Advisors
The ABTA relies on leaders and experts in the brain tumor community to make sure the work we do is meaningful and accurate.
ABTA Advisors
Our Scientific Advisory Council, led by SAC Chairperson, Dr. Craig Horbinski, makes research funding recommendations to the ABTA Board of Directors and advises the ABTA about scientific trends and new areas of research. Our Clinical Advisory Committee, led by CAC Chairperson, Dr. Elizabeth Claus, and the Metastatic Brain Tumor Advisory Committee review our brochures and other content we put into our patient programs and services to make sure information is clinically current and evidence-based.
Scientific Advisory Committee
SAC Chair
Craig Horbinski, MD, PhD
Director of Neuropathology, Professor of Pathology and Neurological Surgery
Institution:
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Location:
Chicago, IL
Manish Aghi, MD, PhD
Professor of Neurosurgery
Institution:
University of California, San Francisco
Location:
San Francisco, CA
Priscilla Brastianos, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine and Director, CNS Metastasis Center
Institution:
Massachusetts General Hospital
Location:
Boston, MA
Steven Brem, MD
Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of Neurosurgery Medical Student Education
Institution:
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Location:
Philadelphia, PA
Jeffrey Bruce, MD
Edgar M. Housepian Professor of Neurological Surgery and Co-Director, Brain Tumor Center
Institution:
Columbia University Medical Center
Location:
New York, NY
Maria Castro, PhD
R.C. Schneider Collegiate Professor of Neurosurgery and Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
Institution:
University of Michigan Medical School
Location:
Ann Arbor, MI
Milan Chheda, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurology, and Director of Neuro-oncology
Institution:
Washington University School of Medicine
Location:
St. Louis, MO
E. Antonio Chiocca, MD, PhD
Harvey W. Cushing Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief and Chairman
Institution:
Brigham and Women’s and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Location:
Boston, MA
Anita Hjelmeland, PhD
Associate Professor, Dept. of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, and Basic Science Co-Leader, Neurooncology Program, O’Neal CCC
Institution:
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Location:
Birmingham, AL
Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD
Director, Neuro-oncology, and Chair and Professor, Department of Translational Neuro-oncology and Neurotherapeutics
Institution:
Pacific Neuroscience Institute
Location:
Santa Monica, CA
Betty Kim, MD, PhD
Professor, Neurosurgery
Institution:
University of Texas – MD Anderson Cancer Center
Location:
Houston, TX
Albert Lai, MD, PhD
Professor of Neurology
Institution:
University of California, Los Angeles
Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Justin Lathia, PhD
Vice Chair and Professor, Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, and Scientific Director, Rose Ella Brain Tumor & Neuro-Oncology Center
Institution:
Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic
Location:
Cleveland, OH
Minesh Mehta, MD
Deputy Director and Chief of Radiation Oncology
Institution:
Baptist Health South Florida and Cancer Institute
Location:
Miami, FL
Elias Sayour, MD, PhD
Professor for Pediatric Oncology
Institution:
University of Florida
Location:
Gainesville, FL
Harald Sontheimer, PhD
Harrison Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Neuroscience
Institution:
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Location:
Charlottesville, VA
Erik Sulman, MD, PhD
Professor and Vice-Chair of Research and Co-Director, Brain Tumor Center
Institution:
Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center and NYU Langone Health
Location:
New York, NY
Monica Venere, PhD
Associate Professor
Institution:
The Ohio State University
Location:
Columbus, OH
Derek Wainwright, PhD
Associate Professor, Scientific Director of Brain Tumor Research, Program Leader of Cancer Biology & Therapeutics
Institution:
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Location:
Maywood, IL
Kyle Walsh, PhD
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
Institution:
Duke University School of Medicine
Location:
Durham, NC
Kyuson Yun, PhD
Associate Professor of Neurology, Associate Member
Institution:
Houston Methodist Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College
Location:
Houston, TX
Clinical Advisory Committee
CAC Chair
Elizabeth B. Claus, MD, PhD
Professor of Biostatistics and Director of Medical Research, Yale School of Public Health and Director of Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Institution:
Yale School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Location:
New Haven, CT/Boston, MA
Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, FACP, MBA
Deputy Director, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief of Solid Tumor Medical Oncology
Institution:
Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida
Location:
Miami, FL
Jean Arzbaecher, RN, MS
Advanced Practice Nurse for Neuro-Oncology
Institution:
University of Illinois
Location:
Chicago, IL
Erin Dunbar, MD
Director of Neuro-Oncology
Institution:
Piedmont Atlanta Hospital
Location:
Atlanta, GA
Vinai Gondi, MD
Director of Research & Education, Northwestern Medicine Proton Center Co-Director, Brain Tumor Center, Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Warrenville
Institution:
Northwestern Medicine
Location:
Chicago, IL
Shanu Khanuja, MPH, BA
Patient Focused Capabilities Leader, ABTA mentor and volunteer
Institution:
N/A
Location:
Chicago, IL
Mary Ann Laubacher, MSN, RN
Retired Nurse, Clinical Focus on Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, ABTA Mentor and Volunteer
Institution:
N/A
Location:
Marlborough, MA
Ashlee Loughan, PhD
Associate Professor of Neurology / Clinical Neuropsychologist; Director of LiveNOW
Institution:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Location:
Richmond, VA
Jeffrey S. Wefel, PhD, ABPP
Associate Professor and Neuropsychology Section Chief
Institution:
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Location:
Houston, TX
Jennifer Yu, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine Program Leader, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Co-Leader, Cancer Stem Cell Working Group, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Staff, Department of Cancer Biology and Department of Radiation Oncology
Institution:
Cleveland Clinic
Location:
Cleveland, OH
Gabriel Zada, MD, FAANS, FACS
Professor of Neurological Surgery, Otolaryngology and Internal Medicine and Director, USC Brain Tumor Center
Institution:
USC Keck School of Medicine
Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Metastatic Brain Tumor Advisory Committee
Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, FACP, MBA
Deputy Director, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief of Solid Tumor Medical Oncology
Institution:
Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida
Location:
Miami, FL
Jill Barnholtz-Sloan, PhD
Associate Director for Informatics and Data Science
Institution:
National Cancer Institute
Location:
Rockville, MD
Adrienne Boire, MD, PhD, FAAN
Department of Neurology, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program
Institution:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Location:
New York, NY
Priscilla Brastianos, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine and Director, CNS Metastasis Center
Institution:
Massachusetts General Hospital
Location:
Boston, MA
Daniel J Brat, MD, PhD
Chair, Department of Pathology
Institution:
Northwestern Medicine
Location:
Chicago, IL
Minesh Mehta, MD
Deputy Director and Chief of Radiation Oncology
Institution:
Baptist Health South Florida and Cancer Institute
Location:
Miami, FL
Robin Page
Patient Advocate
Institution:
Director, The Core Life Cancer Wellness Program at Affinity Integrated Health Care
Location:
IL
