Fall 2011 - Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine - Marshall University

Fall 2011 | Volume 3 | Number 1scholarspotlightMaria Tria Tirona leads cancerclinical trials programMaria “Marissa” Tria Tirona, MD, FACP, is professor of medicineand chief of the Hematology/Oncology Section of theDepartment of Medicine. She also is director of medicaloncology for the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center.She earned her MD degree from the University of theEast R.M. Memorial Medical Center in the Philippines. Shecompleted her internal medicine residency training and alsoserved as chief resident at Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, N.Y.She then completed her hematology/oncology fellowshiptraining at Emory University.Before joining the JCESOM faculty, she led the cancer clinical trials program ofthe Saskatchewan Cancer Agency and served as director of medical oncology atthe Allan Blair Cancer Center in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and is board certified ininternal medicine and medical oncology by the American Board of InternalMedicine.Dr. Tirona initiated the cancer clinical trials program at JCESOM, where she wasone of the principal investigators of the National Cancer Institute-sponsoredClinical Trials Support Unit. In 2010, through her leadership, the ECCC wasaccepted as a member of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group, a majorNCI-sponsored cooperative group based at the Mayo Clinic.She also actively participates in the teaching and education of medical studentsand residents through mentorships and lectures. She recently took over thedirectorship of the medical oncology fellowship program, which will start in July2012.She serves as member-at-large of the West Virginia Oncology Society and wasone of its founding members. She is also the cancer liaison physician of CabellHuntington Hospital.Dr. Tirona has an active clinical practice at the ECCC. Her main interests arebreast cancer, lung cancer and gastrointestinal malignancies.PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WEBSITE:musom.marshall.edu/fdp/(continued from page 1)State & NationalLeadership ActivitiesBiochemistry & MicrobiologyRichard Niles organized and chairedthe Obesity and cancer session forthe Appalachian Health Summit inLexington, Ky., in April. He also was amember of the external advisory boardthat site visited and evaluated the Centerof Biomedical Research Excellence atNorth Dakota State University.Family MedicineJohn Parker was elected secretary ofthe West Virginia Academy of FamilyPhysicians.Forensic ScienceGraham Rankin is associate editor for theJournal of ASTM International: Medical,Safety and Forensic Science section. Healso is chair-elect of the CriminalisticsSection of the Mid-Atlantic Association ofForensic Scientists.Internal MedicineAhmad Nusair was named chairman ofthe External Affairs Committee of theSociety for Health Care Epidemiology ofAmerica. He also received bronze andsilver levels of certification in the QualityAcademy at the Mayo Clinic.OrthopaedicsAli Oliashrazi was chairman for theControversies and technologicaladvances in primary and complex hipand knee replacement course at theGreenbrier Resort in May. He also was onthe faculty for an Introduction to hipand knee arthroplastycourse in SanDiego, Calif., in August 2011.Pharmacology, Physiology& ToxicologyGary Rankin was appointed to theeditorial boards of three journals:Toxicology, Chemico-BiologicalInteractions and ISRN Toxicology.Continued on page 32