Senior Leaders
Patrick J. Loehrer, Sr., MD
Interim Director
Michael Darling, MHA
Associate Director of Administration
Sherif Farag, MBBS, PhD
Associate Director for Clinical Research
Fuad Hammoudeh
Administrator, Cancer Programs, Clarian Health Partners
Mark R. Kelley, PhD
Associate Director of Basic Science Research
James E. Klaunig, PhD
Senior Advisor
Harikrishna Nakshatri, BVSc, PhD
Associate Director for Education
G. Marie Swanson, PhD
Associate Director for Cancer Prevention and Control Research
Patrick J. Loehrer, MD
Dr. Loehrer serves as interim director of the IU Simon Cancer Center. His major responsibilities include oversight of the IU Simon Cancer Center clinical programs and other cancer programs of Clarian Health. Dr. Loehrer also serves as medical director of the new patient care facility of the IU Simon Cancer Center that opened in August 2008.
An internationally known medical oncologist, Dr. Loehrer has focused on clinical trials in testis cancer and, more recently, gastrointestinal cancer and thymoma. He has published more than 190 scientific publications, which include seminal papers in testis cancer, bladder cancer, and thymoma.
Dr. Loehrer is the Bruce Kenneth Wiseman Professor of Medicine and serves as the director of the Division of Hematology-Oncology for the Department of Medicine. Prior to his appointment as deputy director, Dr. Loehrer served as associate director for clinical research of the IU Simon Cancer Center. He is founder and former chair of the Hoosier Oncology Group, a collaboration of academic and community oncologists that have united for the purpose of conducting clinical trials. He is principal investigator at Indiana University for the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, one of the first and largest cooperative groups of researchers and health professionals focused on conducting multi-center cancer clinical trials. Nationally, he currently serves on the board of directors of the American Board of Internal Medicine and is the chair of the Medical Oncology Subcommittee. He has served previously as an elected member of the board of directors of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Dr. Loehrer earned his medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago in 1978. He completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center prior to completing his medical oncology fellowship at Indiana University Medical Center.
Michael Darling, MHA
Mr. Darling has served as the associate director for administration since the IU Simon Cancer Center was established in 1992. In this role, Mr. Darling is responsible for financial management, facility operations, budget preparation, grants administration, and intra-institutional relations. He is the chief operating officer of the organization with responsibility for non-academic issues involving the administrative and operational activities. Mr. Darling also leads the planning and evaluation process, in particular the formal review of active and developing research programs.
Mr. Darling received a B.S. in allied health administration in 1980 and a master of health administration (MHA) in 1985, earning both degrees from Indiana University. Prior to assuming the role of associate director for administration, he served as the division administrator for Adult Hematology/Oncology for five years. He is an active member of professional associations, including Association of Cancer Executives and the Cancer Centers Administrators Forum and has served previously as a NCI consultant for various grant reviews.
Sherif Farag, MBBS, PhD
Sherif Farag, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine and a researcher with the IU Simon Cancer Center, is associate director for clinical research at the cancer center. He is responsible for setting the overall direction and development of the cancer center’s clinical research program and recognizing promising areas of research and providing direction to faculty in pursuing research objectives.
Dr. Farag is also director of the Hematological Malignancies Program and the Bone Marrow & Stem Cell Transplantation Program at the cancer center.
As a member of the Hematopoiesis, Microenvironment and Immunology Program at the IU Simon Cancer Center, Dr. Farag’s research is focused on the development of novel approaches to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, including safer approaches to alternate donor transplantation.
He also is focused on the development of novel agents and regimens for the treatment of multiple myeloma, including pre-clinical research of new drug development.
Certified in internal medicine, clinical hematology, and hematopathology by the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Pathologists in Australia, Dr. Farag is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, and the International Society for Cellular Therapy among others. He also served as a panel member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for Multiple Myeloma.
A graduate of the University of Melbourne with a bachelor’s degree of medicine and bachelor’s degree of surgery as well as a doctor of philosophy in medicine, Dr. Farag completed his residency training at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in internal medicine. He completed a fellowship in clinical hematology at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne and additional training in bone marrow transplantation at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y.
Fuad Hammoudeh
Mr. Hammoudeh has 30-plus years experience in senior positions with several healthcare organizations. He joined Clarian on March 7, 2005, as administrator, Cancer Programs for Clarian Health Partners. Hammoudeh’s responsibilities include the overall leadership and operational management of the cancer programs, strategic planning, and development of comprehensive cancer programs at Clarian and Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center. In February 2007, he accepted the additional role as division administrator Hematology/Oncology for Indiana University School of Medicine.
Before joining Clarian, he was the chief executive officer at the University of Tennessee Cancer Institute. UTCI is a collaborative effort between the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Methodist University Hospital; it is one of the largest private practice oncology groups in the Memphis area to develop a comprehensive cancer program. Prior to 2002, he held various senior management positions with U.S. Oncology, a national oncology physician practice management company. From 1986 to 1994, he was the CEO at Hancock Memorial Hospital in Greenfield, Ind. Preceding his position at Hancock Memorial, Hammoudeh was the administrator at Jasper County Hospital in Rensselear, Ind.
Hammoudeh is a member of the IU Simon Cancer Center Executive Committee, Hoosier Oncology Group Board, Association of Cancer Executives Education Committee, Association of Community Cancer Centers Membership Committee, and ITRAC Advisory Board. Other memberships in national healthcare organizations include American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine, Administrator of Internal Medicine, and Medical Management Association; he is a Fellow with American College of Healthcare Executive. Hammoudeh is a recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash, the highest honor awarded by the governor of Indiana for distinguished service to the state.
Mark R. Kelley, PhD
Dr. Kelley was appointed associate director of basic science research in 2005. Dr. Kelley, the Earl and Betty Herr Chair in Pediatric Oncology Research, also serves as associate director of the Wells Center for Pediatric Research. As associate director of basic science research, Dr. Kelley oversees all basic science activities of the IU Simon Cancer Center, including stimulating interdisciplinary research collaboration, evaluating new research opportunities, and overseeing cancer center shared facilities as well as directing the ITRAC translational initiative of the IUSCC. He recommends basic research space assignments and also has a major role in mentoring young investigators.
Dr. Kelley’s laboratory currently studies DNA repair genes involved in repairing base damage that occurs from oxidative and alkylation events in normal and tumor cells and following cancer treatments. Ongoing projects include: 1) Studying the multifunctional Ape1/Ref-1 protein structure/function in order to determine its redox and repair functions in normal and cancer cells, 2) Molecular targeted therapeutic approaches at members of the DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway, 3) Role of mitochondrial DNA repair systems in normal and cancer cells, 4) Altering Ape1’s redox function and role in angiogenesis as a therapeutic approach for cancer and other indications, 5) Role of DNA repair genes in cognitive dysfunction (“chemobrain”) and peripheral neuropathy, and 6) Analyses of DNA repair genes and their relationship to chemoprevention, cancer initiation, progression, and response to treatments.
Dr. Kelley has numerous patents relating to the use of DNA repair targets for cancer therapy, including identifying methods and compositions for first the diagnostic and then the therapeutic use of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonucleases.
Dr. Kelley received his doctoral degree in genetics from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology at Rockefeller University in New York prior to serving as assistant professor at Loyola University Medical School in Chicago. Dr. Kelley currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mutation Research: Molecular and Fundamental Mechanisms, and Current Molecular Pharmacology. He is also the director for the Molecular Medicine in Action (MMIA) program for Indiana high school students and MMIA II for Indiana high school science teachers. He has been continuously funded by the NIH/NCI and the Department of Defense (DOD) for many years.
James E. Klaunig, PhD
Dr. Klaunig, the Robert B. Forney Professor of Toxicology at the IU School of Medicine and director of the Division of Toxicolog and founding director of the Center for Environmental Health, is a senior advisor for the IU Simon Cancer Center.
Dr. Klaunig’s current research is directed toward two major areas: understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which natural and synthetic chemicals may induce or prevent cancer, and secondly, the study of the effects of environmental agents on hepatic toxicity and carcinogenesis.
Dr. Klaunig served on the editorial boards of Toxicological Sciences, Toxicologic Pathology, Toxicology, Cell Biology and Toxicology and was editor-in-chief of Toxicologic Pathology. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including most recently the George H. Scott Award (Toxicology Forum), Benjamin Trump Lectureship (Aspen Cancer Conference), Freehold Alumni Hall of Fame (Freehold High School), John Doull Toxicology Award (University of Kansas), Who’s Who Among Outstanding Scientists of the 21st Century, the Kenneth P. DuBois Award of the Midwest Society of Toxicology Chapter, and the Sagamore of the Wabash, the highest award presented to a citizen of Indiana by Indiana's governor for service to the state.
Dr. Klaunig has served on numerous national advisory committees, including as a permanent member of NIH Study Sections, the NIH/NIEHS National Toxicology Board of Scientific Advisors, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board. He was chair of the U.S. EPA Board of Scientific Counselor Evaluation of the U.S. EPA Human Health Research Program. He is also board certified in toxicology and has served on the boards of directors of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences and the International Life Sciences Institute (HESI Division). He has served the Society of Toxicology as a member and chair of the Education Committee, treasurer, and member of the executive council.
Dr. Klaunig received his doctorate in experimental pathology from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed postdoctoral studies in chemical carcinogenesis at the Medical University of Ohio and the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology in North Carolina. Dr. Klaunig directed the Indiana State Department of Toxicology from 1991 to 2003, serving as the state toxicologist for Indiana during that time.
Harikrishna Nakshatri, BVSc, PhD
Harikrishna Nakshatri, BVSc, PhD, was named associate director for education at the IU Simon Cancer Center in September 2009. Dr. Nakshatri is responsible for overseeing faculty development and training programs at the cancer center. He is also responsible for scholarship programs, seminars, and special events. As a senior leader, he plays a key role in setting the strategic direction, policies, and priorities of all educational and outreach activities.
Dr. Nakshatri' research interests are on the mechanisms of anti-estrogen resistance and metastasis in breast cancer. Dr. Nakshatri's ongoing research includes elucidating the mechanisms by which the serine/threonine kinase AKT alters estrogen signaling and confers anti-estrogen resistance.
His laboratory has identified and commercialized biomarkers that may predict response to anti-estrogen therapy. His laboratory demonstrated constitutive activation of the nuclear factor kappaB in a subset of breast cancer. Activated nuclear factor kappaB confers chemotherapy resistance and enhances metastasis. An inhibitor of nuclear factor kappaB developed by his lab in collaboration with other institutions is currently in a phase I clinical trial for cancer. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense, Susan G. Komen for Cure and other private foundations have funded his research. He is the author or co-author of more than 80 publications.
Dr. Nakshatri earned his bachelor's degree in veterinary sciences from the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bangalore, India, and his doctorate from Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, Canada. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France.
He joined the IU School of Medicine in 1996. He has served and continues to serve on scientific review committees of the NIH, Department of Defense, and Susan G. Komen for Cure. He is also on the editorial boards of scientific journals. He is actively involved in training post-doctoral fellows, surgical residents, and medical students.
G. Marie Swanson, PhD
G. Marie Swanson is associate director for cancer prevention and control research at the IU Simon Cancer Center and professor and associate chair of the Indiana University School of Medicine's Department of Public Health.
As the associate director for cancer prevention and control research, she provides oversight and evaluation of the cancer control activities of all IUSCC research programs, evaluates new research opportunities, serves as an IUSCC mentor for young investigators, and integrates the research activities of the IUSCC and the IU Department of Public Health to guide potential cancer research activities.
Swanson also collaborates with the Indiana Department of Health, and she works closely with the Indiana Minority Health Coalition to develop relationships with Hispanic and other minority communities around Indianapolis and across the state.
Swanson most recently was the founding dean of the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona.
During her career, Swanson has held many local, regional, and national positions, including leadership in the American Cancer Society and membership on the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center parent committee.
Known for her research in cancer epidemiology, Swanson was one of the first U.S. investigators to identify the high risk of both incidence and mortality among young African American women.
Swanson earned a master's degree and a doctorate in sociology from Wayne State University and a master's of public health in epidemiology from The Johns Hopkins University.