Disease Site Groups

The JCCC operates a series of multi-disciplinary Disease Site Groups (DSGs) responsible for initial review of all interventional cancer clinical research protocols at UCLA. Each DSG is responsible for first stage textual review, feasibility assessment and prioritization of new interventional clinical protocols as they relate to the patient populations and research focus of each Disease Site Group. The DSG considers relevant clinical programs, programmatic goals, expertise, and research interests in assessing both concepts and protocols. 

The fifteen (15) Disease Site Groups at UCLA review the breadth of cancer-related disease areas, and include unique/specialized groups such as the Supportive Care DSG and Early Phase Clinical Research DSG. A full list of all Disease Site Groups is located below.

Formal DSG review and approval is required prior to Internal Scientific Peer Review Committee (ISPRC) submission for initial review of interventional clinical studies.

All studies reviewed by a Disease Site Group will be subject to:

• First stage review: approves trials to proceed to ISPRC review
• Prioritizes trials for respective histologies and areas, and evaluate feasibility
• Identifying competing protocols
• Setting and justifying the accrual goals for each protocol

Submitting your protocol for review by a DSG

1. Secure the protocol. If a CDA is required to receive the protocol, contact the appropriate UCLA contract office to execute that agreement (Clinical Trial Contracts, TDG, OCGA).
2. Submit the DSG Review Intake and Scoring Form for a new protocol.
3. Once submitted, the new protocol will be placed on the agenda for the next DSG meeting. The PI and regulatory support named in the intake form will receive an email with potential review dates and DSG meeting login information. All meetings currently facilitated via Zoom.

Disease Site Group Leads and Administrators

Administrators for all Disease Site Groups

The DSG Program Manager and Director are available to answer any questions about DSG review requirements, meeting schedule and decision outcome. The DSG PM is the primary point of contact.

DSG Program Manager

Marsha Noeline
310-810-4956
Chat with Marsha on Teams
mnoeline@mednet.ucla.edu

DSG Program Director

Maggie Lindenbaum
424-440-0438
Chat with Maggie on Teams
mlindenbaum@mednet.ucla.edu

Breast Oncology

Lead: Sara Hurvitz, MD, shurvitz@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held bi-weekly every other Wednesday

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Co-Lead: Tim Cloughesy, MD, TCloughesy@mednet.ucla.edu
Co-Lead: Linda Liau, MD, PhD, LLiau@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held every other Thursday

Early Phase Clinical Research

Tumor-specific Phase I studies may be reviewed by a tumor-specific DSG, unless the study is for multiple tumor types (≥3), then it must be reviewed by the Early Phase Clinical Research DSG.

Co-Lead: Zev Wainberg, MD, ZWainberg@mednet.ucla.edu
Co-Lead: Lee Rosen, MD, LRosen@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held bi-weekly every other Monday

Gastrointestinal-Pancreas Oncology

Co-Lead: Joel Randolph (Randy) Hecht, MD, JRHecht@mednet.ucla.edu
Co-Lead: Timothy Donahue, MD, TDonahue@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held bi-weekly every other Friday

Genitourinary Oncology

Co-Lead: Allan Pantuck, MD, APantuck@mednet.ucla.edu
Co-Lead: Alexandra Drakaki, MD, PhD, ADrakaki@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held bi-weekly every other Friday

Gynecologic Oncology

Co-Lead: Ritu Salani, MD, RSalani@mednet.ucla.edu
Co-Lead: Gottfried Konecny, MD, GKonecny@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held weekly every Friday

Head and Neck Oncology

Co-Lead: Deborah Wong, MD, PhD, DeWong@mednet.ucla.edu
Co-Lead: Amar Kishan, MD, PhD, AUKishan@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held bi-weekly every other Wednesday

Hematologic Malignancies

Lead: Gary Schiller, MD, GSchiller@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held bi-weekly every other Friday

Hepatobiliary Oncology

Lead: Richard Finn, MD, RFinn@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held every other Monday

Lymphoma

Co-Lead: Sven de Vos, MD, PhD, deVos@mednet.ucla.edu
Co-Lead: Herbert Eradat, MD, HEradat@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held every Thursday

Melanoma

Co-Lead: Bartosz Chmielowski, MD, PhD, BChmielowski@mednet.ucla.edu
Co-Lead: Joseph Crompton, MD, JCrompton@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held bi-weekly every other Thursday

Pediatric Oncology

Lead: Noah Federman, MD, NFederman@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held every other Monday

Sarcoma

Co-Lead: Arun Singh, MD, ASingh@mednet.ucla.edu
Co-Lead: Frederick Eilber, MD, FCEilber@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held every other Thursday

Supportive Care

If the protocol attempts to alleviate a symptom of cancer as opposed to the cancer itself, use this DSG.

Lead: John Glaspy, MD, JGlaspy@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held bi-weekly every other Tuesday

Thoracic Cancer

Co-Lead: Eddie Garon, MD, EGaron@mednet.ucla.edu
Co-Lead: Jonathan Goldman, MD, JWGoldman@mednet.ucla.edu
Meetings: held bi-weekly every other Monday