Howard A. “Skip” Burris, III, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Executive Director, Drug Development Program

Dr. Burris has over 20 years of Phase I clinical trial experience. He received his undergraduate degree from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point in 1981 and medical degree from the University of South Alabama in 1985. He then performed his residency and fellowship in hematology/oncology at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.

John D. Hainsworth, M.D.
Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Hainsworth is responsible for coordination of the phase II/III clinical trials programs at SCRI, including protocol development, data analysis and manuscript preparation. He received a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in 1971, followed by a medical degree from Vanderbilt University in 1976. He completed an internal medicine residency and a medical oncology fellowship at Vanderbilt University, and was a member of the Vanderbilt Faculty from 1981–1993. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.

F. Anthony Greco, M.D.
Director of Sarah Cannon Cancer Center

Dr. Greco received his undergraduate degree in 1968 and medical degree in 1972 from West Virginia University. He completed his internship at the University of California, Los Angeles and residency at West Virginia University Medical Center, both in internal medicine. He then earned a fellowship in medical oncology from the National Cancer Institute. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.

Jeffrey R. Infante, M.D.
Director, Drug Development Program

Dr. Infante received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Florida in 1994 and 1999, respectively, and finished his residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He completed his fellowship in medical oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2006. He also received a master of health science degree in epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.

Johanna Bendell, M.D.
Director of GI Cancer Research Program
Associate Director, Drug Development Program 

Dr. Bendell received her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Chicago in 1994 and 1998, respectively. She completed her internship and residency in the Department of Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, as well as a fellowship in adult oncology at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.

Hendrik-Tobias Arkenau, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Drug Development Program Sarah Cannon Research UK

Dr. Arkenau has vast experience in early oncology clinical drug development with a special interest in gastrointestinal cancer and melanoma. He received his medical degree in 2000 at the Medical School Hanover, Germany, and completed his internship and specialist training in oncology in 2007. Before joining Sarah Cannon Research UK, he was senior clinical fellow at the Royal Marsden Hospital and team leader for early drug development at the Prince of Wales Clinical School at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Kent Shih, M.D.
Senior Investigator, Neuro-Oncology Program

Dr. Shih completed medical school and residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University in 2000. He then completed his fellowship in medical oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2003. Dr. Shih specializes in all adult malignancies and holds memberships in the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Christian Medical and Dental Association and serves on the Discovery Health Advisory Board. He is board certified in medical oncology.

Suzanne Jones, Pharm.D.
Scientific Director, Drug Development Program

Dr. Jones received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1987 and her doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989. She then completed her residency and fellowship in hematology/oncology at the Audie L. Murphy Veteran’s Hospital and the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

David Spigel, M.D.
Director, Lung Cancer Research Program

 Dr. Spigel received his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1992, and medical degree from The University of Tennessee in Memphis in 1996. After completing an internal medicine and chief residency at Indiana University Medical Center, he completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.

Denise A. Yardley, M.D.
Senior Investigator, Breast Cancer Research Program 

Dr. Yardley received her undergraduate degree from Columbus State University in 1983 and her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in 1988. She completed her residency and fellowship training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. A diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology, she is also a recipient of the American Cancer Society Clinical Oncology Career Development Award.

Nancy W. Peacock, M.D.
Investigator, Breast Cancer Research

Dr. Peacock received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Central Methodist College in 1982 and her medical degree at the University of Missouri in 1988. She then completed a fellowship in medical oncology and hematology following her internship and residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, TX. She serves on the Board of Curators for Central Methodist University and is board certified in medical oncology and internal medicine.

Ian W. Flinn, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Hematologic Malignancies Research Program

Dr. Flinn received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1984 and graduated from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore in 1990. He then completed his internship and residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. He earned a fellowship in oncology and hematology and a Ph.D. in clinical investigations from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is board certified in hematology and medical oncology.

Jesus G. Berdeja, M.D.
Director of Myeloma Research, Senior Investigator Hematologic Malignancies 

Dr. Berdeja received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 1990 and medical degree from Harvard University in 1994. He completed his internship and residency in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of California in San Francisco. He also completed fellowships in medical oncology and hematology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. He is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology.

Michael Savona, M.D.,
Director of Leukemia Research, Senior Investigator Hematologic Malignancies and Drug Development

Dr. Savona obtained his undergraduate degree from Davidson College in 1994 and medical degree at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 2002. He completed residencies at David Grant Medical Center and the University of California-Davis, and a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is board certified in medical oncology, hematology and internal medicine.

Lawrence D. Wruble, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.G.
Medical Director, GI Research Program

Dr. Wruble received his undergraduate degree from the University of Miami in 1954 and graduated from the University of Tennessee School of Medicine in 1958. He is a clinical professor of medicine and former acting chairman for the Department of Gastroenterology at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences. He is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology. 

Steven Manoukian, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I. 
Director, Cardiovascular Research Program

R. Christopher Jones, M.D.
Director, Electrophysiology Research Program

Dr. Jones received his undergraduate degree in 1993 and graduate degree in 1994 in nuclear engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He is a 1998 graduate of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed his residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He completed his cardiovascular fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and an electrophysiology fellowship at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and cardiac electrophysiology.