Medical Advisors
​​Anna Pawlowska, M.D.
Section Chief, Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Program at City of Hope
Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics
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​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.
Sorin Buga, M.D.
Program Director, COH Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship
clinical professor in the Department of Supportive Care Medicine, palliative care and hospice medicine
City of Hope
Lorna Rodriguez-Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D
Vice Chair of Faculty Development
Professor, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Surgery
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.
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.