Medical Advisory Board


Fred Marcus, MD, Chair
Dr. Marcus is the Associate Medical Director of the Lung Cancer Screening program and the Principle Investigator for the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP) based at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, California. He graduated from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine in 1975. His internship and residency were undertaken at Presbyterian Hospital of the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, and his senior medical residency completed at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Marcus obtained a Fellowship in Hematology-Oncology at the Cancer Research Institute, University of California, where he was a clinical instructor for over a decade. Dr. Marcus has been an active and highly respected medical oncologist for 30 years in the Bay area and holds many executive positions including; Chairperson of Institutional Review Board, Chairperson Medical Control Committee, Member of the Executive Committee and former President and CEO, former Sequoia Physicians’ Alliance.

Dr. Marcus was the first recipient of the Bonnie J. Addario Simply the Best Award for his outstanding performance in the fight to end lung cancer.

Lisa Boohar, MD
Dr. Boohar graduated with high honors from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She relocated to Northern California, where she completed her internship in Internal Medicine at Kaiser Hospital. Her Radiation Oncology residency was completed at Stanford Hospital, where she was the Chief Resident. Dr. Boohar is Board Certified in Radiation Oncology and is the Medical Director at Sequoia Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology. Her honors and awards include Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Society and Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Boohar practices full-time Radiation Oncology and is an active member of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Lung Cancer Foundation Screening program at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, California.

Carolyn Clary-Macy, RN, OCN
Ms. Clary-Macy was born and raised in Northern California, a 5th generation Californian. She completed her nursing studies at Grossmont College in San Diego in 1984. She began her career as a registered nurse at UCSF in August 1984 on a medical/surgical unit. She continued her work there as a Clinical Nurse III, preceptoring many nurses and nursing students along the way. In 1989, she was one of two nurses who started the Pre-Surgical Evaluation Program (PRESEP) at UCSF. She was nominated for Distinguished Nurse Award for her work in PRESEP in 1991.

She became the Thoracic Surgery Nurse Coordinator for Dr. David Jablons and Dr. Robert Cameron in 1996 when they started the Thoracic Surgery Department at UCSF. She obtained specialty certification as an Oncology Certified Nurse in 2000. It was during her employment in the Thoracic Surgery Department that Ms. Clary-Macy’s interest in advocating for lung cancer patients began, and she coordinated several rallies for Lung Cancer Awareness, including one on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, as well as writing an advocacy piece for the departmental website.

Since 2000, she has worked as the Special Projects Coordinator for Dr. Jablons, coordinating medical education courses and helping to set up the Thoracic Oncology Advisory Board. Volunteer activities include membership on the Blue Water Task Force for the San Mateo County Chapter-Surfrider Foundation and a recently completed position as Fundraising Chair for the Skatepark for Pacifica project, raising nearly $600,000. The park was completed in December, 2005 and is considered a state of the art facility. She was honored to receive the Luminosity Award at the 1st Lungevity event in November 2005 for her courage to light the way in the fight against lung cancer so that funding for needed research becomes available and ultimately a cure for the deadliest of all cancers can be found.

David R. Gandara, MD
David R. Gandara, MD, is Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and Associate Director of Clinical Research, and Director of Thoracic Oncology at the University of California, Davis Cancer Center.

Dr. Gandara is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine specializing in Medical Oncology. He is currently principal investigator for a number of research projects in lung cancer, pharmacology trials at various phases, and Southwest Oncology Group trials. He is the principal investigator for a National Cancer Institute award to the California Cancer Consortium for Early Therapeutic Trials of New Anti-Cancer Agents.

Dr. Gandara is an active member of the Scientific Leadership Council in Lung Cancer.

Dr. Gandara is chair of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) Lung Committee, and co-chair of the NCI-directed Investigational Drug Steering Committee. He has written over 300 articles, book chapters, abstracts and editorials. He is editor-in-chief of Clinical Lung Cancer, serves on the editorial board of four oncology journals, and is a manuscript reviewer for eight additional journals. He is President Elect for the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and serves on the board of directors. He also served as secretary-treasurer and a member of the board of directors for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Dr. Gandara is a requested speaker both nationally and internationally. His most recent presentations include Incorporation of Laboratory Correlative Science into Clinical Trial Design and Development of Predictive Biomarkers of Response to Novel Therapeutic Agents.

After receiving his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Dr. Gandara was an intern and resident at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma and a fellow at the Letterman Army Medical Center Presidio of San Francisco.

Paul Godin, MD
After graduating from Princeton University, Dr. Godin received his medical degree with distinction from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Pulmonary Medicine at Stanford University Hospital and fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. He holds board certifications in all three specialties. He is the founder of two healthcare-related technology companies an the former Medical Director of the Stanford Health Information Network for Education (now www.skolar.com). He maintains research interests in the mechanisms of sepsis and internet-based information technologies for physician education and decision support and has published in both areas. He is the former Chief of Pulmonary Medicine at San Mateo County Health Center and joined Redwood Pulmonary Medical Associates in 2002. He also serves as Medical Director for Clinical Information Systems at Sequoia Hospital.

R. Ronald Hare, MD
Ron Hare was born in Lincoln, Nebraska and raised in Glendale, California. He graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a Bachelor of Sciences degree. He then went on to receive B.S. and M.D. degrees at UC San Francisco Medical School. He was a resident in general and vascular surgery and resident supervisor at LA County-USC Medical Center.

He has been a surgeon, businessman and a volunteer in many civic and community organizations including the Indio Chamber of Commerce, JFK Hospital, UCSF Thoracic Oncology Cabinet, Catch a Dream Foundation, Martha’s Kitchen, United Way, Riverside County Fair Board and more.

He is a husband, father and friend who has been living on “borrowed time” since he was diagnosed with lung cancer 5.8 years ago. His lung cancer was successfully removed and he is a strong believer in early detection.

Ron’s involvement on the Medical Board of Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation is to keep current with the advances of lung cancer, assist in the development of resources for the Foundation goals and to be a spokesperson for our early detection programs.

“My thoughts about early detection are very personal as my cancer was found early and is why I am alive today. I really am enjoying ALL of my life with my wife, children and friends and can continue contributing in some small way to my society.” –R.Ronald Hare, MD

Claudia Henschke, PhD, MD, FCCP
Professor of Radiology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Director of Chest Imaging, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

Dr. Henschke received her M.S. in mathematical statistics from Southern Methodist University and her PhD in 1969 from University of Georgia. She received her medical degree from Howard University in 1977 and her radiology residency training at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital at Harvard Medical School which she completed in 1981. Dr. Henschke was then named to the faculty of the Department of Radiology at Harvard Medical School and in 1983 moved to Cornell Medical College where she became Professor of Radiology in 1992. Dr. Henschke has worked in the medical field since she graduated from college as a computer programmer, statistician and ultimately as a physician designing and performing large national and international randomized clinical trials, including working on issues of breast cancer screening with Alan Morrison, a recognized expert on screening at the Harvard School of Public Health. She organized research retreats which ultimately led to a novel design to assess the benefit of screening for a cancer. The resulting project on CT screening for lung cancer (ELCAP) and its success as reported in a landmark paper in the Lancet in 1999, led to a worldwide demand for it. As a result the international collaboration, I-ELCAP, was formed of 42 collaborating institutions throughout the world and its results have been reported in many journals, including in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, and New England Journal of Medicine in 2006. These reports have shown that CT screening for lung cancer using the I-ELCAP protocol results in 85% of the lung cancers being found in the earliest stage and when treated promptly, the estimated cure rate is as high as 92%. This international collaboration is continuing to guide the translation of these research endeavors into guidelines for screening and also developing the critical questions as to appropriate treatment of these early lung cancers.

David Jablons, MD
Dr. David Jablons was born and raised in New York City. He completed his pre-medical studies at Yale University, with an American Literature major. He graduated at the top of his class, and was particularly interested in molecular biology and biochemistry during that time. Dr. Jablons completed a year of neuroscience research at Yale, then applied to and was accepted into medical school at Albany Medical College of Union University in New York. During his 4th year, he won a prestigious student preceptorship at the National Cancer Institute for clinical science training, under the supervision of Dr. Steven Rosenberg. It was here that his love for translational science began. During a break between completion of medical school and the beginning of his surgical residency, Dr. Jablons traveled to Nepal, completing an elective in Rural Health Care. He then returned to the United States and began his surgical residency at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, Mass. He completed his surgical oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, with the focus of his studies being tumor immunology and immunotherapy. During this fellowship, pioneering work was accomplished in identifying Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in humans. He completed his surgical residency at Tufts-New England Medical Center. Dr. Jablons then went on to pursue his cardiothoracic training. He was the first Thoracic track Fellow at Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Medical Center in New York, under the supervision of Dr. Robert Ginsburg. He also trained under the supervision of Dr. Wayne Isom in cardiac surgery, and Dr. David Sugarbaker in lung transplantation. He became Assistant Professor in Residence at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco in August 1995. He became Chief of the Section of General Thoracic Surgery at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco in February 1997, and shortly thereafter, became the Ada Endowed Chair and Program Leader of the Thoracic Oncology Program. He is also the Director of the UCSF Thoracic Oncology Laboratory. He won an accelerated promotion to Associate Professor of Surgery in 2000 and an accelerated promotion to Professor of Surgery in 2005. Upon his promotion to Chief of General Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Jablons re-directed the focus of research to molecular biology and genomics. He successfully recruited Liang You, M.D. Ph.D., Zhidong Xu Ph.D. and Biao He, Ph.D. and others to join in his efforts in the laboratory. He is currently actively involved in novel target discovery and therapeutic development in cancer. Areas of interest include the intersection of cancer stem cell biology and, in particular, the wnt pathway. He is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Association for Cancer Research, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons among others. Dr. Jablons is the author of numerous abstracts and papers, and makes numerous presentations each year, both nationally and internationally.

Thierry Jahan, MD
Dr. Thierry M. Jahan specializes in the treatment of lung cancer, mesothelioma, sarcomas and endocrine tumors and the use of multiple treatments. In addition to caring for patients, Jahan is involved in studying new treatments for malignancies related to the chest. His research focuses on treatments for the management of lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.

Jahan earned a medical degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He completed an internship, residency and fellowship in medicine at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and then completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at UCSF, before joining the faculty in 1994. He is the recipient of the Medical Housestaff Outstanding Teacher Award at UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion and the recipient of the first Bonnie J. Addario A Breath Away from the Cure Award for his excellence in oncology, early detection, screening, coordinated treatment, care and compassion for those with lung cancer. He also is member of numerous professional societies, including the American College of Physicians, American Society of Clinical Oncology, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and the Association of Northern California Oncologists. He is an associate professor of medicine at UCSF.

Alan Kramer, MD
Dr. Kramer graduated from the University of Maryland. He received his MD degree from the University of Siena Medical School, Italy, with honors, in 1979. Residency was obtained at the City Hospital at Elmhurst and a hematology fellowship at Mt. Sinai Hospital, both in New York City. Medical oncology fellowship was conducted at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, followed by three years on the staff in the Department of Head, Neck and Thoracic Oncology. Since 1992 Dr. Kramer has been in private practice in San Francisco and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at UCSF. Active in clinical cancer research, Dr. Kramer is on research subcommittees for the RTOG, SWOG, and Sutter Health. His clinical interests are in cancers of head and neck, lung, breast and sarcoma. He recently has taken an interest in documentary film making and has initiated a Living with Cancer series with two award-winning documentaries to his credit: Living with Breast Cancer 2002; Living with Lung Cancer: The Wells Whitney Story 2004

Melissa Lim, MD
Dr. Lim is the Medical Director of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation’s early detection and screening program at Sequoia Hospital.

Dr. Lim graduated from the Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Boston City Hospital/Boston University. She then went to Baltimore to begin a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospitals. After a year of clinical training at Hopkins, she completed her fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. While at UCSF she spent several rewarding years studying the mechanisms by which cancer cells interact with connective tissue cells to produce enzymes that promote cancer growth and metastasis. She is an adjunct assistant professor at UCSF, and a member of the UCSF Thoracic Oncology Program. She returned full-time to clinical medicine in 2000, when she opened her practice in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, California. In January 2002, she merged her practice with that of Dr. Bernhard Votteri, a nationally recognized expert in Sleep Medicine. Together they formed Redwood Pulmonary Medical Associates. Dr. Lim is the medical director of Redwood Pulmonary Medical Associates.

Alfredo Lopez, MD
Dr. Lopez received an undergraduate degree from the University of San Francisco. He received his medical degree and completed a residency and specialty fellowship at the University of California at San Francisco, and joined Kaiser Permanente in 1995. Interested in research, he serves on the Kaiser San Francisco Medical Center’s Clinical Trials Steering Committee.

Other professional affiliations include the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Society of Internal Medicine.

When he is not caring for his patients, he enjoys skiing and hiking.

Mary S. Maish, MD, MPH
Dr. Mary Maish is a Thoracic surgeon with a diverse background and a specific interest in esophageal disorders. An undergraduate of Northwestern University and Rush Medical College in Chicago, she completed her General Surgery residency at a hospital affiliate of the University of Pennsylvania. In the following few years she was the Roddy Scholar in cardiothoracic research at Brown University and obtained a Master’s in Public Health from Harvard University. She completed her training in thoracic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine/MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and an esophageal fellowship at USC. Described as vivacious, bright, skilled and compassionate, Dr. Maish has recently joined UCLA to be the surgical director of the UCLA Center for Esophageal Disorders.

Michael S. O’Holleran, MD
Michael S. O’Holleran, M.D., received his Bachelor of Science Degree, with high honors, while on a full athletic scholarship playing for the Nebraska Football Team. His Medical Degree was obtained from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Completion of his Internship and General Surgery Residency was undertaken at Stanford Hospital, where he was the Chief Resident. He is board certified in General Surgery and is a member of the American Medical Association, California Medical Association, San Mateo County Medical Association, American College of Surgeons and San Francisco Surgical Society. He has been on staff at Sequoia Hospital for over 20 years, where he is a highly skilled and respected surgeon with special interest in oncology and thoracic surgery.

Rafael Rosell, MD, PhD
Rafael Rosell, MD, is Chief of the Medical Oncology Service and Scientific Director of Oncology Research at the Catalan Institute of Oncology in Barcelona. He received his medical training in Spain, and served as a Foreign Research Fellow at the Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research in Tokyo, Japan, in 1998.

Dr. Rosell is Chairman of the Spanish Lung Cancer Group, a Member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, a Member of the Protocol Review Committee of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), and a Member of the Scientific Program Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). He is the recipient of the ALCASE Award of Excellence (Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support, and Education).

A frequent contributor to the literature, Dr. Rosell has authored more than 300 articles published in peer-reviewed medical or scientific journals.

Paul Scheinberg, MD

Pierre Theodore, MD
Dr. Pierre Theodore is a thoracic surgeon at UCSF Medical Center specializing in the treatment of thoracic organ cancers insculding lung, esophogus and mediastinal tumors. His main research interests include acute lung injury, videoscopic surgery, transplant biology, and inflammatory mediators.

Dr. Theodore earned his medical degree from The University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, Virginia. He went on to complete his residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Theodore completed a combined General/Cardiothoracic Surgery Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is board certified in surgery and thoracic surgery as well as certified by the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS). Dr. Theodore earned his A.B. degree from Princeton University. Dr. Theodore is also a reserve cardiothoracic surgeon for the United States Navy.

Dr. Theodore performs minimally invasive procedures including minimally invasive pulmonary resections and esophogeal resections.

Katherine Tully, R.N.
Katherine Tully was born and raised in Dubuque, IA. After graduating with her R.N., B.S.N., from Clarke College in Dubuque she moved to Chicago, IL. She was a R.N. on the medical/surgery unit at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke Medical Center and at the University of Illinois hospitals. Upon relocating to California she worked in management at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, CA and St. John’s Hospital in Los Angeles. She then worked in the medical malpractice defense field for many years before obtaining a Clinical Research Assistance Certification in June of 2004. She worked in the Bio-Oncology area at Genentech, Inc., in South San Francisco until July of 2007. Currently, she is the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation’s Screening Program Coordinator at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, CA.

Scientific Advisory Board

Wells Whitney, ScD

Wells Whitney was born and raised in New England and graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry. He attended MIT and received a Masters and Scd in Materials Science and Engineering and completed an NSF post-doc fellowship in Europe. Whitney has worked for large chemical companies including Monsanto and Celanese, endeavored in several start-up technology firms, and has spent the last 25 years of his career working for Raychem in Menlo Park, California, Europe, and Asia, in various capacities, and ultimately as Chief Scientist.

Since his retirement, he has studied Stage IV NSCLC, vigorously and personally, as a 10+ year survivor.

Wells serves on many cancer and civic Boards of Directors. He is happily married with five children and six grandkids.
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