Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
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Research Oversight

The Lurie Cancer Center provides oversight of all aspects of clinical research through several committees. These committees work collaboratively in this effort to provide comprehensive and robust review and monitoring oversight.

 Initial Submissions

All cancer-relevant projects must be submitted in NOTIS using the electronic new protocol submission form (eNPSF). Your project will be routed for disease team review or acknowledgement (if appropriate) and then proceed to scientific review. You can access NOTIS using your NetID and password. Any questions about this process can be directed to src.ccsg@northwestern.edu.

For investigator-initiated projects, please use the templates below to complete a letter of intent (LOI) and/or your fully developed protocol. For assistance, please contact Samantha Skinner.

Documents

Letter of Intent Template (must be submitted for all interventional investigator-initiated trials prior to protocol submission)

IIT Templates (for assistance, contact Sabeeha Mukit, Wendy Swetzig Dhiman, Monika Stankiewicz,  Amaranthe Zinzani)

 Disease Teams

Provides an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to guide in the selection and prioritization of high-quality cancer research studies. Please review the Disease Team Charter for details. For questions, contact Alyssa Dore.

Team Leaders

Disease Team Disease Team Leader Disease Team Co-Leader

Early Phase Therapeutics

Deva Mehalingam, MD

Young Chae, MD

Hem - Leukemia

Jessica Altman, MD

 

Hem - LPDs

Reem Karmali, MD

Leo Gordon, MD

Hem - MPNs

Brady Stein, MD

N/A

Hem - Transplant

Jayesh Mehta, MD

Kehinde Adekola, MD

TRIST - Skin

Jeffrey Sosman, MD

Sunandana Chandra, MD

TRIST - Lung

Ankit Bharat, MD

Jyoti Patel, MD

TRIST - Head & Neck

Sandeep Samant, MD

Michelle Gentile, MD

TRIST - GI

Aparna Kalyan, MD

Mary Mulcahy, MD

TRIST - GU

Maha Hussain, MD

Edward Schaeffer, MD

TRIST - Neuro-oncology

Priya Kumthekar, MD

Matthew Tate, MD

TRIST - Sarcoma

Seth Pollack, MD

Jeffrey Wayne, MD

TRIST - Breast

William Gradishar, MD

 

TRIST - Gynecological

Edward Tanner III, MD

Daniela Matei, MD

Documents

 Scientific Review Committee (SRC)

Evaluates all cancer-relevant research protocols, including the review of all protocol amendments. Please see the SRC Charter for more details.

Leadership

Name Academic Rank Discipline Disease Team
Al Benson, III, MD, FACSO Chair, Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology GI
Masha Kocherginsky, PhD Co-Chair, Professor Preventive Medicine (Biostatistics)
Priya Kumthekar, MD Co-Chair, Associate Professor Neuro-Oncology & Hematology/Medical Oncology

Voting Members

Name Academic Rank Discipline Disease Team
Kehinde Adekola, MD Associate Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology Transplant
Al Benson, III, MD, FACSO Chair, Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology GI
Joan Chmiel, PhD Professor Preventive Medicine (Biostatistics)
Eric Donnelly, MD Associate Professor Radiation Oncology Breast, LPDs
Reggie Duerst, MD Associate Professor Pediatrics (Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation
Borko Jovanovic, PhD Associate Professor Preventive Medicine (Biostatistics)
Masha Kocherginsky, PhD Co-Chair, Professor Preventive Medicine (Biostatistics)
Priya Kumthekar, MD Co-Chair, Associate Professor Neuro-Oncology & Hematology/Medical Oncology Neuro
Robert Lewandowski, MD Professor Radiology (Vascular and Interventional Radiology); Hematology/Oncology; Surgery GI
Devalingam Mahalingam, MD Co-Chair, Associate Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology Early Phase Therapeutics, GI
Lauren Nielsen Clinical Operations Manager Pathology
David Odell, MD, MMSc Associate Professor Surgery (Thoracic Surgery) Lung
Ashley Ross, MD Associate Professor Urology GU
Jeffrey Sosman, MD Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology Skin
Jonathan Strauss, MD  Associate Professor Radiation Oncology Breast, Gyne
Roger Stupp, MD Professor Neurological Surgery; Hematology/Medical Oncology, Neurology (Neuro-Oncology) Neuro
David VanderWeele, MD, PhD Assistant Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology GU
Rotating Pharmacy Representative Research Pharmacist Pharmacy

Administrative, Non-Voting Members

Name Discipline Disease Team
Alyssa Dore Protocol Development Breast, Early Phase Therapeutics, GU, Leukemia, MPNs, Neuro, Transplant
Ashlee Drawz, MSRC Research Oversight and Compliance
Lauren Nielsen Pathology
Carolyn Passaglia, MSRC Clinical Trials Administration

Documents

Reviewer Forms

 Data and Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC)

Responsible for data and safety monitoring, monitoring of protocol compliance.

Leadership

Name Academic Rank Discipline Disease Team
Jochen Lorch, MD Chair, Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology Head & Neck
Sonali Chaudhury, MD Co-Chair, Associate Professor Pediatric Hematology/Medical Oncology

Voting Members

Name Academic Rank Discipline Disease Team
Sonali Chaudhury, MD Associate Professor Pediatric Hematology/Medical Oncology --
Laila Gharzai, MD Assistant Professor Radiation Oncology, Medical Social Sciences
Aparna Kalyan, MD Assistant Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology EPT, GI
Jochen Lorch, MD  Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology Head & Neck
Sean Sachdev, MD Assistant Professor Radiation Oncology GU, Neuro
Angela Waanders, MD, MPH Associate Professor Pediatric Hematology/Medical Oncology
Hui Zhang, PhD Professor Preventive Medicine (Biostatistics) and Neurological Surgery  

Administrative, Non-Voting Members

Name Title Discipline
Al Benson, III, MD FACP, FACCC, FASCO Professor
Associate Director for Cooperative Groups
SRC/DSMC Liaison		 Hematology/Medical Oncology
Devalingam Mahalingam, MD, PhD Professor
Director, Clinical Trials Office - Lurie Cancer Center
Director, Developmental Therapeutics (DT) and DT Fellowship Program		 Hematology/Medical Oncology
Maha Hussain, MD, FACP, FASCO Professor
Deputy Director,
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center		 Hematology/Medical Oncology
Carolyn Passaglia, CCRP Administrative Director, Clinical Trials Clinical Trials Administration
Ashlee Drawz, MSRC, CCRC Director, Research Compliance and Integrity Clinical Trials Administration
Patricia Kartcheske Director, Clinical Operations Central Region Clinical Trials Administration
Jennifer Mitchell Director, Clinical Network Operations Clinical Trials Administration
Leanne Fountas, MPH, CCRC Lead Operations Manager, Study Startup & Quality Assurance Clinical Trials Administration
Jill Woodman, CCRP Quality Assurance Operations Manager Quality Assurance
Kelly Benante, MPH, CCRP Senior Project Administrator - Chemoprevention Chemoprevention Administration

Documents

 Clinical Trial Audit Committee (CTAC)

Responsible for the internal auditing program.

Leadership

Name Academic Rank Discipline Disease Team
Jessica Altman, MD Chair, Associate Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology Leukemia
Sunandana Chandra, MD Co-Chair, Assistant Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology Skin

Voting Members

Name Academic Rank Discipline Disease Team
Jessica Altman, MD Associate Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology Leukemia
Sunandana Chandra, MD Assistant Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology Skin
Aparna Kalyan, MBBS Assistant Professor Hematology/Medical Oncology EPT (Multi-Histology), GI

Administrative, Non-Voting Members

Name Academic Rank Discipline
Renee Webb, MA, CCRC Assistant Director, Research Administration Research Administration
Carolyn Passaglia, CCRP Administrative Director, Clinical Trials Clinical Trials Administration
Ashlee Drawz, MSRC, CCRC Director, Research Oversight & Compliance Clinical Trials Administration
Patricia Kartcheske Director, Clinical Operations Central Region Clinical Trials Administration
Jennifer Mitchell Director, Clinical Network Operations Clinical Trials
Administration
Leanne Fountas, MPH, CCRC Lead Operations Manager, Study Startup & Quality Assurance Quality Assurance
Jill Woodman, CCRP Quality Assurance Monitor Quality Assurance

Documents

 Revisions

All protocol revisions must receive SRC continuing review. Please submit your revision, including a summary of changes, using protocol activities in NOTIS. All investigator-initiated studies, including those initiated by another site, must be SRC approved prior to IRB submission. Industry-sponsored studies may be submitted to the SRC and IRB simultaneously. Please use the template below if the sponsor does not provide a summary of changes.

Documents