Hematology & Oncology
Division of Hematology and Oncology
Medical Oncology
This program has the broad goal of delivering the highest quality care to patients with non-hematologic malignancies, while furthering the research interests of the UF Shands Cancer Center and the Cooperative Groups such as ECOG, NSABP, SWOG, ACOSOG and RTOG. The group seeks to cooperate with all disciplines in the Health Center to develop and implement the very latest in translational research. This effort focuses on GI malignancies, head and neck tumors, lung cancer, breast cancer, CNS tumors and sarcomas. Each faculty member has general and specific areas of expertise, which are detailed below, and the resources available include the facilities at the Davis Cancer Center, the Shands Hospital Hematology/Oncology ward and the GCRC.
Faculty:
Carmen Allegra, MD
Professor and Chief, Hematology/Oncology
Associate Director for Clinical and Translational Research, UF Shands Cancer Center
His primary research effort is focused on developing new therapeutic strategies for patients with
GI malignancies through the identification and translation of novel laboratory discoveries and
therapeutic agents. This work is underpinned by new target discovery and the identification of
prognostic and predictive signatures required to personalize oncologic therapeutics.
Robert de W Marsh, MD
Professor and Medical Director of the Shands Cancer Center Hematology/Oncology Clinic
Director of the Clinical Trials Office, UF Shands Cancer Center
His main area of expertise and interest is in gastrointestinal tumors. Within this area, his major focus is the understanding of the inheritance and biology of pancreatic and hepatobiliary tumors, colorectal and rectal cancers and the development of novel translational therapeutics in these areas. He also has established expertise in CNS and brain tumors. Additionally, his research interests have included addressing chronotherapy and the treatment of rare malignancies. He has also developed considerable expertise in the understanding of the finances of Oncology care and management and in the supervision of the Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office. He is integrally involved in the Florida Dialogue on Cancer and is Chairman of the Florida Cancer Clinical Trials Co-operative.
Stephen Staal, MD
Professor
Dr Staal is a Clinical Professor of Oncology. He graduated from UCSD med school where he also did his internship. He was at the NIH for 3 years where he worked in viral oncogenesis, isolating a new directly transforming retrovirus in mice. Oncology fellowship training was at Johns Hopkins. He served on the Hopkins oncology faculty for 8 years with a clinical interest in lymphoma and a lab effort that culminated in the cloning of the human akt gene and demonstration of its potential role in human cancer. After a number of years in clinical practice he has joined UF with a clinical interest in breast cancer and a research interest in the new, rational, therapeutics and the development of a Phase I testing program integrating new diagnostics and predictive markers.
James Lynch, MD
Professor and Section Chief, Hematology/Oncology, VAMC
Dr. Lynch holds many honors including multiple teaching awards and nominations for the AAMC humanism in medicine award. His areas of interest are in educational development from medical school through fellowship and continuing medical education. His research focuses on developmental therapeutics for NHL and prognostic factors for HD and NHL. Currently his time is being spent strengthening the overall cancer program at the VAMC to allow it to be a centerpiece for education and clinical research as well as deliver state of the art care to our area veteran population.
Tariq Siddiqui, MD
Professor
His clinical activities are focused in three main areas. 1) He is our current local consultant for all bone and soft tissue sarcomas. 2) Breast cancer 3) Lung cancer and he also provides consultation and ongoing care in all areas of oncology. He is the former Chief of Oncology at the University Health Science Center of Jacksonville and the Aga Khan University. Dr. Siddiqui also served as acting Chair of Medicine at the Aga Khan University and was the director of the residency program of Halifax Hospital.
Thomas J. George, Jr., MD, FACP
Assistant Professor
Director of GI Oncology Program at VAMC
Associate Director Fellowship Training Program
His areas of clinical interest and expertise include gastrointestinal malignancies and melanoma. Clinical research in these areas includes novel drug application to patient care, quality of life/cancer care decision making, and identification of predictive markers for individualized therapy. He serves as Vice Chair of the Cancer Center Data Safety Monitoring Board and has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the Florida Cancer Control and Research Advisory Council which advises the legislature on matters related to cancer care and research in the state. Educationally, he is a dedicated mentor and teacher of fellows, residents, and students in the College of Medicine, and is actively involved in Graduate Medical Education administration and policy development.
Jason Fromm, MD
Assistant Professor (Hospitalist)
Dr. Fromm helps run the Oncology Inpatient Ward at Shands Hospital and is also the Medical Director for the University of Florida Physician Assistants Program. He is a member of the American College of Physicians and the Society of Hospital Medicine that promotes better quality inpatient hospital care. His interests include medical education and finding better ways to evaluate the quality of medical care delivered to patients.
Michelle Rossi, MD
Assistant Professor (Hospitalist)
Dr. Rossi is one of the Internal Medicine Residency Program’s "Key Clinical Faculty". She enjoys medical student and housestaff education. She is active in the American College of Physicians at the state level, participating in multiple committees, including a Medicare Advisory Committee for the state of Florida. Her clinical interests include patient-centered medicine, humanism in medicine, and palliative care.
Charles E. Riggs, Jr., MD
Professor
Dr. Riggs is a Professor of Medicine and his expertise is focused in three main areas. (1) Head and neck tumors, chemotherapy and perfusion therapy. (2) All GU cancers, most particularly bladder and prostate cancer and (3) Lung cancer. He is also Associate Chair of the Institutional Review Board Committee for Human Subjects.
Merry Jennifer Markham, MD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Markham will focus her clinical expertise and investigations on patients with hematologic malignancies including patient with various lymphomas and chronic leukemias. In addition, Dr. Markham is the co-founder and director of the adult Survivorship clinic at the University of Florida. This clinic deals with the long term needs of cancer survivors in a collaborative effort with pediatric oncology creating a state of the art facility providing life-long care of the cancer survivor. In addition to providing long term service for our patients, this clinic has and will continue to be a repository of data concerning cancer survivorship that forms the basis of research projects focused on the prevalence and management of a host of globally understudied social and medical issues that face cancer survivors.
Julia M. Close, MD
Assistant Professor
The primary focus of Dr. Close’s clinical efforts including clinical investigations is the patient with
thoracic malignancies including patients with upper aerodigestive and lung cancers. Thoracic
malignancies represent one of the largest groups of patients with cancer seen at the University of
Florida and the VA hospital. The care of these patients and the exploration of novel management
strategies involve a multi-disciplinary team of medical, radiation and surgical oncologists. In
partnership with the palliative care team at the VA and with appropriate individuals at the University
of Florida, Dr. Close is also the primary provider for diverse and burgeoning population of geriatric
patients with a host of malignancies.