ASM 2023
International Speakers
Andrea Apolo
Andrea B. Apolo, M.D. is a nationally and internationally recognised expert in bladder cancer research with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and biochemistry and a medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. In 2010 she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute’s Physician-Scientist Early Investigator Program to build a translational bladder cancer program. In 2014 Dr. Apolo received the Lasker Clinical Research Scholars Award and in 2021 was granted tenure at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Apolo is dedicated to improving the treatment and survival of patients with bladder cancer and other genitourinary tumors. Her research involves developing and designing clinical trials to test novel therapies for bladder, kidney, and rare genitourinary cancers.
Darren Feldman
Dr. Feldman is an Associate Attending Physician on the Genitourinary Oncology Service and Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Service within the Department of Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and Associate Professor of Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, both in New York City, NY. Dr. Feldman’s research focuses on understanding the biology and improving the treatment for patients with germ cell tumors (GCT) and kidney tumors, and the mechanism and management of late toxicities resulting from GCT treatment, particularly effects on the cardiovascular system. At MSKCC, he is the Section head for GCT within the Genitourinary Oncology Service, overseeing the GCT medical oncology research program and he is also the director of the BMT Solid Tumor program. He has led and is currently leading national and international trials in the treatment of GCT and kidney cancer and has presented his research at meetings around the world. He is also the Chair of Quality Assurance for the Department of Medicine at MSKCC.
Alex Wyatt
Alex Wyatt's primary research goals are to identify associations between molecular alterations in metastatic genitourinary cancers and clinical outcomes, and to translate these findings into clinical biomarkers.
Sima Porten
MD, MPH, FACS Associate Professor in Residence Sima Porten received her undergraduate, doctoral and public health degrees from Northwestern University completing her education in June 2006. She was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society during medical school and also completed a Howard Hughes Medical Institute-NIH Research Scholars fellowship during that time. She then completed her urology residency training at University of California, San Francisco and her Urologic Oncology Fellowship at The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Currently, she is part of the multidisciplinary urologic oncology team of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center where she continues to pursue her clinical and research interests in bladder cancer and upper tract urothelial cancer.
Ananya Choudhury
Professor Choudhury is Chair and Honorary Consultant in Clinical Oncology. She joined The Christie in 2008 specialising in urology and sarcoma and has a strong interest in translational research. In 2013, she decided to focus on radiotherapy-related research in prostate and bladder cancers. She is clinical lead for advanced radiotherapy including the MRLinac project and is co-Group Leader of The Translational Radiobiology Group within the Division of Cancer Sciences. Professor Choudhury currently undertakes research which aims to optimise and personalise radiotherapy using new techniques or imaging technology to deliver high doses of radiotherapy while minimising side effects and predictive biomarkers to determine which patients benefit from different treatments.
Rebecca Martin
Rebecca is a skilled, patient-focussed and innovative Advanced Nurse Practitioner working in Uro-Oncology and leads a team of specialist nurses. Her key area of work is bladder cancer with a specialist interest in the female experience of cancer and treatments. Rebecca’s clinical work crosses the bladder cancer spectrum from non-muscle invasive disease to long term follow up after cystectomy. Rebecca recently completed a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship and is at the start of her PhD journey; undertaking research on female sexual recovery in bladder cancer and using qualitative methods alongside intervention development and implementation science. Key interests include: Bladder cancer, female sexual function, intravesical therapy, cystectomy, continent diversions, enhanced recovery, nephrostomy care, advanced nursing practice, patient education, patient experience, qualitative research.