Administrative & Research Staff

Dawn Zelmanowitz

Administrator of the Institute of Urologic Oncology, Dawn Zelmanowitz joined the team in the Fall of 2016, following her appointment as Assistant Dean of Administration at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs. She received her Bachelor's Degree at Brandeis University and has been with the University of California for over 25 years. Ms. Zelmanowitz began her UCLA career in the Division of Surgical Oncology, served as Director of Business Affairs with the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and spent 10 years as a Manager in the Dean's Office of the David Geffen School of Medicine. She has spear-headed the launch of the Partners Program of the Institute of Urologic Oncology Program and is active on committees, work groups, and programs at UCLA and across the UC System.

Lissette Lee

Management Services Officer with the Institute of Urologic Oncology (IUO), Lissette Lee originally joined UCLA to work with Dr. Arie Belldegrun in the Department of Urology in August of 1998. After working at Cedars Sinai with Dr. William I. Young in Internal Medicine for six years, Lissette received her Bachelor's Degree at Mount St. Mary’s University. Lissette has been with the University of California for over 20 years. In her current capacity with the IUO, she coordinates administrative needs for the Institute’s co-Directors and serves as the VIP Liaison. Lissette works with UCLA’s Donor Services, Executive Health, International Relations, and other faculty teams to coordinate patient care, handling the day-to-day scheduling needs for patients. Lissette works with Institute Partners and most recently began working with the Institute’s Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) assisting with complex scheduling needs for patients enrolled in IUO clinical trials.

Nazy Zomorodian, RNC, MSN, CUNP, CCRC
IUO Clinical Trials Director

Director of the IUO Genitourinary Oncology Clinical Trials Unit and Assistant Professor and Nurse Practitioner for the Department of Urology, Nazy Zomorodian received her BS and Masters of Science in Nursing from the Hahnermann University in Philadelphia. Currently working on her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at UCLA, Ms. Zomorodian is certified by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals as a Clinical Research Coordinator, and is a certified Nurse Practitioner in both Urology and Oncology.  She has extensive experience in managing and conducting cancer research and has worked closely with UCLA's urologic and medical oncology principal investigators in basic research for over 20 years.  In addition, Ms. Zomorodian regularly instructs physicians, fellows, residents and nurses on all aspects of clinical trials for kidney, prostate and bladder cancers.

Margaret Bradley, CCRP
Clinical Trials Administrator

Ms. Bradley joined the UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology (IUO) Clinical Trials Team in 2017. As the Clinical Trials Administrator, she supervises the team, oversees daily operations, and serves as a resource to patients, colleagues, and investigators for all matters related to clinical research. Prior to UCLA, Ms. Bradley managed research teams at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a small healthcare start-up in New York City. She holds a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) certification from the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA).

Kyle Crisostomo, LVN
Fusion Biopsy Operator

Kyle von Crisostomo is a Licensed Vocational Nurse who has been working with UCLA’s Clark Urology Department since 2018. He is currently a part of Dr. Leonard S. Marks’ multi-disciplinary team, which is focused primarily on low to intermediate risk prostate cancer. Kyle holds a certification in the operation of the Artemis fusion device and is currently assisting as the main clinical nurse and fusion biopsy operator for the patient care under Dr. Marks’ practice. 

Merdie Delfin, RN
Nurse Practitioner

Merdie Delfin is a nurse practitioner and research coordinator who joined Dr. Marks's research team in 2016.  She graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a minor in Biology.  She then went on to obtain her nursing license and graduated with a Master's Degree in Nursing from the University of San Francisco.  Merdie has worked in various inpatient, outpatient and research settings at Kaiser San Francisco, NYU Langone Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College.  In 2018, she acquired a California nurse practitioner license and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner.  She currently assists Dr. Leonard Marks in managing studies and patients' clinical needs involving MRI/US fusion biopsies, active surveillance of prostate cancer, focal therapy (HIFU, cryoablation and focal laser ablation) and micro-ultrasound imaging.

Ankush Sachdeva
Senior Study Coordinator

Mr. Sachdeva joined the UCLA Institute of Urological Oncology in 2014 to help expand and continue to grow the clinical trials program.  He is committed to conducting high-quality research and assisting the physicians in their care of the patients. Mr. Sachdeva has coordinated studies in a variety of medical specialties including medical oncology, radiation oncology, orthopedics and neurosurgery.  Passion for patient care and quality research remain his `primary focus.

Elizabeth “Eli” Tran
Study Coordinator

A clinical research coordinator with the UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology, Ms. Elizabeth (Eli) Tran joined the team in the Summer of 2019, after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree at UCLA.  She is currently assisting Dr. Leonard S. Marks’s prostate cancer research studies, which focus primarily on diagnosis, active surveillance, and treatment of low to intermediate risk prostate cancer.

Samantha “Sam” Gonzalez, M.A.
Database Manager

Ms. Gonzalez joined the UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology in 2021. She received her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA in Anthropology & Egyptology and her Master’s degree from Missouri State University in History. She is currently assisting Dr. Leonard S. Marks’s prostate cancer research studies, including active surveillance and low to intermediate-risk prostate cancer treatment. Ms. Gonzalez holds a strong passion for patient care and research.

Randy Caliliw
Staff Research Associate – Lab Manager

Mr. Caliliw first joined UCLA in 1994, working in the multidisciplinary research laboratory of Dr. Arie Belldegrun. Mr. Caliliw works with several principal investigators, fellows, residents, medical students and undergrads on clinical, research lab and animal studies.  In his lengthy career, Mr. Caliliw has addressed a broad range of responsibilities from lab equipment maintenance to running experiments.  Most recently, he is working with the Institute’s Clinical Trials Unit.  Mr. Caliliw is committed to ensuring that research labs are well maintained to conduct high-quality research and is an invaluable contributor to the research conducted. Mr. Caliliw has co-authored several scientific and medical papers related to prostate, bladder and kidney cancer in the effort to develop immunotherapy cancer vaccines.

Martín Corona De La Cruz
Fund Manager

Mr. Corona De La Cruz joined the UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology Clinical Trials Team in 2019. He assists Principal Investigators with overseeing their clinical trial accounts from inception to closure. This includes completing weekly research transaction reports, submitting extensions for designated funds, invoicing sponsors and ensuring that all necessary internal documents are completed and submitted. Prior to UCLA, Mr. Corona De La Cruz was a Benefits Specialist/Subject Matter Expert in Financial Offsets for Unum Insurance and also worked as a Student Assistant for Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. He obtained a B.S. in Mathematics from Syracuse University in 2017.