Faculty and Staff
Wendy Woodward, M.D., Ph.D.
Deputy Director and Member, Executive Committee
Woodward's work focuses upon:
- Providing conformal radiation therapy for patients with IBC
- Characterizing radiation resistance in IBC stem cells
- Examining mechanisms of sensitizing IBC to radiation including targeting stem cell signaling pathways, signaling, and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in IBC cells and tumor models
Learn more about the Woodward Lab
Vicente Valero, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Director, Clinical Research
Valero's work focuses upon:
- Investigating breast neoplasms, unusual histologies, new drug development, and clinical trials targeting health disparities
- Treating inflammatory breast cancer utilizing new biological agents, gene profiling, and clinical trials
James Reuben, Ph.D.
Member, Executive Committee
Reuben's work focuses upon:
- Elucidating the role of EMT and cancer stem cells in IBC
- Characterizing the role of microRNA in IBC
- Developing new molecular-based technologies to detect circulating tumor cells (CTC) while evaluating stem cell properties in CTCs
- Providing laboratory support for monitoring and evaluating IBC patients on clinical trials
Core Leaders
Lucci's work focuses upon:
- Investigating targetable networks in the aggressive sub-populations of IBC cells and metabolism in IBC
- Developing new laboratory-based assays to evaluate novel therapies against IBC
- Evaluating novel therapies in xenograft mouse models of IBC
- Determining the DTC and CTC status of IBC patients
- Maintaining a database of test results and outcomes of IBC patients
- Investigating the molecular characteristics of DTCs and CTCs from IBC patients
Krishnamurthy's work focuses upon:
- Investigating molecular and biologic markers in IBC
- Providing laboratory support for through tissue specimen preparation, interpretation, and ancillary techniques, including immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization
Le-Petross's work focuses upon:
- Evaluating the utility of Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Advanced MR Imaging Techniques, such as MR Spectroscopy and MR Diffusion-Weighted Imaging, in IBC patients at the initial staging and for therapy response assessment
Randa El Zein, M.D., Ph.D. (Houston Methodist Hospital)
El Zein's work focuses upon:
- Exploring the epidemiological factors associated with IBC
- Determining the role of viruses and IBC
- Collaborating with international teams comparing IBC in the United States with other high-risk areas
Members
Clinical Faculty (main campus)
Edward I. Chang, M.D. F.A.C.S.
Chang's work focuses upon:
- Optimization of autologous reconstruction outcomes for patients with IBC
- Prevention and treatment of lymphedema through surgical interventions
Mark Schaverien, MBChB, M.D., MSc, MEd, FRCS (Plast)
Schaverien's work focuses upon:
- Optimization of autologous reconstruction outcomes for patients with IBC
- Prevention and treatment of lymphedema through microsurgical approaches at the time of mastectomy and concurrently with reconstruction
DeSnyder's work focuses upon:
- Assessing accuracy of pre-operative imaging in identifying axillary metastasis and assessing accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with IBC
- Identifying patients with IBC who may benefit from less aggressive surgical treatment after response to systemic therapy
Gong's work focuses upon:
- Providing tissue banking from IBC patients who are diagnosed and/or treated at MD Anderson
- Performing pathologic (morphologic and immunohistochemical) evaluation on IBC-related projects
Huo's work focuses upon:
- Correlation between clinicopathologic factors and outcome in IBC
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms of IBC through microRNA expression
Layman's work focuses upon:
- Understanding the biology of ER+ breast cancer including IBC
- Development of novel therapeutic clinical trials
Mariana Chavez Mac Gregor, M.D.
Mac Gregor's work focuses upon:
- Outcomes and disparities research
- Enderstanding the long-term effects of therapy and evaluating quality of care at a population level
- Comprehensive and compassionate treatment of breast cancer patients with an interest in aggressive tumor types like IBC
- Development of novel clinical trials with new biological agents
Stauder's work focuses upon:
- Providing tailored radiation plans to IBC patients
- Evaluating outcomes of IBC patients receiving radiation
Sun's work focuses upon:
- Surgical management of IBC and lymphedema management
- Cost-effectiveness studies of patient treatments
Whitman's work focuses upon:
- Optimization of breast imaging for detection and evaluation of IBC, including mammography, ultrasound and MRI
- Evaluation of screening approaches to IBC
- High-risk screening modalities
- IBC with lobular features
Yang's work focuses upon:
- Direct imaging of IBC at staging, to include mammography, sonography, imaging-guided biopsy of index breast masses and regional lymph nodes
- Direct imaging-guided core needle biopsy of the breast for the IBC Registry
- Direct research evaluation of IBC with MRI and PET/CT
- Evaluating novel imaging techniques for the evaluation of response to targeted therapy of IBC patients using positron emission mammography (PEM)
- Evaluating radiologic-pathologic correlation of core needle biopsy samples of the breast for tumor cellularity and facilitation of molecular studies
Clinical Faculty (Houston Area Locations)
Dr. Sadia Saleem serves as our IBC Houston Area Locations (HAL) lead, overseeing the full integration of the faculty located at the four HALs in the clinical and research activities of the Morgan Welch IBC Research Program and Clinic. Along with Dr. Saleem (medical oncology), Dr. Elizabeth Fitzsullivan (surgical oncology) and Dr. Valerie Reed (radiation oncology) serve as discipline leaders for our IBC HAL sites. IBC patients seen at one of our HAL sites receive the same high-quality care as patients treated at the Texas Medical Center and may participate in clinical trials/research.
Research Faculty
Chandra Bartholomeusz, M.D., Ph.D.
Bartholomeusz's work focuses upon:
- Understanding kinase biology, identifying and validating novel kinase inhibitors and developing these agents into clinical strategies for patients with TNBC and IBC
- Characterizing the role of MAPK-PEA-15 signaling in triple-negative/inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) in EMT, CSC and metastasis and validating this pathway as a target
- Examining mechanisms of drug resistance resulting in recurrence of disease in TNBC and IBC
Bisrat G. Debeb, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Debeb's work focuses upon:
- Identifying and targeting the functional drivers of brain metastases in IBC
- Developing preclinical models of brain metastasis in IBC
- Developing novel biomarkers for IBC patients at high risk of developing brain metastasis
- Understanding the unique pathobiology of IBC aggressiveness
- Elucidating cancer cell plasticity and the role of cancer stem cells in mediating therapy resistance, recurrence and metastasis
IBC Team
