Dr. Lessin is a Health Research Advisor to CTIS, Inc. He is a medical oncologist, hematologist, medical educator and researcher. Since 1993, he has served as Medical Director of the Washington Cancer Institute. Previously, he spent over 30 years in academic medicine and research at the University of Pennsylvania, Duke University and George Washington University. Dr. Lessin was Director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology and Director of the Cancer Center at George Washington University for 23 years. Dr. Lessin received his MD from the University of Chicago and completed his residency at the University of Pennsylvania. He has served on numerous national and international boards and committees.
Dr. Shah is a Medical Practice Advisor to CTIS. He is a practicing gastroenterologist at Tri-County Endoscopy Center and his specialty is gastroenterology and internal medicine. Dr. Shah is also Vice President of Shah Associates, which owns Philip J. Bean Medical Center, and President of Mid-Atlantic Medical Research Centers. He is affiliated with St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown, Maryland and has conducted an extensive variety of clinical trials studies in gastroenterology for major pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Shah received his Bachelor’s degree from Jai Hind College in Bombay and his MD from Seth G.S. Medical College, also in Bombay.
Dr. Chang is a Biological Research Advisor to CTIS. She is a microbiologist and tenured professor at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Cancer Center. Dr. Chang’s work led to her joint appointment to the Surgery Department at Uniformed Services, University of the Health Services, followed by research within a clinical department at Stanford University, and her present appointments within two clinical departments, Oncology and Otolaryngology, of the Lombardi Cancer Center. She is a recognized expert in combined therapy (gene and conventional) in the treatment of cancer. Dr. Chang holds a Bachelors degree in biology from Fu Jen University, Taiwan and a doctorate in microbiology from the University of Southern Texas.
Dr. Bollinger is a Clinical Research Advisor to CTIS. He is a Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and with over 27 years of experience in international public health and clinical research, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy and other infectious diseases, he is a recognized expert in the fields of public health, infectious diseases and international health issues. Dr. Bollinger is a known pioneer in the field of HIV/AIDS in India and Africa, and over the past 14 years has initiated and supervised a large collaborative HIV research program in Pune, India, as well as collaborations with investigators in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. He received his B.A. in Philosophy/Chemistry from Haverford College in 1979; M.D. from Dartmouth Medical School in 1984; and MPH from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health in 1988.
Dr. Magrath is an International Clinical Research Advisor to CTIS. He is the President of the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (INCTR) is highly regarded as a leading international expert in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) and in the treatment of pediatric cancers. During the last 18 years, he has established a program to improve treatment for patients with cancer in developing countries through the conduct of both clinical trials and basic research. He has developed a large network of collaborators in many parts of the developing world, including India, Pakistan, China, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, Uganda and Egypt. Prior to joining the NCI, he served as the Director of the Lymphoma Treatment Center in Kampala, Uganda. In addition to his responsibilities to the INCTR, he also is a Senior Investigator at the NCI and is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of the Uniformed Services in the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Magrath has received his qualifications in medicine and surgery from the University of London. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and of the Royal College of Pathologists.
Dr. Cunningham is an international policy and programs advisor to CTIS. Her background is in policy research, monitoring and evaluations. She has worked at several leading consulting firms in the Washington, D.C. area, where responsibilities have included evaluation research, survey administration, program management as well as data collection through focus groups, interviews and surveys. Projects have included several large scale US Department of Labor and Department of Education program evaluations. She has experience working in academia as well as the private sector. She has served as a consultant to several non-profit groups here in the United States as well as in South Asia. She is the President and CEO of Artha Consulting Group, a management consulting firm based in Maryland. Dr. Cunningham earned her doctorate in Sociology from Purdue University and is originally from Bangalore, India.