Our Expert Team

Arie Belldegrun, MD, FACS
Dr. Belldegrun has a distinguished career as a visionary surgeon, scientist and life sciences entrepreneur. He is the Founding Director of the Institute of Urologic Oncology at UCLA, Professor of Urology, and holder of the Roy and Carol Doumani Chair in Urologic Oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Prior to joining UCLA, Dr. Belldegrun was at the National Cancer Institute/NIH as a research fellow in surgical oncology and immunology under Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg. He completed his M.D. at the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem, his post-graduate studies in Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science, and his residency in urologic surgery at Harvard Medical School. He has authored several books on oncology and more than 500 scientific and medical papers related to urological cancers, immunotherapy, gene therapy and cancer vaccines. Dr. Belldegrun is the Co-Founder and Senior Managing Director of a life science venture group, and has founded or participated in the advancement of numerous biotechnology companies. To date 5 drugs have been approved by the FDA from these companies. He is certified by the American Board of Urology and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons. More >

Stuart Holden, MD
Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Urology and Co-Director, UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology. Dr. Holden is recognized as an expert in prostate cancer research throughout the medical community. His dedication to patient care led to him being named medical director of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Prior to joining UCLA, Holden was the director of the Louis Warschaw Prostate Cancer Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the first holder of the Warschaw, Robertson, Law Families Chair in Prostate Cancer. More >

Karim Chamie, MD, MSHS
Director of the Institute of Urologic Oncology Fellowship and Bladder Cancer Programs, Dr. Chamie is an Associate Professor of Urology and Society of Urologic Oncology Fellowship Director. He attended Medical School at the University of Southern California (USC) and completed Urological training at UC Davis. Dr. Chamie then completed a SUO certified fellowship in Urologic Oncology at UCLA. His primary research interests are health services research and clinical trials in bladder cancer. His clinical interests include all areas of urologic oncology, with a particular emphasis on bladder cancer and robotic surgery. More >

Arnold I. Chin, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Urology and Medical Director, Urology-Westwood, Dr. Chin completed his M.D., Ph.D. and Urology residency training at UCLA. His clinical expertise includes urologic oncology and renal transplantation, performing open, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted surgeries for patients with all urologic malignancies including bladder, kidney, and prostate cancer. Dr. Chin's laboratory at the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center studies the differentiation of bladder cancer and its interplay with the tumor microenvironment. The long-term goals are to develop novel therapeutic targets, immune-based platforms, and stem cell-directed therapies against cancer. Dr. Chin's research has led to an investigator-initiated clinical trial that he is leading for patients with advanced small cell-neuroendocrine bladder and prostate cancer. More >

Nicholas Donin, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor of Urology. After graduating from Harvard University, he received his medical degree from Columbia University in New York City and completed his internship and residency at New York University. He then completed a 2-year Urologic Oncology Fellowship at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. His clinical and research interests include Urologic Oncology, minimally invasive robotic surgery for treatment of both benign and malignant urologic conditions, as well as general urology. He has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and 2 book chapters. More >

Mark S. Litwin, MD, MPH
Chair, Department of Urology. Professor of Urology, Health Policy & Management, and Nursing, Dr. Litwin trained at Harvard and specializes in testicular, bladder, prostate and kidney cancer. Dr. Litwin’s research focuses on improving quality of care, quality of life, and equitable access to care in urologic oncology. He created and directs IMPACT, a state-funded program that provides free medical care statewide for low-income, uninsured men with prostate cancer. He also leads several national and international research projects in prostate cancer, funded by the American Cancer Society, US Department of Defense, and Movember Foundation. He directs an NIH-funded fellowship training program in outcomes research in urologic oncology. Dr. Litwin is Founder and Co-Director of the UCLA Gender Health Program. For 14 years, he led Urologic Diseases in America, the NIH’s largest effort at documenting the burden of urologic diseases on the American people. More >

Leonard S. Marks, MD
Professor of Urology. He completed training at UCLA in 1978. He received an American Foundation for Urologic Diseases scholarship award and a Prostate Cancer Foundation research award. His current research interests involve prostate markers, imaging, and minimally-invasive treatments, and clinical interests include active surveillance, HIFU and targeted biopsy for prostate cancer. More >

Allan Pantuck, MD, MS, FACS
Professor of Urology and head of the UCLA IUO Clinical Research Program. Dr. Pantuck specializes in urologic cancers and has a long-standing interest in kidney, prostate, bladder cancers, developing new treatment strategies through basic and clinical research and in the study of nutritional approaches to their prevention and treatment. More >

Aydin Pooli, MD
Clinical Instructor of Urology. Dr. Pooli earned his medical degree from Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). He subsequently completed his urology residency at University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and urologic oncology fellowship training at UCLA’s Institute of Urologic Oncology (IUO), David Geffen School of Medicine. His primary research interests include working on gene expression protocols for high risk prostate and kidney cancers. His clinical work focuses on patient-centered management of urologic cancers as well as delivery of targeted therapies and tailored surgical procedures. More >

Robert E. Reiter, MD
Director of the Institute of Urologic Oncology Prostate Cancer Program, Professor of Urology, Professor of Molecular Biology, Chief of the Division of Urologic Oncology, and co-Director of the Genitourinary Oncology Program in UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center, Dr. Reiter attended Stanford Medical School, completed urologic training at Stanford and Baylor College of Medicine, completed additional fellowship training in urological cancer at the National Cancer Institute. His clinical interests include all areas of urologic oncology, with an emphasis on prostate cancer. He specializes in robotically-assisted prostatectomy and cystectomy, as well as open surgery, with robotic experience dating back to 2004, for bladder, prostate, and renal malignancies. Dr. Reiter is involved in all aspects of urologic oncology, with an emphasis on prostate cancer, and brings extensive experience in robotic surgery and the applications of translational research and the latest in MRI and molecular imaging to the management of men with this disease. More >

Christopher Saigal, MD, MPH
Professor and Vice Chair, Urology. Clinical practice, UCLA Westwood Campus. He is also on the staff of the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Saigal has had a longstanding clinical interest in urologic cancers and the surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. His research is focused on patient-centered decision support and quality of care for urologic conditions. More >

Joseph Shirk, MD
Assistant Professor of Urology. Dr. Shirk earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He completed his intern year at Boston Medical Center and subsequently completed his urology residency at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and urologic oncology fellowship training at UCLA’s Institute of Urologic Oncology (IUO), David Geffen School of Medicine. His academic work focuses on advancing the science of surgical innovation with a focus on novel imaging techniques to optimize surgical planning. Dr. Shirk plans to establish a Center of Urologic Surgical Innovation, providing a collaborative environment for the development and testing of new technology. His clinical work focuses on the treatment of oncologic conditions within urology, and he sees patients at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. More >

Brian Shuch, MD
Director of the Institute of Urologic Oncology Kidney Cancer Program, Associate Professor of Urology, and Henry Alvin and Carrie L. Meinhardt Chair for Kidney Cancer Research, Dr. Shuch completed his urology training at UCLA followed by a 3-year Urologic Oncology Fellowship at the National Cancer Institute. An accomplished surgeon (open/laparoscopic/robotic/and percutaneous) and clinical/translational researcher, Dr. Shuch serves in leadership positions within various kidney cancer research organizations such as SWOG, the SUO CTC, and the KCA. He is recognized as an expert in the genetics of kidney cancer and runs an NIH-funded laboratory with 100 peer reviewed publications including primary research published in prestigious journals such as Nature Genetics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Clinical Cancer Research. More >

Alexandra Drakaki, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine and Urology, and Director of the Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program, Dr. Alexandra Drakaki is an MD, PhD and board certified Oncologist / Hematologist. She received her training in Internal Medicine at a Tuft's University affiliate program while she completed her hematology/oncology training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School and her research fellowship at Dana Farber Cancer Center Harvard Medical School in Boston. She specializes in genitourinary cancers and specifically cancers of the bladder, testis, urethra, prostate and kidney. Part of the Translational Oncology Research Laboratory at UCLA in which researchers are working on drug development by using novel technologies for breakthrough discoveries, Dr. Drakaki is also the Primary Investigator on several ongoing clinical trials that are testing novel drugs in the field. Her research interest is studying the role of a novel class of genes, named non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs and linkRNAs in genitourinary malignancies. More >

Sandy Liu, MD
Clinical Instructor in Medicine, Hematology-Oncology. Dr. Sandy Liu completed her hematology/oncology fellowship at UCLA and Internal Medicine residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She earned her medical degree from George Washington University in Washington D.C. and her bachelors of science in biology at University of Southern California. Dr. Liu specializes in genitourinary (GU) cancers, and is involved in clinical trials with research interests in immunotherapy and drug development. She is committed to providing high-quality, personal care to patients and their families. Dr. Liu is on staff at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica UCLA Hospital and Providence Tarzana Medical Center. More >

Matthew Rettig, MD
Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and the Department of Urology, and Medical Director of the Prostate Cancer Program of the UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology. Dr. Rettig received his medical degree from Duke University and internal medicine residency at the University of Washington, before going on to a hematology-oncology fellowship at UCLA. Dr. Rettig’s focus is on management of genitourinary malignancies, with a clinical emphasis on advanced prostate cancer and research emphasis on identifying biochemical targets for therapeutic translation in castration-resistant prostate cancer and clear cell renal cell carcinoma. More >

John Shen, MD
Clinical Instructor in Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Shen received his bachelor of science from Stanford University, with honors in cancer biology. He completed medical school at the University of California, Irvine and an internal medicine residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. At UCLA, he completed a combined fellowship in Hematology/Oncology and Geriatric Medicine, and served as chief fellow. Dr. Shen specializes in the care of older adults with genitourinary malignancies, in particular cancers of the prostate, kidney, and bladder. More >

Dennis J. Slamon, MD
Director of Clinical/Translational Research and director of the Revlon/UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program at JCCC. He is a professor of medicine, chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology and executive vice chair for research for UCLA's Department of Medicine. Slamon also serves as director of the medical advisory board for the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance, a fund-raising organization that promotes advances in colorectal cancer. A 1975 honors graduate of the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine, Slamon earned his PhD in cell biology that same year. He completed his internship and residency at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics, becoming chief resident in 1978. One year later, he became a fellow in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at UCLA.More >

Martin Auerbach, MD
Director of Nuclear Medicine at the Westwood and Santa Monica UCLA Hospitals, and Associate Professor in Nuclear Medicine. Dr. Auerbach received his MD degree from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, and began his career at UCLA with a Research Fellowship, moving into Nuclear Medicine in 2002. Apart from attending physician responsibilities, Dr. Auerbach’s active research includes clinical studies investigating the role of molecular imaging with PET/CT to gain insights into malignant disease processes, and monitoring of cancer treatment.

Shadfar Bahri, MD
Assistant Professor of UCLA Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Ahmanson Translational Imaging Division. Dr. Bahri received his medical degree from the University of Goettingen, Germany in 2002. He subsequently started training in the Department of Radiology in Goettingen before relocating to Irvine, CA where he became an Associate Project Scientist at UC Irvine, Center for Functional Onco-Imaging. Dr. Bahri completed his Internship in General Surgery at UC Irvine in 2014, followed by Nuclear Medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and completed his Nuclear Medicine residency at UCLA before joining the ranks as a faculty. Dr. Bahri is primarily involved in prostate cancer imaging research with PSMA tracers and it's further application to provide better treatment options including theranostic approaches. More >

Jeremie Calais, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor at the Ahmanson Translational Imaging Division of the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology. Dr. Calais received his MD degree from the University of Paris-Diderot in 2010. He subsequently trained in nuclear medicine and cancer imaging at the Henri Becquerel Cancer Center of the University of Rouen and was board certified by the French Society of Nuclear Medicine in 2014. His work focuses on improving the outcomes of cancer patients by translating and applying novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. He uses PET/CT imaging for cancer phenotyping, radiation therapy planning and therapy response assessment. He leads the clinical theranostics research program at UCLA that combines radionuclide therapy and imaging.

Johannes Czernin, MD
Professor and Vice Chair of the UCLA Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and Chief of the Ahmanson Translational Imaging. He received his MD degree from the University of Vienna, Austria, and started his career at UCLA as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Heinrich Schelbert’s lab. Dr. Czernin’s work focuses on improving the outcomes of cancer patients by developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. He has served as the President of the Academy of Molecular Imaging, has published more than 240 manuscripts, and currently serves as the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. More >

Katharina Lückerath, PhD
Assistant Professor at the UCLA Ahmanson Translational Theranostics Division of the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology. Dr. Lückerath is a biomedical scientist who obtained her PhD at the Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy (Georg-Speyer-Haus, Frankfurt a. M., Germany). She served as head of the research group Experimental Oncology in Nuclear Medicine at the University of Würzurg (Germany) before transferring to UCLA. Dr. Lückerath’s research focuses on experimental and translational theranostics. Specifically, Dr. Lückerath investigates mechanisms underlying failure of radionuclide therapy with the goal to develop rationally chosen, translatable radionuclide therapy-based combination regimens that improve quality of life and survival of cancer patients.

Christine Mona, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor at the UCLA Ahmanson Translational Theranostic Division (ATTD). Dr. Christine Mona received her Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 2016 from Université de Sherbrooke. She joined UCLA in 2016 as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Nuclear Medicine in the research group of Professor Johannes Czernin. In early 2020, Dr. Mona was promoted to Adjunct Assistant Professor. Dr. Mona is a translational researcher at the edge of Chemistry, Pharmacology and Nuclear Medicine, animated by applying modern scientific discoveries to the practice of medicine for the benefit of patients. Her program pioneers research in targeted nuclear medicine in different cancer paradigms and covers a broad field of preclinical research and translation to clinical discoveries.

Andrew Quon, MD
Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Division of Nuclear Medicine, and is the Medical Director of the Clinical PET/CT Program at UCLA. Dr. Quon received his medical degree from the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School at Dallas and completed this residency and fellowship training at UCLA. Dr. Quon's focus is on radionuclide-based imaging and therapy for malignancy with particular emphasis on lymphoma, neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancers. More >

Hans David Ulmert, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor in Residence in the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and the Institute of Urologic Oncology. Dr. Ulmert obtained his medical degree at Lund University in Sweden. He began a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering in 2010 and has served as a Senior Research Scientist in the Medical Pharmacology Program and as the Technical Director for the Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy since 2014. Dr. Ulmert’s clinical research is focused on the study of risk factors and biomarkers related to clinically diagnosed prostate cancer and definitive end-points in non-screened cohorts. The findings of these studies extend into my translational research, which center on development of novel in vivo strategies targeting enzymes regulated by the molecular pathways that drive the disease. The overarching goal is to apply these specific tissue targeting vehicles for multimodal molecular imaging strategies, as well as for carriers of therapeutic agents.

Sarah M. Dry, MD
Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Dry earned her B.A. degree cum laude from Yale University and her M.D. from University of Connecticut. Following pathology residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, she completed a soft tissue fellowship at the Brigham and a GI fellowship at UCLA. Her research interests include biobanking and informed consent, for which she was awarded an NIH grant supplemental to the UCSF/UCLA CTSA awards to develop best practices for biorepository-related informed consent, biorepository governance and community engagement in biorepository activities at the five University of California biomedical campuses. More >

Jian Yu Rao, MD
Professor Pathology and Epidemiology, Chief of Cytopathology and Director of the Gynecological Pathology. Dr. Rao received his MD from Shanghai University. He completed his Fellowships at UCLA School of Medicine and University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. More >

Nagesh Rao, PhD, FACMG
Chief, Clinical and Molecular Cytogenetics Laboratory, Molecular Pathology, Cytogenetics and Orphan Disease. Dr. RAo is also Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. More >

Jonathan Said, MD
Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Chief of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology and Chief of Genitourinary Pathology. Dr. Said earned his MD from the University of the Witwatersrand Medical School in Johannesburg and completed his Residency and Fellowship in Hematopathology at Harvard's Brigham & Women's Hospital. Dr. Said is an expert in the pathology diagnosis of urologic diseases and has published extensively on neoplastic diseases of the kidney and prostate. More >

Anthony E. Sisk Jr., DO
Assistant Professor in Pathology. Dr. Sisk earned his medical degree from Michigan State University, completed his residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and a fellowship in surgical pathology at the UCLA School of Medicine. He specializes in anatomic pathology. More >

Huihui Ye, MD, MS
Associate Clinical Professor of Urology and Chief of Genitourinary Pathology. Dr. Ye received her medical degree from the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. She completed her residency in Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology at New York University Medical Center. Before coming to UCLA, Dr. Ye practiced Anatomic Pathology and served as Director of Genitourinary Pathology in the Department of Pathology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She was Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ye's research focuses on the interplay of genetics and tumor microenvironment of genitourinary cancer including prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma. More >

Albert Chang, MD, PhD
Dr. Albert Chang, Associate Professor, is the Vice Chair of Surgical Services and Brachytherapy Service Chief for the UCLA Radiation Oncology and the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Chang received his Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine and M.D. degrees from the Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the Washington University School of Medicine, and then joined the faculty at the University of California, San Francisco as an Assistant Professor. His clinical focus is on malignancies of the genitourinary and gynecological systems and specialized in high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. More >

Amar U. Kishan, MD
Assistant Professor-in-Residence in Radiation Oncology. He received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School and completed his residency training at UCLA. His primary clinical and research interests are in the management of genitourinary malignancies, particularly prostate cancer. He is actively involved in studying the use of advanced radiation techniques to treat prostate and bladder cancer, and in investigating how to optimize treatment of aggressive prostate cancer. More >

Patrick Kupelian, MD
Professor of Radiation Oncology and Vice-Chair of Clinical Operations and clinical Research at UCLA. He completed his Residency training in Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and his Fellowship in Radiation Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Kupelian specializes in genitourinary malignancies and has pioneered high-does hypofractionated radiation therapy for prostate cancer. More >

Alan Lee, MD
Assistant Professor in the UCLA Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Lee completed his undergraduate studies at The University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS and medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. He completed his internship in medicine/surgery at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Boston, MA and his Radiation Oncology residency at Montefiore Medical Center / Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY. During his time in residency he developed a strong interest in brachytherapy which led him to the completion of a brachytherapy fellowship at UCLA. His clinical focus is on delivery of complex high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy in the treatment of gynecologic and genitourinary malignancies. More >

Steve P. Lee, MD, PhD
Professor of Radiation Oncology at UCLA. Dr. Lee attended medical school at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed his residency in radiation oncology and received his PhD in radiation biology at UCLA School of Medicine. Dr. Lee specializes in cancer-related problems that are specific to Asian minority populations. His current research interest is focused on the quantitative analysis of cancer treatment outcomes in the clinic, linking to theoretical predictions from basic science in oncology. More >

Nicholas Nickols, MD, PhD
Dr. Nickols is a physician scientist who earned his medical degree at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and completed his residency training in the UCLA Department of Radiation Oncology in 2014. Additionally, Dr. Nickols obtained his doctorate degree at the California Institute of Technology in 2007. He joined the UCLA Department of Radiation Oncology as an Assistant Professor in Residence in 2014. Dr. Nickols is interested in exploring a chemical biology approach to the modulation of ionizing radiotherapy, overcoming treatment resistance mechanisms and conducting combined therapy clinical trials for locally advanced prostate cancer. More >

Michael Steinberg, MD
Dr. Michael L. Steinberg is Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. His professional career spans private, corporate and academic practice and is known for the development of multi-site radiation oncology care networks that are characterized by clinical excellence and community based clinical research. The UCLA Radiation Oncology network includes the department at Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA, academically oriented community practices as well as Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Steinberg has specific expertise in the treatment of tumors of the GU system, breast and head and neck. He specializes in the use of technically advanced treatment modalities such as Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) and brachytherapy for the treatment of malignancy. More >

Corey Arnold, PhD
Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the UCLA Departments of Radiological Sciences and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Corey leads the Computational Diagnostics program, a joint effort between the departments. His areas of research include medical image analysis, computational phenotyping, natural language processing, and multi-scale predictive disease modeling, with a preference for problems that have a clear pathway to clinical translation. Most projects share the goal of integrating radiology, pathology, and -omic features to further our understanding of disease through the discovery of predictive computational phenotypes that may be used for risk stratification, treatment selection, and response monitoring. His lab also serves as a resource for department physicians, fellows, and residents who wish to incorporate machine learning/data science techniques into their research.

Dieter R. Enzmann, MD
Professor and Chair of the UCLA Department of Radiological Sciences. Dr. Enzmann received his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors at the University of Wisconsin, his Medical Degree and radiology training at Stanford University and his subspecialty training in neuroradiology at the University of California, San Francisco. After achieving the rank of tenured professor at Stanford University, he became Chair of Radiology at Northwestern University in Chicago and then Chair of the Radiological Sciences Department at UCLA. His CV includes 231 published manuscripts, 22 book chapters and 3 books. He was awarded two R01 NIH grants for the study of CNS infections and CSF physiology. He has gained a solid understanding of business concepts in medicine having completed two, nine-month sabbaticals at the Stanford Graduate School of Business covering two MBA years. As Chair at two academic universities, Dr. Enzmann has a track record of building strong clinical and research programs in diagnostic and interventional radiology incorporating multiple new technologies in diagnostic imaging; in radiogenomics and radiomics; in artificial intelligence in the form of machine and deep learning; and in vascular and oncologic image-guided treatments. These programs have emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration and productive research relationships with industry. More >

Ely R. Felker, MD
Assistant Professor, Abdominal Imaging and Intervention Department of Radiology. He is interested in quantitative MR imaging, especially prostate MRI, and is a member of the prostate imaging research group at UCLA.

William Hsu, PhD
Associate Professor of Radiological Sciences, Director of the Integrated Diagnostics Shared Resource, and member of the Medical & Imaging Informatics group. Dr. Hsu is a biomedical informatician whose research focuses on the systematic integration of information across different data sources to improve the performance and robustness of clinical prediction models. His lab develops and validates computational tools that harness clinical, diagnostic imaging, and molecular data to aid physicians with formulating timely, accurate, and personalized management strategies for individual patients. They explore the application of novel artificial intelligence/machine learning algorithms to improve early detection and diagnosis of cancer, including prostate. He also oversees a team of software developers and analysts who harden and translate research products into real-world applications.

Steven Raman, MD
Professor of Radiology and Urology. Dr. Raman is an expert in Urological Radiology, having published over 75 papers, 100 abstracts and several book chapters in this field. He has been the founding member of the UCLA Prostate Imaging Group, whose members include physicians and scientists dedicated to advancing the field of prostate imaging. More >

Paul C. Boutros, PhD
Director of Cancer Data Science for the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Associate Director of Cancer Informatics at the Institute for Precision Health, Professor of Human Genetics and a secondary appointment in Urology, as well as an integral member of the Institute of Urologic Oncology and the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA. Boutros received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of Waterloo, his doctorate in Medical Biophysics from the University of Toronto, and his Executive MBA from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Dr. Boutros, an internationally acclaimed cancer genomics researcher, will lead the cancer center’s efforts to use big data to optimize treatments for patients. His work specifically focuses on the development of clinically useful biomarkers using genomic and data science techniques like next-generation sequencing, clinical and cellular imaging, machine-learning, crowd-sourcing and cloud-computing.

Jonathan Braun, MD, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Jonathan G. Braun, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-researcher devoted to the roles of the immune system in resistance and susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease and cancer. His recent national service includes chair of the National Scientific Advisory Committee of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation; chair of the Scientific Board, Milieu Interieur, Institute Pasteur; president of the Clinical Immunology Society, and co-founder and president of the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies, a leading international organization for translational immunology. Dr. Braun's research centers on the mechanisms of microbial-immune commensalism in the intestine and the integration of multi’omic and genetic analysis to advance the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The scope of this work includes functional immune assessment, tissue proteomics, genome-wide genetics, and microbiome metagenomics and metabolomics) and participation in the NIDDK IBD Genetics Consortium, NIH HMP2, and as PI of the CCFA Microbiome Consortium. His group is also devoted to new strategies in functional immune assessment, including gene targeting and positron-emission tomography for real-time imaging of immune-mediated inflammation. He has published more than 170 primary research studies, 14 issued patents, and co-founded three biotechnology companies.

Isla Garraway, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Urology and Director of Research, Dr. Isla P. Garraway received her Bachelor of Science degree from Brown University and completed the Medical Scientist (MD-PhD) Training Program (MSTP) at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA with a doctorate in Molecular Biology. Upon completion of the UCLA Urology residency program, she joined the UCLA faculty. A Member of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA, Dr. Garraway is a surgeon-scientist and Principal Investigator of a UCLA basic/translational science laboratory that is focused on characterizing human prostate stem and tumor-initiating cells, as well as biological and microenvironmental interactions that influence metastatic progression. She maintains a clinical practice within the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, where she also conducts clinical research. Dr. Garraway has received the Donald S. Coffey Career Development, Young Investigator, and Challenge Awards from the Prostate Cancer Foundation. She has also received funding from the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense, the Jean Perkins Foundation, the STOP Cancer Foundation, and the Margaret E. Early Foundation. More >

Andrew Goldstein, PhD
Assistant Researcher in the Departments of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology and Urology. Dr. Goldstein earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Dartmouth College and his PhD in Molecular Biology from UCLA in the laboratory of Dr. Owen Witte. He went on to become the inaugural Fellow of the Broad Stem Cell Research Center at UCLA focusing on epithelial stem cell and cancer biology. Dr. Goldstein’s research is focused on investigating the cell-types, signaling pathways and microenvironmental cues that influence epithelial progenitor cells and promote tumorigenesis and treatment-resistance. The long-term goals of his work are to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to cancer initiation, progression and treatment-resistance, particularly in prostate cancer.

Michael A. Teitell, MD, PhD
Michael Teitell, M.D., Ph.D. was appointed as the director of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center on August 8, 2017. Teitell holds the Latta Endowed Chair in Pathology and is a full professor in the Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, with joint appointments in the Departments of Pediatrics and Bioengineering. He serves as Physician and Chief of the Division of Pediatric and Neonatal Pathology and he has been a member of the cancer center since 1999. Teitell is also a member of the Molecular Biology Institute, the Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, AIDS Research Institute, and the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA. More >

Owen Witte, PhD
Founding Director of the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center; University Professor of the University of California; Presidential Chair in Developmental Immunology, and Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, Dr. Witte has made significant scientific contributions to the understanding of human leukemias, immune disorders and epithelial cancers. After graduating from Cornell University and earning his medical degree at Stanford, Dr. Witte did his postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Nobel Laureate, David Baltimore. Dr. Witte’s early discovery of the tyrosine kinase activity in the ABL protein and the demonstration of the BCR-ABL oncoproteins in leukemias was one of the preclinical discoveries that led to the development of Gleevec, the first targeted therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia. Dr. Witte also co-discovered the gene for Bruton's tyrosine kinase, a protein essential for normal B-lymphocyte development that, when mutated, causes the onset of X-linked agammaglobulinemia. This finding influenced the development of targeted drugs like Ibrutinib to treat leukemia and lymphoma. Dr. Witte is now pursuing prostate cancer research, taking several independent approaches to pinpoint specific biologic functions of Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer with the intent to improve survival and reduce side effects for men with this aggressive and deadly disease. More >

Lily Wu, MD, PhD
Dr. Wu is a Professor in the Departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Urology, and Pediatrics. Following her undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Wu was a member of the inaugural class of the UCLA Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D., Ph.D. program). With completion of a UCLA Pediatrics Residency and UCLA Hematology Oncology Fellowship, Dr. Wu was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Postdoctoral Fellow. As a clinician scientist, Dr. Wu is particularly interested in translating bench research findings to clinical application. Dr. Wu’s initial research interest centered on building a comprehensive gene therapy program to treat advanced, metastatic prostate cancer. In the last 5-6 years, the Wu Research Group has devoted great efforts to gain a better understanding of cancer progression and metastases. Ongoing research will leverage insights gained from their novel metastatic model to develop new and effective therapeutic targets to inhibit mRCC. Beyond her research endeavors, a major part of Dr. Wu’s effort involves mentoring students at all levels, from undergraduates, graduate, postdoctoral fellows to clinical residents.

Gang Zeng, PhD
Associate Professor in Urology and Member of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. His current work is focused on cancer immunodiagnosis, immunotherapy, and prostate cancer stem cell biology. 

Nazy Zomorodian, RNC, MSN, CUNP, CCRC
Ms. Zomorodian is the Director of the Genitourinary Clinical Trials Unit and Assistant Professor and Nurse Practitioner for the Department of Urology. She received her BS and Masters of Science in Nursing from the Hahnermann University in Philadelphia and is working on her PhD in Research Nursing at UCLA. Ms. Zomorodian is certified by the Association of Clinical Research Professional 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. Ms. Zomorodian regularly instructs physicians, fellows, residents and nurses on all aspects of clinical trials for kidney, prostate and bladder cancers. More >

Jean B. DeKernion, MD
Professor Emeritus of Urology. Residency, Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, fellowship, National Cancer Institute. Certified by the American Board of Surgery and American Board of Urology. World leader in Urologic Oncology, co-authored the first textbook on the subject. Founder, Society of Urologic Oncology, member of the American Board of Urology, Chair, Department of Defense prostate cancer Research program. Kidney, bladder and prostate cancer are the areas in which he has made the most significant contributions. 

David J. Demanes, MD
Dr. Demanes received his bachelor of arts degree from UC Berkeley and his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He completed residencies in internal medicine and radiation oncology at UCLA and his medical oncology fellowship at UCSF. He is the past chairman and president of the American College of Radiation Oncology.