Atlanta Round Table - October 12, 2019

Morie Gertz, MD, MACP, is the Roland Seidler, Jr. Professor of the Art of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology. Dr. Gertz has also served as Treasurer of the International Myeloma Society and President of Mayo Staff Officers and Councilors. He was the Chair of the Mayo Personnel Committee. Currently he serves on the American Society of Hematology Training Program Committee and the American Board of Internal Medicine Hematology Board Exam Committee. Dr. Gertz has been recognized with the 2014 Jan Waldenström Medal for Medical and Scientific Achievements in Waldenström Macroglobulinemia and is a Mayo Distinguished Clinician. He has been recognized for his contributions in amyloidosis and Waldenström macroglobulinemia, has authored more than five hundred peer-reviewed publications, and is a master of the America College of Physicians. He graduated from Northwestern University with highest distinction as a Phi Beta Kappa and received his medical degree cum laude from Loyola Medical School and was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honor society. He completed a three-year medical residency at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago and was twice voted Resident of the Year.

Craig C. Hofmeister, MD, MPH, is Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. Board certified in internal medicine and hematology, Dr. Hofmeister’s practice focuses on plasma cell cancers, including plasmacytomas, multiple myeloma, AL amyloidosis, smoldering myeloma, and monoclonal gammopathies of renal significance. He started practicing with Emory Healthcare in 2018.

Nisha Joseph, MD is Assistant Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. Board certified in hematology and medical oncology, she specializes in treating patients with plasma cell disorders including multiple myeloma and amyloidosis. She is also an active clinical researcher in the fields of multiple myeloma, amyloidosis and bone marrow transplant. Dr. Joseph is a member of the Clinical and Translational Review Committee and the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute, and serves as the director of the Morbidity and Mortality conferences of the Department of Hematology and Oncology. She co-leads the Winship Summer Scholars Program, providing high school students with a unique immersion experience in a cancer research laboratory. Dr. Joseph was named the first H. Jean Khoury Fellow in Leukemia and Bone Marrow Transplant prior to joining the faculty at Winship Cancer Institute. Dr. Joseph holds professional memberships with American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Society of Hematology.

Jonathan Kaufman, MD, is Associate Professor and Associate Vice-Chair for Quality and Safety of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Kaufman's practice includes treating multiple myeloma and amyloidosis patients. He is also an active clinical and translational researcher in the fields of multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, and bone marrow transplant. His research focus is on the development of optimal treatment regimens and new drug development for patients with plasma cell disorders. Additionally, Dr. Kaufman is a member of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute. He also holds memberships with American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Society of Hematology. Dr. Kaufman earned his Medical Degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He subsequently completed his Residency in Internal Medicine and his Fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Emory University.

Dr. Cesar Rodriguez is Associate Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, The Tisch Cancer Institute, and the Center of Excellence for Multiple Myeloma, and serves as Clinical Director of Multiple Myeloma at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Rodriguez has extensive experience treating patients with plasma cell disorders. He is a member of the International Myeloma Working Group which conducts collaborative research and produces consensus guidelines for the myeloma community. Dr. Rodriguez has more than 10 years of experience in clinical research and is the principal investigator of numerous clinical trials for multiple myeloma focused on early drug development and immunotherapies that include T cell and NK cell directed therapies. He is also working on a 3D organoid model to better understand the biology of the tumor niche.