Clinical Oncology Advisory Board

A forum of oncology leaders dedicated to advancing ethical, scientifically rigorous clinical research through practical guidance and shared learning.

Advarra’s Clinical Oncology Advisory Board (COAB) provides expert perspective on evolving oncology research challenges, from study design considerations to ethical and safety oversight.

Why we exist

Oncology research is moving quickly, and study teams face mounting complexity: novel modalities, new data tools, shifting standards, and heightened expectations for transparency. The COAB brings practicing oncology leaders together to surface what’s changing, discuss implications, and translate insights into guidance the broader community can use.

How the COAB works

The COAB members meet twice a year to discuss topics relevant to today’s oncology research landscape, informed by members’ real-world experience in clinical care and scientific discovery. 

  • Focused discussions on timely issues in oncology clinical research. 
  • Action-oriented outputs intended for community use (publications and presentations). 
  • Practical considerations that support ethical decision-making and patient-centered safety oversight.

Members

Munveer Bhangoo, MD

Hematologist and oncologist
Scripps Health

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Munveer Bhangoo, MD

Hematologist and oncologist
Scripps Health


Munveer Bhangoo, MD, is a hematologist and oncologist who treats patients with a variety of cancer diagnoses. He has a specific clinical expertise in the management of cancers involving the genitourinary tract, including prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer and testicular cancer. 


Dr. Bhangoo has been practicing medicine since 2012. He believes in putting the needs of his patients first. His goal is to provide compassionate, patient-centered care while working to understand the background, personal values and goals of each patient. Dr. Bhangoo views his relationship with his patients and their families as a partnership. He works closely with a team of nurses, pharmacists, patient navigators, social workers and other physicians to provide integrated and comprehensive care. 


Dr. Bhangoo is passionate about improving cancer care through biomedical research. He has a special interest in finding personalized approaches to cancer care based on tumor-specific alterations. He works collaboratively with his colleagues at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute to clarify the molecular mechanisms underpinning cancer biology with the hope of discovering new therapeutic strategies. His research has been published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology, The Oncologist, Oncotarget, Molecular and Clinical Oncology and BMC Cancer. 


Dr. Bhangoo is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Cancer Research and the American College of Physicians.

Melody A. Cobleigh, MD

Director, Medical Oncology
Rush University Medical Center

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Melody A. Cobleigh, MD

Director, Medical Oncology
Rush University Medical Center

Melody A. Cobleigh, MD’s national service has included leadership positions on the Breast Cancer Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Patient Advocacy Committee, the Health Services Research Committee and three terms on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. She currently serves on the core committee of NRG, an international clinical trial network. With a primary clinical and research interest in breast cancer, Cobleigh has published articles on treatment of breast cancer using monoclonal antibody, endocrine, retinoid, antiangiogenesis, antisense, immunotherapy, tumor vaccine and chemotherapies. A major focus of her work is bridging the gap between the clinic and the laboratory bench in understanding the biology of breast disease and the mechanisms of resistance and sensitivity to targeted therapies. She has also published on issues related to quality of life in breast cancer survivors.

Charles A. Schiffer, MD

Emeritus Professor of Oncology; former director, Leukemia/Lymphoma Multidisciplinary Program
Wayne State University School of Medicine and Karmanos Cancer Institute

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Charles A. Schiffer, MD

Emeritus Professor of Oncology; former director, Leukemia/Lymphoma Multidisciplinary Program
Wayne State University School of Medicine and Karmanos Cancer Institute

Dr. Schiffer retired as a hematologist and medical oncologist at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in 2020. He was the leader of the Hematology Oncology Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) and is still very active with the team, often participating in panel discussions and more. He directed the Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship program for approximately 15 years.  He is now a professor emeritus in the department of Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Schiffer’s research focused on platelet and granulocyte transfusion therapy and the treatment of adult leukemias.
Mentoring the next generation of hematologists came naturally for Dr. Schiffer. He leads by example and challenges trainees to remain curious, seize opportunities, and think creatively. His mentees have described him as a one-of-a-kind generational teacher and characterize him as a “mentor of mentors.” Dr. Schiffer is widely known for his open-door approach and fine-tuned ability to provide clinical care with rigor, bright humor, and compassion. He has trained many successful clinical investigators whose contributions have substantially influenced leukemia and cancer research and improved patient outcomes. 
Throughout his career, Dr. Schiffer has authored and co-authored more than 360 articles and 80 book chapters on topics concerning the treatment of leukemia in adults, platelet transfusion and granulocyte transfusion therapy, among others. He has served on numerous editorial boards, and many professional committees including Chairman of the Leukemia Committee of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B, Chairman of the Food and Drug Administration Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee and member of the American Board of Internal Medicine – Medical Oncology Board.  He has been honored with prestigious awards including the Dr. John J. Kenney Award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, the Celgene Award for Career Achievement in Hematology, and is an elected member of the Academy of Scholars of Wayne State University, serving as President this past academic year.
In addition, Dr. Schiffer was instrumental in developing the Joseph Dresner Family Clinic for Hematologic Malignancies & Stem Cell Transplantation at Karmanos. In May 2012, the Dresner Family Clinic opened after a generous donation from The Dresner Foundation, whose namesake founder was treated by Dr. Schiffer. In 2015, Dr. Schiffer was named the first endowed Joseph Dresner Chair for Hematologic Malignancies.
The ASH Honorific Award Recipients are exemplary hematologists who have made significant contributions to the field. This year’s recipients are a group of pioneering scientists, innovative clinicians, and selfless mentors who have advanced hematology through vital contributions – from revolutionary achievements in cord blood transplants, hematopoietic stem cell research, and microbiome research to supporting medical students underrepresented in medicine. 

David T. Curiel, MD, PhD

Professor, Cancer Biology Division, Department of Radiation Oncology
Emory University

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David T. Curiel, MD, PhD

Professor, Cancer Biology Division, Department of Radiation Oncology
Emory University

David T. Curiel, MD, PhD, is a tenured professor in the Cancer Biology Division of the Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Curiel graduated medical school at Emory University in 1982, where he also completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine. Dr. Curiel’s scientific training includes tenureship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland at the Pulmonary Branch of the Heart and Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) from 1985-1989, and a fellowship in Biotechnology at the National Cancer Institute, Navy Medical Oncology Branch from 1989-1990. He received his Ph.D. from University of Groningen in The Netherlands in 2002. Dr. Curiel has been at Washington University School of Medicine since 2011 and is the Director of the Biologic Therapeutics Center. His work is focused on gene transfer vectors to advance the human application of gene therapy, virotherapy, and vaccinology. His oncolytic virotherapy for glioblastoma is fast track for FDA approval. He is also the editor in chief for the Journal of Ovarian Research. Currently he is a funded member of the NIH Common Fund’s Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) program.

Sayeh Lavasani, MD

Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Hematology Oncology
University of California, Irvine

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Sayeh Lavasani, MD

Dr. Sayeh Lavasani is a board-certified UCI Health medical oncologist who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and management of breast cancer. She has more than a decade of experience providing systemic breast cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy, monoclonal antibodies and immunotherapy. 
Lavasani earned her medical degree at Iran University of Medical Sciences in Teheran. She completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Queen’s University School of Medicine in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and received additional residency training in medical oncology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Next, she received postdoctoral fellowship training in breast cancer at the University of Toronto in Ontario, where she also earned a master’s degree in epidemiology and healthcare research. She comes to UCI Health and UCI School of Medicine from City of Hope in Duarte, Calif., where she served as director of inpatient medical oncology services and was the principle investigator on numerous national and international clinical studies. 
She is the author of numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals, including a recent phase 2 study on the de-escalation of neoadjuvant treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer, which is her primary research focus.
Lavasani, who is also fluent in Farsi, is passionate about preventing breast cancer and has served as vice chair of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s committee on breast cancer prevention.

The COAB is guided by three objectives:

Research strategy and guidance

The COAB provides perspective on study design considerations, execution challenges, patient population considerations, and the integration of emerging approaches, including precision medicine and immunotherapy.

Authorship and knowledge dissemination

TheCOAB supports the development of community-facing content—such as white papers, position statements, blogs, and conference materials—grounded in member expertise and discussion themes.

Patient-centered safety oversight

The COAB discussions emphasize ethical integrity and safety considerations that can help inform responsible oncology research practices.

Frequently asked questions

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