"Cures Start Here"

Who We Are

CITN and ION History

The Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN) originated from workshops that occurred during a 2007 meeting of the world’s leading immunotherapy experts from academia, industry and government. The National Cancer Institute and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center together support CITN’s work.

Today, CITN and now ION, an affiliate of the CITN, comprises a network of top academic immunologists, clinical trial sites, laboratories and funding partners. The network’s investigators  are located at 40+ of the foremost universities and cancer centers in North America. A pioneer in immunotherapy research, Fred Hutch houses two critical components of CITN and ION: the Central Operations and Statistical Center (COSC) and the CITN and ION Immune Monitoring Lab (CIML).

Researcher working with test tubes

Our Aims

Our Aims

The CITN and ION investigators are internationally-renowned cancer immunology experts as well as skilled clinicians. They have decades of experience spearheading innovative multicenter clinical trials to test therapies for complex diseases like cancer and HIV.

Close up of one scientist in the lab.

Leadership

Leadership

The CITN and ION investigators are internationally-renowned cancer immunology experts as well as skilled clinicians. They have decades of experience spearheading innovative multicenter clinical trials to test therapies for complex diseases like cancer and HIV.

Meet Our Steering Committees

To help establish priorities for CITN and ION, the leaders work with two steering committees. The steering committees’ responsibilities include the following:

  • Develop and provide preliminary approval of Letter of Intent and protocols (before submission to NCI and final NCI approval)
  • Review trial progress
  • Review CITN Operations & Statistical Center (COSC) operations on a regular basis
  • Review any changes in CITN organizational structure
  • Review any changes in CITN Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Advise on including Ancillary Sites to participate in CITN clinical trials

Adult CITN Steering Committee

Thomas S. Uldrick Jr.

Thomas S. Uldrick Jr., M.D., M.S.

Program Leader, Global Oncology and CITN/ION
CITN Co-Pl, Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network, Fred Hutch
Senior Clinician, HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch
Deputy Chair, Global Health, Fred Hutch

Jeffrey Miller, M.D.

CITN Site Principal Investigator, Masonic Cancer Center University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Specialty: leukemia

Marc Ernstoff, M.D.

CITN Site Principal Investigator, Roswell Park Cancer Institute Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, UB, Buffalo, NY

Specialty: kidney cancer, melanoma

Robert Ferris, M.D., Ph.D.

CITN Site Principal Investigator, Department of Immunology University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Specialty: HPV in head & neck cancers

Silvia Formenti, M.D.

CITN Site Principal Investigator, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY

Specialty: breast cancer

Brian Gastman, M.D.

CITN Site Principal Investigator, Cleveland Clinic Cleveland, OH

Specialty: head & neck cancers

Ronald Levy, M.D.

CITN Site Principal Investigator, Stanford Cancer Center Stanford, CA

Specialty: lymphomas

Pamela Ohashi, Ph.D., FRSC

CITN Site Principal Investigator, University Health Network Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Specialty: tumor immunity, immune tolerance

Ann W. Silk, M.D., M.S.

CITN Site Principal Investigator, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Mario Sznol, M.D.

CITN Site Principal Investigator, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven

Specialty: skin cancer, prostate and urologic cancers

Walter J. Urba, M.D., Ph.D.

CITN Site Principal Investigator, Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute Providence Cancer Center, Portland, OR

Specialty: melanoma

Edmund Waller, M.D., Ph.D., FACP

CITN Site Principal Investigator, Wiship Cancer Institute Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Specialty: leukemia, lymphoma

Holden Maecker, Ph.D.

Non-Voting Member, Stanford University

Bob Salim

Statistical Scientist Director, Axio Research
CITN Non-Voting Member

Jeffrey Schlom, Ph.D.

CITN Non-Site Principal Investigator, National Cancer Institute

Deborah Collyar

CITN Non-Site Principal Investigator, PAIR: Patient Advocates in Research

James Kublin, M.D., M.P.H

CITN Non-Site Principal Investigator Executive Director HVTN, Fred Hutch

Howard Streicher, M.D.

Project Scientist, NCI/CTEP

Elad Sharon, M.D., M.P.H

Project Scientist, NCI/CTEP

Pediatric CITN Steering Committee

Crystal Mackall, M.D.

Crystal Mackall, M.D.

Director, Pediatric Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network, Fred Hutch
Professor, Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, Stanford University
Associate Director, Stanford University Cancer Institute
Leader, Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, Stanford University
Director, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
CITN Site Principal Investigator

Julie R. Park, M.D.

Pediatric CITN Site Principal Investigator, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA

Specialty: pediatric neuroblastoma

John M. Maris, M.D.

Pediatric CITN Site Principal Investigator, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Philadelphia, PA

Specialty: neuroblastoma

Daniel Morgenstern, M.D.

Pediatric CITN Site Principal Investigator, The Hospital for Sick Children University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Specialty: neuroblastoma

Paul Sondel, M.D., Ph.D.

Pediatric CITN Site Principal Investigator, American Family Children’s Hospital University of Wisconsin Health Clinics, Madison, WI

Specialty: pediatric leukemia

Jodi A. Muscal, M.D.

Pediatric CITN Site PI, Texas Children’s Hospital Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Specialty: pediatric solid, brain, and rare tumors

Terry Fry, M.D.

Pediatric CITN Site PI, Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Specialty: childhood leukemia

Kirk Schultz, M.D.

Pediatric CITN Site PI, Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Specialty: childhood leukemia

Michael Pulsipher, M.D.

Pediatric CITN Site PI, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Specialty: pediatric hematology

Judith Kaiser, M.B.A., B.S.N., R.N.

CITN and ION Administrative Director, Fred Hutch

Holden Maecker, Ph.D.

Stanford University

Bob Salim

Statistical Scientist Director, Axio Research

Patrick Sullivan

Patient/Family Advocate, Canadian Cancer Trials Group

Mac Cheever, M.D.

CITN and ION Director, Fred Hutch

Steve Fling, Ph.D.

CITN and ION Laboratory Director, Fred Hutch

Tom S. Uldrick Jr., M.D., M.S.

Deputy Head, Global Oncology and CITN Program Leader, Fred Hutch

Nora L. Disis, M.D.

CITN Program Leader, University of Washington

COSC Staff: Internationally-Renowned Cancer Immunology Experts

The Central Operations and Statistical Center (COSC) is directed by Dr. Martin “Mac” Cheever. Fred Hutch researchers Dr. Mary “Nora” Disis and Dr. Thomas S. Uldrick serve as co-directors. COSC staff coordinates the work of CITN and ION member site investigators and research staff across North America. This group provides overall leadership to the CITN andION networks as well as organizational infrastructure, protocol development, statistical design and support for trial coordination.

 

Martin A. (Mac) Cheever, M.D.

Martin A. (Mac) Cheever, M.D.

Director and Principal Investigator, CITN and ION
Member, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch
Professor of Medicine/Oncology, University of Washington
Non-Voting Member
Judith Kaiser, M.B.A., B.S.N., R.N.

Judith Kaiser, M.B.A., B.S.N., R.N.

Administrative Director
Betty Bertoldi, B.A.

Betty Bertoldi, B.A.

Project Manager
Photo of Anna Wright

Anna Wright, PhD

Vaccine Trials Project Manager
Eva Hymel, M.S.

Eva Hymel, M.S.

Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager
Photo of Diana E. Koch

Diana E. Koch, MS, MBA

Regulatory Affairs Coordinator
Melissa Atteberry, C.P.A.

Melissa Atteberry, C.P.A.

Fiscal Manager
Andreanne Lacroix, B.Sc.

Andreanne Lacroix, B.Sc.

Senior Vaccine Trials Project Manager
Photo of Kajari Mondal

Kajari Mondal, PhD

Project Coordinator
Photo of Mairah O’Callaghan

Mairah O’Callaghan, MBA

Vaccine Trials Project Manager

CIML Staff (Clinical Staff)

Directed by Dr. Steven Fling, the CITN and ION Immune Monitoring Lab conducts molecular assays and genetic assessments of specimens collected from patients in CITN and ION trials. The lab serves as a central repository for these samples

Steven Fling, Ph.D.

Steven Fling, Ph.D.

Director
Dan Schullery, M.S.

Dan Schullery, M.S.

Associate Director
Chihiro Morishima, M.D.

Chihiro Morishima, M.D.

Consultant
Harleen Choudhary, B.S.

Harleen Choudhary, B.S.

Staff Scientist
Leonard D'Amico, Ph.D.

Leonard D'Amico, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist
Bruce Hess, M.S.

Bruce Hess, M.S.

Staff Scientist
Emily Ekdahl

Emily Ekdahl

Research Technician
Liz O'Donoghue, B.S.

Liz O'Donoghue, B.S.

Staff Scientist

CITN Member Sites