#CancerResearchSavesLives

President, Advocate Health National Cancer Service Line, Vice Dean for Cancer Programs, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, The Charles L. Spurr MD Professor of Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Dr. Mesa's research focuses on Myeloproliferative Neoplasms biology, novel therapeutics and over 100 phase I-III clinical trials, symptom assessment tools and non-pharmacological interventions to alleviate MPN symptoms. He has led or co-led the development of 6 drugs that have been FDA approved for MPNs. Dr. Mesa has won many career awards for his research from the Mayo Clinic, from patient and MPN organizations, and was the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus from University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and 2025 Recipient of the Ernest Beutler Prize from the American Society of Hematology for his work on the clinical development of JAK inhibition as therapy for MPN patients. 

Associate Professor of Cancer Medicine/Senior Assistant Director for Community Outreach and Engagement

Dr. Dan Carrizosa is a board-certified medical oncologist and an Associate Professor of Cancer Medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He specializes in both head and neck cancer and thoracic malignancies. He currently focuses his research on both treatment trials in lung cancer, head and neck cancers and Phase I/early therapeutics and on lung cancer screening trials with the mobile lung cancer screening unit. He serves as both the senior assistant director for Community Outreach and Engagement at AHWFBCCC and as the associate program director for the Hematology/Oncology fellowship program at Carolinas Medical Center.

He received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering and his master's degree from Duke University. He then completed his medical training at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After fellowship graduation in 2007, he moved to Charlotte, NC where he began his career with Carolinas Healthcare System, now part of Advocate Health.

Associate Professor, Surgery and Associate Professor, Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. 

David R. Soto-Pantoja, Ph.D., is a tenured Associate Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Cancer Biology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center. He earned his doctorate from Wake Forest University and completed postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Soto-Pantoja’s research investigates immune and metabolic signaling pathways as biomarkers for immunotherapy response, with a focus on identifying metabolic targets that promote anti-tumor activity—particularly in the treatment of brain metastases. His work is supported by multiple awards, including funding from the NIH, the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award, and the V Foundation Scholar in Cancer Research. In addition to advancing cancer biology, his research program is deeply committed to mentoring and training the next generation of scientists.

Medical Director, Hematology/Oncology, Illinois Division 

Dr. Richards received his PhD in biochemistry from Cornell University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in cellular immunology at UCLA prior to returning to Cornell University Medical College for medical school.  Following his residency and Hematology/Oncology fellowship at the University of Chicago, he joined the faculty and established the Natural Killer Cell laboratory and Biologic Therapy Unit at the University of Chicago.   Patient care was largely research-focused on biologic therapies to treat melanoma, and he moved with 5 of his co-faculty to establish an oncology program at Lutheran General Hospital.  He established the Oncology Specialists Research Institute at Lutheran General Hospital in 2001 and has remained active in clinical research through this organization and its successor entity, the Advocate Research Institute, where he serves on the board of directors. He currently serves as the Medical Director for Medical Oncology in the Illinois Division of Advocate Health.

Attending Neurosurgeon, Aurora St Luke’s Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI

Dr. Rovin is an attending Neurosurgeon at ASLMC and co-founder and CEO of UP Oncolytics, Inc. At St Luke’s, he served as Chief of Neurosurgery and Medical Director of Neuro Oncology. Prior to joining Aurora Health Care, Dr. Rovin practiced in Marquette, MI where he co-founded the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center and served as its medical director for 10 years. 

Professor, Neurology (Winston-Salem), Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Dr. Roy E. Strowd III is a board-certified neurologist and neuro-oncologist, recognized for excellence in patient-centered care and translational research. His research focuses on therapeutic development for glioma and neuroprotective strategies, with over 140 peer-reviewed publications and leadership in national clinical trials. Dr. Strowd is an award-winning educator, founding editor of Neurology: Education, and a leader in academic medicine, serving on national boards and committees. He earned his BA from Duke, MD and MS from Wake Forest, and MEd from Johns Hopkins. 

Professor of Anesthesiology, SSTT Co-Leader

Dr. Romero-Sandoval received a medical degree from Centro Universitario de Occidente, Quetzaltenango (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala) in 1999 and a Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience from Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Spain, in 2003. Currently, Dr. Romero-Sandoval is a Professor of Anesthesiology, Social Sciences and Health Policy, and Internal Medicine, and serves as a co-leader of the Symptom Science Transformational Team at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC (U.S.). His laboratory explores neuroimmune interactions in surgical and neuropathic pain and neuropathies induced by cancer treatment, including chemotherapy. Additionally, Dr. Romero-Sandoval studies the endocannabinoid system in the context of pain, cancer, cancer treatment, cannabis pharmacology, and how the cannabis market in the U.S. is shaped and could affect cancer and pain patients.

Integrative Oncology

Dr. Sandeep Chunduri is a board-certified physician in Oncology and Hematology, practicing in Crystal Lake, IL. He also serves as the co-Medical Director of the Cancer Prevention Program at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, IL. With a strong foundation in clinical medicine and a passion for advancing cancer care, Dr. Chunduri brings a patient-centered approach to both treatment and prevention. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, integrating emerging technologies and scientific innovation to improve outcomes and personalize therapies. Dr. Chunduri is particularly interested in bridging clinical practice with analytical insights, fostering meaningful change in oncology through evidence-based strategies. He is committed to expanding access to preventive care and leveraging data-driven approaches to enhance early detection and intervention. Through his leadership and collaborative efforts, Dr. Chunduri continues to contribute to the evolution of cancer care across clinical and community settings.

Vice President of Professional Services

Aimee Griffin serves as Vice President of Professional Services for Atrium Health Floyd. She has administrative responsibility for Floyd’s Oncology Service Line, Heart and Vascular Service Line, Imaging Services, The Breast Center at Floyd, Respiratory Services, Neuro Diagnostics, Dialysis, and Sleep Medicine.

Griffin earned a Bachelor of Science from Advent University in Orlando, Florida, and Master of Business Administration from Berry College Campbell School of Business in Rome. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, a registered radiologic technologist and a certified breast imaging navigator.

She serves as the board chair of the Northwest Georgia Regional Cancer Coalition; is vice chair of the Rome-Floyd Cancer Initiative; is secretary of the Georgia Society of Radiologic Technologists; and is a member of the board of Cancer Navigators, Inc.

Griffin has been an Atrium Health Floyd teammate for 24 years.