Fariba Asrari, MD

Dr. Meyer will serve as the lead medical oncologist for adult sarcoma patients, and will focus on building the Adult Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology Program. In collaboration with pediatric oncologist David Loeb, M.D., Ph.D., and orthopaedic surgeon Kristy Weber, M.D., Meyer will bring novel therapies to the clinic for sarcoma patients.Meyer received his bachelors and masters degrees in cell and molecular biology from Stanford University. From there, he joined the Medical Scientist Training Program at Baylor College of Medicine and earned his medical degree followed by a doctorate in immunology. Meyer completed his residency at the University of Maryland and served as chief resident in medicine from 2004-2005. Afterward, he joined our fellowship program in medical oncology and has been working in the laboratory of Jonathan Powell, M.D., Ph.D., on projects relating to the characterization of molecular regulatory pathways involved in T-cell activation and energy. As a third-year fellow, Meyer served as the chief fellow for our Training Programs in Hematology and Medical Oncology and he received a Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2010.

Mark J. Levis, M.D., Ph.D., professor of oncology, medicine and pharmacology in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, co-directs the Hematologic Malignancies and Bone Marrow Transplantation Program and directs the Adult Leukemia Service at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. In addition to his role within the Kimmel Cancer Center, he serves on the faculty for the Johns Hopkins Graduate Training Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, a Ph.D. program that prepares scientists to conduct laboratory research at the cellular and molecular level that is designed to have a direct impact on the understanding of human diseases.Dr. Levis has expertise in acute and chronic myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and myelodysplastic syndromes.Dr. Levis received his medical degree at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, where he also earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins, followed by fellowships in medical oncology.Dr. Levis is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the European Hematology Association. He is an ad hoc member of the Oncology Drug Advisory Committee, as well as an ad hoc manuscript referee for peer-reviewed journals such as New England Journal of Medicine; Leukemia; Clinical Cancer Research; and The American Journal of Hematology.Dr. Levis has earned numerous awards, such as the Daniel Nathans Research Award from Johns Hopkins University, the Osler Housestaff Teaching Award, the Director's Teaching Award in Clinical Science, and the Advanced Clinical Research Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology.Dr. Levis’ laboratory research focuses on the development of molecularly-targeted therapies for leukemia. He is actively involved in the pre-clinical and clinical development of small molecule inhibitors of protein kinases, including FLT3. The research involves studying the biochemical effects of these inhibitors on samples taken from leukemia patients, with the broad goal of identifying and validating novel molecular therapeutic targets in these hematopoietic malignancies. While Dr. Levis plays a key role in the pre-clinical development of these therapies, he is particularly interested in translating this research to the bedside of his patients by using correlative studies to incorporate these novel therapies into existing treatments. In addition to his work in both the clinic and the laboratory, Dr. Levis has also conducted talks, mentorship and teaching lectures, and published extensively in the top journals in his field, including Leukemia; Blood; and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Nilofer S. Azad is Professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and serves as the Associate Cancer Center Director for Clinical Research for the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Dr. Azad earned her medical degree and completed a residency in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She then completed a fellowship in oncology and hematology at the National Institute of Health's National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland where she served as chief fellow. Dr. Azad’s research focused on early phase drug development and the intersection of moving exciting laboratory findings into patients for new treatment options Dr. Azad joined the faculty at the Kimmel Cancer Center in 2008. Dr. Azad’s clinical expertise is in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, with a concentration in colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma and pancreaticobiliary tract cancer. Her research efforts are dedicated to developing new drug combinations for patients with advanced cancer. In particular, Dr. Azad’s laboratory and clinical trials explore epigenetic therapy in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy to improve survival for patients, as well as molecularly targeted drugs. She is an active clinical trialist, leading multiple clinical trials of molecularly targeted agents for advanced cancer patients. Dr. Azad has received numerous grants for her work from entities such as the NCI (National Cancer Center), American Cancer Society, American Society of Clinical Research, Breakthrough Cancer Foundation, the Lustgarten Foundation, The Gateway Foundation, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, among others. She served as Principal for Johns Hopkins on the AACR Stand Up 2 Cancer Colorectal Cancer Dream Team and is a member of the Stand Up 2 Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team, leading the GI cancer initiatives for the group. Dr. Azad is a national leader in GI cancer, including serving as a member of the national NCI Colon Cancer Task Force and as Co-Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. She has a presidential appointment to the National Cancer Advisory Board.