Medical Advisors
Section Chief, Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Program at City of Hope
Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics Dr. Anna Pawlowska is a Professor and board-certified Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist and Bone Marrow Transplant physician who served as Director and later Section Chief of the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program at City of Hope until January 2026. She also served as President of the Medical Staff at City of Hope, reflecting her broad institutional leadership.Dr Pawlowska has worked in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation since 1995 and has been part of City of Hope since 2000. Her clinical and research work focuses on advancing innovative therapies and improving transplant outcomes for children with malignant and non-malignant disorders, and optimization of post-transplant care, particularly the management of infectious complications and graft-vs-host disease. During her tenure, the program performed more than 1,000 pediatric transplants across a wide range of complex conditions. Her work extends beyond single institutions through leadership roles in national and multi-center research efforts, where she serves as institutional principal investigator on multiple clinical trials. She also brings extensive experience in research oversight as Chair of the City of Hope Data Safety and Monitoring Committee since 2006. Dr. Pawlowska is deeply committed to reducing disparities in cancer care. Her research includes innovative approaches such as haploidentical stem cell transplantation for patients with sickle cell disease, addressing critical gaps in access to curative therapies for underserved populations. Through her role as a Medical Advisor, she supports initiatives that advance advocacy, research, education, and patient-centered services to ensure all individuals have equitable access to life-saving cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship care.
William Breitbart, M.D.
Dr. Breitbart, is the Jimmie C. Holland Chair in Psychiatric Oncology, Attending Psychiatrist, Psychiatry Service, and Immediate Past Chairman (10/2014-8/2025) of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. He is recipient of the International Psycho-Oncology Society’s (IPOS) 2009 Sutherland Lifetime Achievement Award and 2019 Jimmie Holland Award for lifetime contributions to psychiatric oncology; the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine’s 2011 Hackett Lifetime Achievement Award; the American Psychosocial Oncology Society’s (APOS) 2013 Distinguished Leadership Award; the American Cancer Society’s 2017 Trish Greene Quality of Life Award; the 2019 International Psycho-Oncology Society’s 2019 Jimmie Holland Award for lifetime contributions to psychiatric oncology; and the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Palliative Care from the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Breitbart also served as President Emeritus of IPOS. Dr. Breitbart research efforts focus on psychiatric aspects of cancer and palliative care. His most recent efforts focus on Meaning Centered Psychotherapy for cancer patients. He is currently PI of R25 CA190169 which is training a national cohort of cancer care clinicians in Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. He has over 500 peer review publications, chapters and review papers, and 16 textbooks.
Yesne Alici, M.D.
Vice Chair, Clinical Operations, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Psycho-oncologist and geriatric psychiatrist
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Dr. Yesne Alici is an Associate Attending Psychiatrist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. Board‑certified in Adult, Geriatric, and Consultation‑Liaison Psychiatry, she serves as the liaison psychiatrist to the Neuro‑Oncology and Geriatrics services. Dr. Alici is the Vice Chair of Clinical Operations in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She also serves as a Clinical Ethics Consultant, is a member of the Hospital Ethics Committee at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and holds a Healthcare Ethics Consultant certification. Her clinical, educational, and research work focuses on improving the care of patients with cancer, including the assessment and management of delirium, long‑term cognitive outcomes of cancer and its treatments, and compassionate symptom management for patients with serious and life‑limiting illness.
Dr. Sorin Buga, M.D.
Program Director, COH Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship.
Dr. Buga, is a clinical professor in the Department of Supportive Care Medicine, focusing on palliative care medicine. Board certified in Hospice and Palliative medicine and serves as Program director for the fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He is City of Hope’s representative in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Adult Cancer Pain Panel and currently vice Chair of the panel. He is an active member of many professional organizations including the American College of Physicians, Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer, the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care. He has published in the peer reviewed literature and has been invited to speak at several scientific meetings. Dr. Buga earned his medical degree from the Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie in Timisoara, Romania. He completed an internship and subsequent residency in internal medicine at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.
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Lorna Rodriguez-Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D
Vice Chair of Faculty Development
Professor, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Surgery
Dr. Lorna Rodriguez-Rodriguez, serves as a Medical Advisor to the Rocha-Cadman Foundation, bringing more than 30 years of expertise in gynecologic oncology, with a special focus on ovarian cancer. She is currently a physician and faculty member at City of Hope® Cancer Center in Duarte, California, where she advances innovative research and delivers compassionate, patient-centered care. Dr. Rodriguez-Rodriguez earned her medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine and completed advanced training at Rutgers Medical School, the University of Michigan Medical School, and the University of Rochester Medical School. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has held numerous academic and leadership roles, including serving for 20 years as Chief of the Gynecologic Oncology Division at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Inspired by her early experiences witnessing the care of her chronically ill brother, she has dedicated her life to improving outcomes for women with cancer. She is also deeply committed to representing underserved and underrepresented communities and addressing disparities in cancer care, advocating for equitable access, culturally responsive treatment, and inclusive research. A nationally recognized expert and consistently named one of America’s “Top Doctors,” Dr. Rodriguez-Rodriguez remains focused on advancing ovarian cancer research, supporting patients and families, and working toward a cure.
Cornelia Banciu-Odell, M.D.,
Associate Clinical Professor
Dr. Banciu-Odell is an ABIM-certified Internal Medicine physician and oncology hospitalist at City of Hope National Medical Center, where she has been practicing since 2019. She is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine, with a focus on inpatient oncology care and interdisciplinary collaboration. Dr. Banciu-Odell brings over two decades of clinical experience in hospital medicine, with expertise in managing complex oncology patients, including complications of advanced malignancy and treatment-related toxicities. She plays a key role in coordinating care across specialties to support optimal patient outcomes.
In addition to her clinical work, she is actively involved in academic medicine, quality improvement initiatives, and research. As a medical advisor, Dr. Banciu-Odell is committed to supporting initiatives that improve patient-centered care and expand access to high-quality medical services.
Rania Bakkar, M.D.
Professor of Pathology
Dr. Rania Bakkar is an American Board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist. Dr. Bakkar is subspecialized in Cancer Biomarkers and in the pathology of women’s cancers. She has vast experience in both fields, with more than a decade of clinical experience, after completion of her pathology residency training (2005-2009) followed by fellowship training in her fields of expertise (2009-2011) at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX . She held multiple academic and clinical positions and leadership roles throughout her career. Dr. Bakkar was invited to provide numerous educational lectures, seminars, presentations, and Grand Rounds talks to pathologists and trainees at local, regional, national and international meetings. She has published over 30 peer-reviewed original scientific articles and written several book chapters in her field. She has been actively engaged in multiple translational type research studies addressing potential biomarkers that can be used for targeted therapy, especially in patients with advanced gynecologic cancer.
William Dale, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. William Dale is a geriatrician who is board-certified in hospice and palliative medicine with a Ph.D. in health policy. He serves as Professor and Vice Chair of Academic Affairs and the George Tsai Family Chair in Geriatric Oncology in Honor of Arti Hurria at City of Hope. A Paul Beeson Scholar, his career is devoted to cancer care for older adults with cancer, with a focus on medical decision-making, high-value care models, and quality of life in older adults with cancer. In 2006, he established the award-winning Specialized Oncology Care & Research in the Elders (SOCARE) clinic, a geriatric clinic embedded in oncology, offering interdisciplinary, individualized, and integrated treatment for older adults with cancer. He is a national leader in geriatric oncology, with over 250 publications, and supported by funding from NIH (NIA, NCI), American Cancer Society, and the Rising Tide Foundation. He is co-lead of the Cancer & Aging Research Group (CARG; mycarg.org), the largest organization of its kind in North America. He is the lead PI, along with Co-PIs, Drs. Supriya Mohile and Heidi Klepin, on an R33 NIA grant, Geriatric Oncology Research Infrastructure to Improve Clinical Care. He has also served for over 5 years as the Director of the Center for Cancer and Aging at City of Hope, succeeding founding director, Dr. Arti Hurria.
Dr. Lisa Feldman, M.D., PhD.
Dr. Lisa is an assistant clinical professor of neurosurgery and a physician-scientist focused on translational neuro-oncology at City of Hope. She specializes in the surgical management of primary and metastatic brain and spine tumors and works closely with multidisciplinary teams to improve patient outcomes. Her research centers on identifying minimally invasive biomarkers for early detection and real-time monitoring of brain tumors, with the goal of guiding personalized treatment strategies. Dr. Feldman is also committed to education and mentorship, training residents and fellows while advancing interdisciplinary programs that integrate neurosurgery, oncology, and data-driven care.
Daniel McFarland, D.O., M.S.
Dr. McFarland is the Director of Psycho-Oncology at the Wilmot Cancer Center and an Associate Professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center. A dually trained specialist, he serves as a consultation-liaison psychiatrist and a medical oncologist specializing in thoracic and head and neck malignancies. He completed a combined internal medicine/psychiatry residency at Rush University (2012), a hematology/medical oncology fellowship at Mount Sinai (2015), and a psychiatric fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering (2020). Dr. McFarland also holds a master’s in bioethics from Creighton University and serves on the Strong Memorial Hospital Ethics Committee.
Liliana Diaz Bustamante, M.D.
Board Certified Family Medicine Physician
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow at City of Hope.
Dr. Diaz Bustamante is a board-certified Family Medicine physician dedicated to providing compassionate, patient-centered care. Originally from Lima, Peru, she earned her medical degree and began her specialty training there before completing her residency at Mission Community Hospital.
Dr. Diaz Bustamante takes a holistic approach to care, focusing on improving quality of life for both her patients and their families. She has a special interest in oncologic palliative medicine and is passionate about education, empowering patients and families to make informed decisions about their care.
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Richard Alan Cohen, MS, RPA-C.
Richard is an experienced Physician Assistant with nearly 30 years in orthopedic surgery, trauma, emergency medicine, and now neurosurgery. He currently practices with Northwell Health, caring for patients with complex neurosurgical needs and supporting both emergency and elective care.Throughout his career, Richard has worked in fast-paced hospital and surgical settings, including a Level I trauma center, where he developed a strong commitment to hands-on, patient-centered care. In addition to his clinical work, he has mentored students, contributed to medical education, and served as a consultant and expert witness.
As a Medical Advisor to the Rocha-Cadman Foundation, Richard brings not only deep clinical experience, but also a practical, compassionate voice, deeply committed to improving patient care and supporting both patients and their caregivers.