SoCal Myeloma Community Chapter: Conversation with Dr. Fotis Asimakopoulos, UCSD

Todd Kennedy was diagnosed with myeloma in 2017 and has become a tireless advocate for myeloma patients and research. His background includes over 30 years working in the pharmaceutical industry until he and his wife Diane retired from their respective first careers to devote their time and talents to strengthen the myeloma community. They collaborate with HealthTree and other trusted partners to educate and empower myeloma patients and caregivers and accelerate the arrival of cures.

Diane has been an active and engaged care partner with Todd, her husband, since he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2017. In January 2020 they retired to devote their time and talents as patient advocates, HealthTree coaches, and myeloma community leaders. They are committed to helping improve and advance cancer care for all patients and feel a collaborative, virtual support group is an excellent way to help educate and empower patients and their families. Diane and Todd have lived in Orange County, CA for over 25 years where they raised their two sons.

Audrey joined the HealthTree Foundation as the Myeloma Community Program Director in 2020. While not knowing much about myeloma at the start, she has since worked hard to educate herself, empathize and learn from others' experiences. She loves this job. Audrey is passionate about serving others, loves learning, and enjoys a nice mug of hot chocolate no matter the weather.

Fotios (Fotis) Asimakopoulos, MB BChir, PhD, is a medical oncologist and hematologist who treats people with plasma cell dyscrasias, also known as plasma cell disorders. His patients may have blood-related diseases such as multiple myeloma, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), amyloidosis, and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (a type of lymphoma). He offers a variety of highly advanced treatment options, including immunotherapy, cellular therapy, stem cell transplantation, and tumor cell vaccines. Dr. Asimakopoulos is part of the joint UC San Diego Health / Sharp HealthCare Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) Program, one of the largest and most respected BMT units in California, where patients receive care from the same physician throughout all phases of blood cancer treatment. This includes initial consultation and diagnosis, treatment to help achieve remission, care throughout stem cell transplants, and follow-up survivorship care. As an associate professor in residence of medicine, Dr. Asimakopoulos is involved in training medical students, residents and fellows in hematology and oncology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, where he is the Robert J. Shillman Scholar in Cancer Research. He is an active researcher and his research is funded by the American Cancer Society and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Prior to joining UC San Diego Health in 2019, Dr. Asimakopoulos was a physician at the University of Wisconsin's Carbone Cancer Center and tenured associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison. He also served as scientific director of the University of Wisconsin's Myeloma Study Group. Dr. Asimakopoulos completed a fellowship in medical oncology and a research fellowship in clinical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He completed residency training in internal medicine at Harvard Medical School Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Asimakopoulos earned his medical (MB BChir) and doctoral degrees from University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. He also received training in hematology and cancer research as Golda Meir Fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the International Myeloma Society, the American Association of Immunologists, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the Society for Leukocyte Biology. Dr. Asimakopoulos speaks fluent Greek and conversational French and Italian.