Faculty Presenters

Sarah Scott, PharmD, BCOP

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Emory Winship Cancer Institute
Atlanta, GA

Danielle Roberts, PA-C

Associate Chief of Education for APPs,
Co-Director Hematology/Oncology APP Fellowship
Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University
Atlanta, GA

Danielle Roberts is the Associate Director of Professional Development and Education at Emory Healthcare. She graduated from Emory University’s Physician Assistant Program in 2007 and initially worked in community oncology before joining the Winship Cancer Institute in 2011. Over the years, Danielle has gained experience in a variety of oncologic specialties, including Community Oncology, Survivorship, GVHD, and her current role in Malignant Hematology. In addition to her clinical work, Danielle serves as a Society Leader and adjunct faculty member for the Emory University Physician Assistant Program. She recently completed the 2024 WHEA Teaching Fellowship and was honored as Emory Healthcare’s APP Educator of the Year the same year. Danielle’s passion for education and professional development continues to drive her impact within the healthcare community.

Ajay Nooka, MD, MPH, FACP

Associate Professor 
Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology
Emory Winship Cancer Institute
Atlanta, GA

Ajay Nooka, MD is a Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. He earned his medical degree from Andhra Medical College in India before relocating to the United States. He received a Masters’ in Public Health from the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, Texas and then completed his internship and residency at the Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine, Ohio. He pursued a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia where he also served as Chief Fellow before he joined faculty. Board certified in Hematology and Medical oncology, Dr. Nooka is the Director of the Myeloma Program at Department of Hematology & Oncology, Emory University and primarily focuses on multiple myeloma treatment and research.

Dr. Nooka is the Associate Director for Clinical Research at Winship Cancer Institute. He is involved in numerous professional organizations, including the International Myeloma Working Group of International Myeloma Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, and the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapies. Dr. Nooka’s interests as a clinical investigator focuses on multiple myeloma and bone marrow transplant. His research interests include integrating molecular and clinical data to risk-stratify myeloma; and to evaluate newer myeloma therapeutic strategies aimed at prolonging survival in myeloma patients.

In addition to leading several investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials, he is a recipient of several awards and grants and has published more than 300 articles and abstracts in high quality peer-reviewed journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Blood, Leukemia, Lancet Oncology, Blood Advances, Blood Cancer Journal and Cancer. He serves as a ‘Section Editor’ for the American Cancer Society journal Cancer and associate editor for Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia, on serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Clinical Oncology. He is an invited or ad hoc reviewer for several prestigious journals including Journal of Clinical Oncology, Lancet Oncology, Leukemia, Cancer, Blood Advances, Blood Cancer Journal, American Journal of Hematology, British Journal of Hematology, Bone Marrow Transplantation and Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Sherine Thomas, MD

Georgia Cancer Specialists
Atlanta, GA

Sherine Thomas, MD is a community physician with board certifications in hematology, oncology and internal medicine. He has been practicing in Georgia for the last 13 years. During this time, he has been involved in management of complex cases in medical oncology both solid tumors, malignant hematology as well as benign hematology. This robust practice has allowed him to have an expansive understanding of the field and deliver more comprehensive care to his patients.

Dr. Thomas has also been a medical lab director for Northside Hospital cancer Institute oncology clinics in Conyers and Decatur, Georgia. In this role he has been involved in monitoring laboratory functions including credentialing, calibration, quality control of the hematology and oncology laboratory.

Dr. Thomas has a great interest in staying up to date with new and evolving therapies to make sure that the best available care is available for his patients who are frequently travel to Atlanta to receive such care. To this end he has frequently worked with faculty and physicians at Emory University and other tertiary academic oncology/hematology institutions.

Program Planning Committee

Charise Gleason, MSN, NP-BC, AOCNP (Content Co-Chair)

VP and Chief APP Officer, Adjunct Faculty

Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Emory Healthcare

Atlanta, GA

Charise Gleason, MSN, NP-BC, AOCNP®, is the VP and Chief Advanced Practice Officer for Emory Healthcare and adjunct faculty at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University. She has been a nurse practitioner in the Multiple Myeloma program at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University for over twenty years. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Emory University and holds an advanced oncology certification through the ONCC. Ms. Gleason has been an active presenter and educator on the topics of multiple myeloma and has authored or co-authored many publications, including book chapters, abstracts, articles for nursing journals, and scientific publications.

Jesus G. Berdeja, M.D. (Content Co-Chair)

Director of Multiple Myeloma Research

The Greco-Hainsworth Tennessee Oncology Centers for Research

Nashville, TN

Jesus G. Berdeja received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and medical degree from Harvard University. He completed his internship and residency in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of California in San Francisco and fellowships in medical oncology and hematology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Dr. Berdeja specializes in clinical hematology, with a focus on multiple myeloma. Additionally, he is an active member of several professional organizations, including the International Myeloma Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, the International Myeloma Working Group and the Clinical Trials Myeloma Intergroup Committee. An active researcher, Dr. Berdeja has been the principal investigator many funded clinical trials in the field of multiple myeloma. He has published extensively in the peer-reviewed literature and is a frequent invited lecturer.

Disclosures:

Those others involved in the planning of this activity disclosed no relevant financial relationships with any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients.

Other Contributors

All other non-faculty contributors and others involved in the planning, development and editing/review of the content disclosed no relevant financial relationships with any entity producing, marketing, re-selling or distributing health care goods or services consumed by or used on patients.

Charise Gleason, MSN, NP-C, AOCNP discloses no relevant financial relationships with any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients during the past 24 months.

Jesús G. Berdeja, M.D. discloses contracted research with 2 Seventy Bio, Abbvie, Amgen, BMS, C4 Therapeutics, Caribou Biosciences, CARsgen, Cartesian Therapeutics, Celularity, CRISPR Therapeutics, Fate Therapeutics, Genentech, GSK, Ichnos Sciences, Incyte, Janssen, Juno Therapeutics, K36 Therapeutics. Karyopharm, Lilly, Novartis, Poseida, Roche, Sanofi, Takeda, Consulting Fee's with AstraZeneca, BMS, Caribou Biosciences, Galapagos, Janssen, K36 Therapeutics, Kite Pharma, Legend Biotech, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, Sanofi, Sebia, Takeda and Speaker's Honoraria with Janssen during the past 24 months. 

Ajay Nooka, MD discloses that he is a consultant for AstraZeneca, Cellectar, GSK, Kite, Janssen, Pfizer, Sebia and Sanofi during the past 24 months.

Danielle Roberts, PA-C discloses that she is on an advisory board for Jadpro during the past 24 months.

Sarah A. Scott, PharmD discloses that she is on advisory boards for Johnson & Johnson, GSK, Pfizer and Sanofi as well as a consultant for Pfizer during the past 24 months.