera’s clinical expertise includes the medical and surgical treatment of gynecologic cancers arising from the uterus, ovary, cervix, vagina and vulva, as well as the treatment of molar pregnancies and conditions resulting in abnormal pap smears. She has a special interest in cancer prevention and minimally invasive cancer surgery, including robotic surgery.
Rachel E. Beard, MD, is fellowship trained in surgical oncology and in surgery of the liver, pancreas, and biliary tract. She is an assistant professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Her research focuses on minimally invasive approaches to liver and pancreas surgery, and immunotherapy for the treatment of widespread malignancies.
Kevin P. Charpentier, MD, FACS is the director of the Upper GI Multidisciplinary Clinic. His expertise is as a liver, biliary, and pancreatic surgeon. He is an Associate Professor of Surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His research interests include complex liver surgery and upfront treatment of locally advanced hepatobiliary cancers to facilitate resection.
William G. Cioffi, MD, FACS, is the surgeon-in-chief at the Miriam and Rhode Island hospitals. He is also the J. Murray Beardsley Professor and chairman of the department of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Previously he was the chief of the burn study branch at the Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He received his medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed his residency in general surgery at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont.
He serves on various hospital, university and national committees dedicated to improving patient care for critically ill surgical patients. He is the past president of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the International Surgical Group, the Surgical Critical Care Program Directors Society, the Society of University Surgeons and the North American Burn Society. Cioffi is currently the treasurer of the American College of Surgeons and the International Society of Burn Injuries and secretary of the American Burn Association. He is on the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of the American College of Surgeons and serves on multiple other committees for the college and is a member of the The Halsted Society, American Surgical Association, Association for Academic Surgery, and Southern Surgical Association. Cioffi has also served on the editorial boards of such journals as Shock, Journal of Trauma, and Surgery and the American Journal of Surgery.
A board-certified general surgeon with added qualifications in surgical critical care, Cioffi’s clinical expertise and research interests are in the areas of pancreatic, oncologic, colorectal and trauma surgery. He has authored or co-authored more than 460 articles, book chapters and abstracts and continues to lecture nationally and internationally in his field.
Christine Emmick, MD is a board-certified general surgeon who cares for a wide array of surgical diseases. She received her medical degree from the Albany Medical College and completed her surgical residency at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital. She has a special interest in the treatment of both benign and malignant breast disease and is a member of the Lifespan Cancer Institute's multidisciplinary breast clinic team at The Miriam Hospital. Dr. Emmick is an assistant clinical professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is also a member of the American College of Surgeons.
Boris Gershman, MD, is an assistant professor of surgery (clinical) (urology) at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Dr. Gershman's clinical interests focus on urologic oncology, including the management of prostate, kidney, bladder, and testicular cancer. He has a broad research interest in comparative effectiveness and health services research, with a particular focus on risk-stratification for urologic malignancies and quality measurement.
Gershman graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and received his medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed residency training at the Massachusetts General Hospital followed by a Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) fellowship at Mayo Clinic. He has received numerous institutional and organizational honors and awards including the Maria L. Caleel Memorial Award for Academic Excellence, the Dr. I. S. Ravdin Memorial Prize in Surgery, the Dr. Spencer Morris Prize, and induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He serves as a reviewer for multiple journals, and has been recognized as Reviewer of the Year by European Urology.
Dragan Golijanin, MD, is a director of the Minimally Invasive Urology Institute and director of Genitourinary Oncology at The Miriam Hospital. He also serves as an associate professor of surgery (urology) at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His areas of expertise include prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer and testicular cancer. Golijanin is board certified in urology.
Golijanin earned his medical degree at the University of Belgrade. He completed residencies at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, University Clinical Center in Belgrade and Hadassah Medical Center. He completed fellowships in urologic oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University and Hadassah Medical Center, and was the first to publish on near-infrared real-time imaging in open laparoscopic and robotic surgery.
Bradford Gray, MD, FACS, is a board-certified general surgeon affiliated with Newport Hospital. Dr. Gray received his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and completed his resident training at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pennsylvania. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Gray has interest and expertise across a broad range of surgical services, including management of benign and malignant breast conditions; thyroid surgery; endoscopic procedures; management of malignant skin conditions, including melanoma; and advanced laparoscopic surgery, including hernia repair, colon surgery and foregut surgery.
Adam Klipfel, MD, FACS, FASCRS, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained colorectal surgeon with expertise in colon cancer and surgical oncology. He received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and completed a residency at New York Methodist Hospital. Dr. Klipfel gained further experience through a colorectal fellowship and an anorectal physiology fellowship at University of Southern California-affiliated hospitals. He has expertise in robotic surgery for benign and malignant disease. He is a clinical assistant professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and is program coordinator of the Colorectal Surgery Fellowship program. Dr. Klipfel is the current president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Rectal and Colon Surgeons as well as a member of Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract and the New England Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, among others.
Steven Milman, MD, is a board-certified general and thoracic surgeon and a clinical assistant professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He earned his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College, followed by a residency at Rhode Island Hospital. Dr. Milman completed a fellowship at Rush University Medical Center.
His clinical interests include endobronchial therapy and esophageal stenting for palliation of intrathoracic malignancies.
Thomas Miner, MD, is chief of surgical oncology at Rhode Island Hospital. He is an associate professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and an expert in gastric cancer surgery.
Dr. Miner's research interests include the use of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for cancers with diffuse involvement of the abdominal cavity.
Thomas Ng, MD, is a thoracic surgeon at Rhode Island Hospital and is an associate professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Ng received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and his medical degree from Queen’s University School of Medicine in Kingston, Canada. He completed his residency in general surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, a fellowship in critical care medicine at the University of Toronto and a fellowship in thoracic surgery at the University of Ottawa. Ng is active in a number of societies, including the American College of Surgeons, Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons, Cancer and Leukemia Group B, New England Surgical Society, Rhode Island Medical Society, Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, Society of Surgical Oncology and Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Leslie Roth, MD, FACS, FASCRS is co-director of the Program for Pelvic Floor Disorders in the Center for Women’s Gastrointestinal Medicine at the Women’s Medicine Collaborative and a colorectal surgeon at University Surgical Associates.
Dr. Roth is the Rosalyn and Joseph Sinclair Clinical Professor of Pelvic Floor Disorders and an assistant professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and her medical degree from the Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine, New York State/American Program, in Ramat Aviv, Israel and New York.
She completed her residency at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She is a graduate of the colon and rectal surgery fellowship at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Dr. Roth is board certified in both general and colorectal surgery. She is also a fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.
Dr. Roth's areas of clinical interest and expertise include colon and rectal cancer surgery, colonoscopy, laparoscopic/minimally invasive surgery, benign anorectal conditions, fecal incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders.
Steven Schechter, MD, is the interim chief of colorectal surgery for Lifespan and a board-certified colorectal surgeon with special expertise in laparoscopic, minimally invasive surgery, fecal incontinence, pelvic floor reconstructive surgery, and colon cancer.
His research interests include rectal cancer treatment, and the link between anal cancer and human papilloma virus in women.
Dr. Schechter is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and the New England Surgical Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and a member of the International Society of Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery.
Dr. Schechter is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and recipient of several awards for his teaching at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where he is a clinical associate professor.
Julia Tassinari, MD, is a board-certified general surgeon affiliated with Newport Hospital. Dr. Tassinari received her medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and completed her internship and residency at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Among her interests and expertise are minimally invasive surgery, including hernia repair, colon and foregut surgery; breast surgery; and skin and soft tissue surgery.
Charu Taneja, MD, is an affiliated surgical oncologist in the High-Risk Breast Program at the Women's Medicine Collaborative. She is a clinical assistant professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She received her medical degree from Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi in New Delhi, India. Taneja completed a residency in surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry at New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the surgical oncology fellowship at Boston University.
Taneja is board certified in surgery. She has published many original research articles in the field of oncology and breast surgery.
James Valente, MD, is a board-certified general surgeon affiliated with Newport Hospital. He received his medical degree from the Tufts University School of Medicine, and completed his residency at Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, New Jersey. He spent 25 years caring for members of the U.S. military and their families, most recently as head of general surgery at Naval Health Care of New England. He has expertise across a broad range of general surgical services, including management of breast, thyroid and diseases of the intestinal tract; hernia repair; endoscopic procedures; management of skin and subcutaneous lesions; and advanced laparoscopic surgery, including gallbladder, colon surgery and surgery for acid reflux.
Doreen Wiggins, MD, MHL, FACOG, FACS, is an affiliated physician at the Women's Medicine Collaborative. She is director of the Cancer Survivorship Medicine program and is an assistant clinical professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Rhode Island and her medical degree from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She pursued further medical training at Women & Infants Hospital and completed a Society for Surgical Oncology Breast Disease fellowship, and an intensive course in cancer risk assessment at the City of Hope in Los Angeles, California. Wiggins earned a master’s degree in healthcare leadership from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Wiggins is a fellow of both the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American College of Surgeons. She is the founder of Center for Obstetrics & Gynecology in Providence. Her areas of expertise are breast cancer surgery, gynecologic surgery, female cancer genetics, female sexuality and cancer survivorship.
Our team includes the neurosurgery team at Rhode Island Hospital.
Medical Oncology
Christopher Gerard Azzoli, MD, has joined the Lifespan Cancer Institute as director of thoracic oncology. A native Rhode Islander, Dr. Azzoli received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, followed by residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He completed his fellowship in Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York then served there as faculty from 2002 - 2012. He served as faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Boston from 2012 - 2018.
Dr. Azzoli is a former Chairman of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Clinical Practice Guideline Committee, and was recently named a Fellow of ASCO. He specializes in the care of patients with lung cancer, thymoma, and mesothelioma.
Ariel Birnbaum, MD, is a medical oncologist at Rhode Island Hospital. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio, completed his residency training at the University of Minnesota hospitals, and completed his fellowship in hematology/oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His clinical interests include combined modality treatment for lung cancer and end of life care. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical oncology and a participant in the Brown University Oncology Group.
Hina Khan, MD, is a medical oncologist who specializes in thoracic cancers, and an assistant professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She practices at Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals, and is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and oncology.
Dr. Khan's work has been published in several peer-reviewed medical journals and books. She is a member of the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Humera Khurshid, MD, is the director of the Lifespan Cancer Institute’s Thoracic Multidisciplinary Clinic, where she sees patients and collaborates with a team of specialists to coordinate patient care for newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. She is a medical oncologist with a special interest in geriatric oncology and the care of older lung cancer patients. She is also an assistant professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Angela Taber, MD, is a palliative care specialist and medical oncologist at the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island, The Miriam, and Newport hospitals. She has a special interest in issues involving patient quality of life, improving doctor-patient communication, and palliative care for patients with lung cancer. She is board certified in palliative care, and is an active participant in the Brown University Oncology Group, where she is involved in the development of clinical research protocols.
Taber earned her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts, and completed her residency and hematology-oncology fellowship at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and has been honored nationally for outstanding compassion and cancer care by the American Cancer Society. She is also the American Cancer Society’s designee to the Palliative Care and Quality of Life Interdisciplinary Advisory Council for the state of Rhode Island.
Pulmonology
Douglas Martin, MD, specializes in pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine in the Interventional Pulmonary Program at Rhode Island Hospital. He graduated from The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and then completed his residency and pulmonary and critical care fellowship at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Martin has a special interest in lung cancer, bronchoscopy and interventional pulmonary procedures. He is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary diseases, and critical care medicine. He is a member of The American Thoracic Society and The American College of Chest Physicians.
Radiation Oncology
Thomas DiPetrillo, MD, is clinical director of radiation oncology at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. He is a leading authority on a variety of radiation treatments for cancer, including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. DiPetrillo is a pioneer in the use of IMRT, a noninvasive procedure that allows physicians to pinpoint delivery of radiation therapy, resulting in better tumor control with less toxicity. He is also an expert in the use of HDR brachytherapy, a treatment that involves the use of a robotic arm to deliver a radioactive “seed” to a tumor.
DiPetrillo is a graduate of the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed his residency at New England Medical Center (now Tufts Medical Center). He is an associate professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and an adjunct associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Jaroslaw T. Hepel, MD, serves as director of stereotactic radiosurgery at Rhode Island Hospital and as an assistant professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He also serves as associate director of the Tufts-Affiliated Hospitals Residency Training Program in Radiation Oncology. He is board certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology. Hepel received his undergraduate degree at Cornell University and earned his medical degree at the University of Rochester. He completed internal medicine residency at the University of California Irvine Medical Center, and then went on to complete residency in the specialty of radiation oncology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA.
Hepel has broad experience and knowledge, and is active in caring for patients with a wide range of malignant diseases. However, he holds a particular interest and clinical expertise in the treatment of breast cancer and in stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy for diseases involving the lung, brain, spine, liver and other sites. He is not only very active in the clinic but also has a keen academic interest in these areas. He has published several book chapters and multiple scientific papers, and has regularly presented his work at national meetings. Through his academic work, he strives to improve treatment outcomes for patients not only in regard to achieving higher cure rates but also to minimizing treatment side effects.
Surgical Oncology
Steven Milman, MD, is a board-certified general and thoracic surgeon and a clinical assistant professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He earned his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College, followed by a residency at Rhode Island Hospital. Dr. Milman completed a fellowship at Rush University Medical Center.
His clinical interests include endobronchial therapy and esophageal stenting for palliation of intrathoracic malignancies.
Thomas Ng, MD, is a thoracic surgeon at Rhode Island Hospital and is an associate professor of surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Ng received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and his medical degree from Queen’s University School of Medicine in Kingston, Canada. He completed his residency in general surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, a fellowship in critical care medicine at the University of Toronto and a fellowship in thoracic surgery at the University of Ottawa. Ng is active in a number of societies, including the American College of Surgeons, Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons, Cancer and Leukemia Group B, New England Surgical Society, Rhode Island Medical Society, Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, Society of Surgical Oncology and Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Medical Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Thomas DiPetrillo, MD, is clinical director of radiation oncology at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. He is a leading authority on a variety of radiation treatments for cancer, including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. DiPetrillo is a pioneer in the use of IMRT, a noninvasive procedure that allows physicians to pinpoint delivery of radiation therapy, resulting in better tumor control with less toxicity. He is also an expert in the use of HDR brachytherapy, a treatment that involves the use of a robotic arm to deliver a radioactive “seed” to a tumor.
DiPetrillo is a graduate of the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed his residency at New England Medical Center (now Tufts Medical Center). He is an associate professor of radiation oncology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and an adjunct associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Surgical Oncology
Boris Gershman, MD, is an assistant professor of surgery (clinical) (urology) at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Dr. Gershman's clinical interests focus on urologic oncology, including the management of prostate, kidney, bladder, and testicular cancer. He has a broad research interest in comparative effectiveness and health services research, with a particular focus on risk-stratification for urologic malignancies and quality measurement.
Gershman graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and received his medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed residency training at the Massachusetts General Hospital followed by a Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) fellowship at Mayo Clinic. He has received numerous institutional and organizational honors and awards including the Maria L. Caleel Memorial Award for Academic Excellence, the Dr. I. S. Ravdin Memorial Prize in Surgery, the Dr. Spencer Morris Prize, and induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He serves as a reviewer for multiple journals, and has been recognized as Reviewer of the Year by European Urology.
Dragan Golijanin, MD, is a director of the Minimally Invasive Urology Institute and director of Genitourinary Oncology at The Miriam Hospital. He also serves as an associate professor of surgery (urology) at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His areas of expertise include prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer and testicular cancer. Golijanin is board certified in urology.
Golijanin earned his medical degree at the University of Belgrade. He completed residencies at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, University Clinical Center in Belgrade and Hadassah Medical Center. He completed fellowships in urologic oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University and Hadassah Medical Center, and was the first to publish on near-infrared real-time imaging in open laparoscopic and robotic surgery.