Transforming Lives: Integrating Health, Wellness, and Treatment in Multiple Myeloma Care
October 2nd @ 12pm EST
Dr. Nina Shah, MD:
“Dr. Nina Shah is a hematologist who specializes in the treatment of multiple myeloma, a type of cancer affecting the blood marrow. She treats patients at the Hematology and Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinic. Shah’s areas of professional interest include the intersection of immunology and oncology and helping patients fight multiple myeloma by boosting their immune systems.
Shah received a bachelor’s degree in cognitive neuroscience at Harvard University, followed by a medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. She then completed a residency in internal medicine at Columbia University and a fellowship in hematology/oncology at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. An associate professor at UCSF, Shah belongs to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. She speaks Bengali and Spanish”.
Putting Myself in Their Shoes:
“In 2019, I joined patients, caregivers, and other providers on a three-day hike in Iceland as part of the Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma Program, which supports the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Our 20-person team hiked hours each day across the terrain of Iceland, and it was both physically and mentally challenging. Once we started, there was no stopping – no turning back and going home.
We hiked each day along a glacier in Iceland and every person on our team had a role in reaching the final waterfall. I remember the water captain was a multiple myeloma patient. There was no running water, so he had to shovel snow, bring it back to boil and filter it in order for everyone to have water to drink. He did this for our entire team – and was happy to do it. Watching him and the other patients and caregivers on the trip, I was in awe of their strength, resilience, and fortitude.
I look back on this trip to Iceland often. It altered the course of my professional career. My research has always focused on how to improve disease outcomes. But this experience allowed me to fully open up emotionally and begin to understand the patient experience on a deeper level.”
Dr. Saad Usmani, MD:
“I am a hematologist-oncologist specializing in the care of patients with multiple myeloma and other disorders affecting plasma cells (the cells that produce the antibodies that protect us against infection). I treat patients who have received a diagnosis of multiple myeloma or a diagnosis of another plasma cell disorder, such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), smoldering myeloma, or amyloidosis. Many of the patients I see have a disease that has been deemed hard to treat or high risk.
A blood cancer diagnosis dramatically changes the trajectory of a patient’s life. I am acutely aware of the impact that I have on a patient’s cancer treatment journey and am passionate about having the opportunity to make a difference in my patients’ lives. Throughout my 14-plus years of caring for patients with multiple myeloma and plasma cell disorders, my patients and their family members have always been the most important people in the room for me. It is my responsibility to educate my patients with relevant information about their disease, alleviate their concerns at each stage in the process, and develop a treatment plan that best befits their individual needs. This is not a responsibility that I take lightly. I am committed to making each of my patients feel comforted in the expertise of their care team and empowered by the information provided to them.”
Specialities:
Plasma Cell Disorders
Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS)
Smoldering Myeloma
Multiple Myeloma
Amyloidosis
Bone Marrow Transplantation
Stem Cell Transplantation
Immunotherapy
Dr. Sagar Lonial, MD:
Sagar Lonial, MD, FACP, is internationally recognized as a leading authority in multiple myeloma treatment and research. As a medical oncologist at the Winship Cancer Institute, Dr. Lonial treats patients with multiple myeloma and is a lead member of the bone marrow transplantation team and clinical trials team. He is board certified in hematology and medical oncology.
Dr. Lonial is involved in numerous professional organizations including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. He serves as Vice Chair of the Myeloma Committee in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and as Chair of the Steering Committee for the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium. Additionally, he is on the board of directors for the International Myeloma Society, and on the scientific Advisory Board for the International Myeloma Foundation.
Dr. Lonial earned his medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, followed by a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.
Professional Memberships:
American College of Physicians
American Society of Bone Marrow Transplant
American Society of Clinical Oncology
American Society of Hematology
Awards:
Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Hematology-Oncology, Indo-American Cancer Association, 2017
MilliPub Club Award, Emory University School of Medicine, 2015
Celgene ‘Young Investigator’ Award
MMRF ‘Top 15 Innovator’ Award
MMRC ‘Center of the Year’ award
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
Henry B. Macintosh Award, 1996
Houston Society of Internal Medicine, Best Resident in Internal Medicine, 1995