Cynthia is a newborn ICU nurse by trade that has spent the last six years in the medical device industry educating nurses and doctors about devices that are new to their facility. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, traveling the world with her family, and creating Halloween animatronics for her annual front yard display. She has a passion for life-long learning and enjoys sharing what she learns with the people around her.

Dr. Ravi Vij is Jeffrey S and Prue H Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the Division of Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he specializes in hematologic malignancies with an academic focus on Multiple Myeloma, transplant, and cellular therapies. He also serves as Director of the Multiple Myeloma Program and as Medical Director for Satellite Operations in the Division of Oncology. Dr. Vij pursued his medical education at Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, India, before completing postgraduate training in the United Kingdom. He subsequently moved to the United States, where he undertook an internal medicine residency at Rush University in Chicago, followed by fellowships in medical oncology/hematology and bone marrow transplantation at Washington University. Since joining the faculty in 2000, he has advanced through the academic ranks to full Professor of Medicine. His career has been dedicated to advancing treatment for multiple myeloma and related blood cancers. He currently serves as Senior Editor for the journal Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia and has served on the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB/Alliance) Myeloma, Leukemia, and Transplant Committees, the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium Steering Committee, Clinical Trials Network Myeloma Committee, American Society of Clinical Oncology education and scientific committees, and as Chair of the ASH Scientific Committee on Plasma Cell Dyscrasias. Dr. Vij leads a programmatic effort to further research in multiple myeloma. As the Principal Investigator for the Multiple Myeloma Tissue Banking initiative, he has fostered several collaborative efforts with laboratory researchers at Washington University to study the mutational landscape and clonal heterogeneity of multiple myeloma and its microenvironment. An active clinical investigator, Dr. Vij has led and contributed to numerous pivotal clinical trials that have shaped the modern therapeutic landscape of multiple myeloma. His research includes early development of proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs, monoclonal antibodies, novel transplant approaches, immunotherapies including CAR-T cells, bispecific antibodies, and genomics-driven strategies. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts in leading journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Blood, Journal of Clinical Oncology and Leukemia. Dr. Vij has mentored more than 25 fellows in clinical research, nurturing the development of future leaders in hematology and oncology. His contributions have been recognized with multiple honors, including the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Innovator Award, the Center of Excellence Award, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Visionary of the Year Award (2023). He has also been repeatedly listed in Best Doctors in America and received the Teacher of the Year Award from the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, underscoring his enduring commitment to education and mentorship.