Dr. Boman is the Director, Cancer Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center (NCI-selected) at Christiana Health Care System; a professor of Medical Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University; an adjunct associate professor at the Department of Biologic Sciences, University of Delaware; Professor of Medical Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, and Member, GI Cancer Program, Kimmel Cancer Center, among others. In addition to his various positions and assignments, Dr. Boman is a highly regarded author and researcher.

After getting his B.A. in Biochemistry from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, Dr. Boman received his M.S. from University of Minnesota School of Public Health before getting his medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School. Finally, Dr. Boman received his Ph.D. from the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. He is also a board-certified medical oncologist.

With the advent of recent and exciting new opportunities in the study of regulatory pathways, mutations, and colon carcinogenesis, Dr. Boman is interested in the signaling pathways, including molecular and cellular mechanisms of crypt homeostasis in the large intestine as well as the investigation of the stem cell origin of colorectal cancer (CRC). He is particularly interested in small genetic elements, called microRNAs, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets.

Christiana Care Health System is one of the largest health care providers in the northeast US, serving Delaware and neighboring areas in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A not-for-profit teaching hospital, Christiana Care is recognized as a regional center for excellence in cancer, cardiology and women's health services, as well as for its Level-I trauma care and Level-3 neonatal intensive care (both highest capability). With more than 10,000 employees, Christiana Care is the largest private employer in Delaware and the 10th largest employer in the Philadelphia region. In 2007 Christiana Care had more than $1.5 billion in total patient revenue and provided the community with $35.7 million of free care and medicine. Find more information at www.christianacare.org.

The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center is a free-standing center on the Christiana Hospital campus, centralizing a vast array of outpatient services under one roof and featuring unique multi-disciplinary medical services including surgery, medical oncology, and radiation oncology. The HFGCC was designated an NCI-selected community cancer center in 2007. As a CCOP, it has been participating in clinical trial research for the past 20 years, and is one of the top institutions nationally in terms of trial accrual. In addition, the center has a full complement of associated support services as well as genetic counseling and cancer prevention.

Translational research has been a central focus of the Center, with establishment of its Center for Translational Cancer Research (CTCR) in 2004 and a new, four-story, 124,000-square-foot pavilion opening in 2009. The CTCR is a formal collaborative program among the HFGCC, the University of Delaware, AI DuPont Children's Hospital, and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute. It also has a Familial Cancer Registry and tissue procurement program that focuses on high-risk patients. This tissue procurement enhances the resources available for translational research studies that involve the application of basic science toward potential therapies. The HFGCC was recently awarded a 4.6 million dollar NCI grant for The Genome Atlas Project (TGAP) for collection of human tissue samples. Other research programs focus on cancer stem cells and cancer biomarkers.

Read more about how oncologists at the HFGCC are collaborating with researchers to bring the latest advances in cancer treatment from the laboratory to the bedside at www.udel.edu/ctcr

GI Cancer Consortium Medical Director, Aptium Oncology.
Dr. Leichman is a medical oncologist at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California. He has more than 20 years of clinical, teaching and research experience at highly renowned medical centers including the University of Southern California-Kenneth J. Norris Jr. Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Roswell Park Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York. He specializes in the management of a wide spectrum of solid tumors, with emphasis in gastrointestinal malignancies, sarcoma, melanoma, breast cancer and cancer of unknown primaries. Additionally, he heads the Gastrointestinal Malignancies Program for Aptium Oncology. Dr. Leichman is nationally recognized in "America's Top Doctors" and "Best Doctors" and is a consultant for the National Cancer Institute, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He is board certified in medical oncology and internal medicine. He earned his medical degree and served his residency and fellowship at Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Dr. Cohen is an Associate Member in the Divisions of Medical and Population Science at Fox Chase Cancer Center. He is also the Associate Medical Director of the Fox Chase Cancer Center program.

Dr. Cohen earned his B.A. at Cornell University and his M.D. at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital and his fellowship in hematology/oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Currently, Dr. Cohen conducts clinical research and devotes a practice to patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. He is a member of the NCCN pancreatic cancer committee and NCI neuroendocrine cancer task force. Dr. Cohen has a specific research interest in circulating tumor cells, for which he holds an American Cancer Society Mentored Research Grant to support their evaluation in pancreatic cancer. Dr. Cohen also oversees clinical research in the Fox Chase Cancer Center program, a group of nearly 30 community hospitals throughout the Delaware Valley.

Fox Chase Cancer Center is one of the leading cancer research and treatments centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as the nation's first cancer hospital, Fox Chase became one of the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and community outreach. For more information, visit Fox Chase's web site at www.fccc.edu or call 1-888-FOX-CHASE or 1-888-369-2427.

Dr. Lenz is Professor of Medicine and Professor of Preventive Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) and the Associate Director of Clinical Research at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (USC/NCCC). He is Co-Director of both the Colorectal Center and the GI Oncology Program, as well as Scientific Director of the Cancer Genetic Unit at USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles, California. He has been the recipient of the ASCO Career Development Award and the NIH/NCI Midcareer Development Award, reflecting his expertise in translational research. He is the Chair of Correlative Science at SWOG and the Co-Chair of the SWOG GI Committee. He serves on the NCI/CTEP GI Steering Committee.

Dr. Lenz received his medical degree from Johannes-Gutenberg Universität in Mainz, Germany, in 1985. He completed a residency in Hematology and Oncology at the University Hospital Tübingen in Germany, a clerkship in Oncology at George Washington University in Washington, DC, and a clerkship in Hematology at Beth Israel Hospital of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. He served subsequent fellowships in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

An active researcher, Dr. Lenz is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications and invited papers, reviews, and editorials, and has been listed in the Best Doctors' database since 2003.

The USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center was established in 1971 before the transformation of the Medical School from a teaching institution with a County-based clinical practice to a major research-driven school with successful private practice plans and the construction of a new hospital developed with a private sector partner. As a matrix organization, firmly integrated into the fabric of the Keck School of Medicine (KSOM), the Center played a dominant role in shaping the course of this transition, and cancer research is still regarded as one of the top priorities in the strategic plan for the University. The Center has substantial clinical advantages in that it is one of only four NCI-designated Comprehensive Centers located in one of the most ethnically diverse and populous countries in the United States. It has an integral cancer hospital which is now owned and operated by Tenet Healthcare. Additional clinical facilities in the County Hospital and a pediatric facility at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), which is the largest pediatric hospital on the West Coast are also available to the Center. The population-based resources, which reflect the area's ethnic diversity, are the envy of many institutions and have been fully mobilized by the Center to drive cancer control research and molecular epidemiology in addition to clinical research. The current availability of six floors of space for bench and population based research (81,000 net sq. ft.) and the new 172,000 sq. ft. (net) Harlyne Norris Translational Research Tower, have allowed the Center to attract and house many of the best basic scientists in the school and juxtapose them with clinical and population-based researchers. The visibility of the Center and the success of its programs have allowed us to develop a highly effective fund raising program, which currently raises approximately $30,000,000 per annum for endowment, buildings and current use. The USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (Core) Support Grant has received 33 years of continuous NCI support. The 192 members and associate members of the Center currently hold extramural grants and contracts totaling $177 million in total costs. The Center's Core Grant currently provides $3.75 million in direct costs to Center members. Over the past 33 years, the Center's Core Grant has provided invaluable support for its membership, the core administration of the Center, new and existing shared resources, and partial salaries for Cancer Center leaders. Dr. Peter Jones was named interim director of the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in February 1993. Dr. Jones is a basic scientist interested in the fields of cancer epigenetics and bladder cancer.

Dr. Cohen is an Associate Member in the Divisions of Medical and Population Science at Fox Chase Cancer Center. He is also the Associate Medical Director of the Fox Chase Cancer Center program.

Dr. Cohen earned his B.A. at Cornell University and his M.D. at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital and his fellowship in hematology/oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Currently, Dr. Cohen conducts clinical research and devotes a practice to patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. He is a member of the NCCN pancreatic cancer committee and NCI neuroendocrine cancer task force. Dr. Cohen has a specific research interest in circulating tumor cells, for which he holds an American Cancer Society Mentored Research Grant to support their evaluation in pancreatic cancer. Dr. Cohen also oversees clinical research in the Fox Chase Cancer Center program, a group of nearly 30 community hospitals throughout the Delaware Valley.

The Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center represents a collaboration between two leading health care organizations, Mount Sinai Medical Center, and Aptium Oncology, a national provider of oncology management and consulting services, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1989, the center specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer and is dedicated to providing compassionate, quality care for patients. For more information, visit Mount Sinai Compehensive Cancer Center's web site at www.msccc.com or call 1-305-674-9100.

Dr. Gold is Director of Clinical Research and the Program Leader for the Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology Program at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle, Washington. Additionally, he is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Oncology at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine in Seattle.

In 1991, Dr. Gold obtained his degree in medicine with a distinction in research at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Florida. After that, he completed an internal medicine internship and residency, and then received the Amgen Oncology Fellowship Award while he was training in medical oncology at the UW School of Medicine and the FH Cancer Research Center. Presently, he is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.

Dr. Gold's clinical investigations on GI tumors, and particularly colorectal cancer treatment, can be found in peer-reviewed publications like the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Seminars in Oncology, and Cancer Investigation. Furthermore, he currently serves on a number of advisory boards, and is active in the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Southwest Oncology Group, where he serves as the subcommittee co-chair for colorectal cancer.

The Swedish Cancer Institute opened in 1932 as the first dedicated cancer-care center west of the Mississippi. Today, SCI has a presence on all three of Swedish's Seattle-area hospital campuses - First Hill, Cherry Hill and Ballard - as well as in East King County through a new medical oncology clinic in Bellevue. A true multidisciplinary program, SCI offers a wide range of advanced cancer-treatment options in chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery - backed by extensive diagnostic capabilities, patient education and support-group services. SCI-managed radiation-therapy services are also offered at Stevens Hospital in Edmonds, Highline Community Hospital in Burien, and Northwest Hospital in North Seattle. The SCI clinical-research arm encompasses industry-sponsored and cooperative group therapeutic trials, cancer screening and prevention trials, and investigator-initiated trials. Breast-cancer screening and diagnostics are available through the Swedish Breast Care Centers and mobile mammography units. SCI patients benefit from an integrated approach to care which takes into account a person's physical well-being and emotional/spiritual needs, too. From prevention and early detection, to state-of-the-art treatments and complementary therapies, to supportive and palliative care, SCI meets the individual needs of each patient. For more information, visit www.swedish.org.

Dr. Messersmith joined the UCD faculty in August 2007 as the Director of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology as well as an active participant in the Drug Development Program. He trained in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School and did his Medical Oncology / Drug Development Fellowship at Johns Hopkins, where he was on the faculty from 2004-2007 as Assistant Professor in the GI Oncology and Drug Development programs.

Dr. Messersmith is focused on clinical and translational cancer research and is the director of the Gastrointestinal (GI) Medical Oncology Program. This comprehensive program includes multi-disciplinary GI cancer clinics, tumor boards, and research endeavors. Dr. Messersmith holds several NIH grants (K23, R21) and is the principal investigator on numerous national and local therapeutic trials. He is an active investigator in the developmental therapeutics laboratory, working on novel targeted therapies as well as correlative studies for use on human tissue samples.

A respected author, Dr. Messersmith has written articles for Clinical Cancer Research and Cancer Biology, among others.

The University of Colorado Cancer Center is the Rocky Mountain region's only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. NCI has given only 40 cancer centers this designation, deeming membership as "the best of the best." Headquartered on the University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, UCCC is a consortium of three state universities (Colorado State University, University of Colorado at Boulder and University of Colorado Denver) and six institutions (AMC Cancer Research Center, The Children's Hospital, Denver Health, Denver VA Medical Center, National Jewish Health and University of Colorado Hospital). Together, our 400+ members are working to ease the cancer burden through cancer care, research, education and prevention and control. Learn more at www.uccc.info.

Dr. O'Neil is Associate Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Dr. O'Neil earned his BS in biology at the University of California in Irvine and his MD at the UCLA School of Medicine. After graduating, he completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of California in San Francisco. He conducted his fellowship in hematology and oncology also at the University of California in San Francisco.

Currently, Dr. O'Neil serves as Director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Program at UNC. He is also a member of the Intergroup Hepatobiliary Task Force and a CALGB Study Chair. Dr. O'Neil's research interests include elucidation of novel mechanisms of resistance to radiation therapy in rectal cancer, and early drug development for gastrointestinal malignancies, particularly colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma.

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer institute (NCI) and has one of five Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in GI cancers from NCI. GI SPORE institutions focus on translational research, an area of inquiry that integrates laboratory and clinical discoveries in gastrointestinal cancers.

As one of eight Centers of Survivorship funded by the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the V Foundation, UNC is integrating survivorship initiatives into clinical care and partnering with North Carolina communities to develop programs.

The new North Carolina Cancer Hospital will open in the fall of 2009, with over 320,000 square feet of space and numerous amenities for patients and families. For more information about UNC Lineberger, visit: www.unclineberger.org

Dr. Berlin is Associate Professor and Clinical Director of GI Oncology at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois in Chicago, and completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Cincinnati Hospital, followed by a medical oncology fellowship at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, Wisconsin.

Dr. Berlin is a past recipient of the ECOG Young Investigator Award. He is a member of the American College of Physicians/, the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the European Society of Medical Oncology, among other professional organizations. He is author or co-author of over 50 journal articles, several book chapters, and over 100 scientific abstracts. He is the Chair of the Intergroup Task Force on Pancreas Cancer and was Program Chair of the AGA/ASCO/ASTRO/SSO combined GI Cancer Symposium in 2008. He serves on several other committees including the NCCN Guidelines Steering Committee and the Program Committee for the World Congress on GI Cancers.

The Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of two centers in Tennessee and 41 in the country to earn this highest distinction. Its nearly 300 faculty members generate more than $140 million in annual federal research funding, ranking it among the top 10 centers in the country in competitive grant support, and its clinical program sees approximately 4,000 new cancer patients each year. Vanderbilt-Ingram, based in Nashville, Tenn., recently joined with 21 of the world's leading centers in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a non-profit alliance dedicated to improving cancer care for patients everywhere. For more information, visit www.vicc.org.