Courtney Bellomo, MD, is a board-certified hematologist and medical oncologist with New York Oncology Hematology, practicing on Albany Medical Center’s New Scotland Avenue campus as part of the Albany Med Health System. She specializes in benign hematologic disorders and hematologic malignancies, including cancers of the blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, as well as bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. Dr. Bellomo completed her internal medicine residency at UMDNJ – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and now serves as chair of Albany Medical Center’s Cancer Committee, helping guide quality, safety, and program development in cancer care.

At NYOH, Dr. Bellomo is a fellowship-trained stem cell transplant specialist who cares for patients in both the Albany Medical Center and Clifton Park offices. She is actively developing allogeneic stem cell transplant clinical care at NYOH and leading a “Shared Care” clinical trial in collaboration with Dana-Farber, extending access to advanced therapies in the region. In recognition of her impact as an early-career leader, HemOnc Today named her a 2019 “Next Gen Innovator,” a distinction reserved for hematologists and oncologists who are advancing the field through innovative clinical and research efforts.

Jason Chandler, MD, is a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist at West Cancer Center & Research Institute, where he specializes in malignant hematology, or blood cancers. Passionate about the complexities of cancer and the science behind innovative treatments, he is dedicated to delivering advanced, research-driven care to his patients. Dr. Chandler earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Christian Brothers University and his medical degree from the University of Tennessee in Memphis, where he also completed a combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics residency. He then pursued a fellowship in medical oncology at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and now holds board certifications in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Chandler is deeply committed to education and professional development, serving as co-chair of the Annual West Oncology Conference, which convenes specialists to review emerging research and clinical outcomes in cancer care. His dedication to teaching has been recognized with honors, including the Golden Apple Teaching Award from the University of Tennessee in Memphis, and he has participated in the Pediatric Oncology Education summer training program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Outside of medicine, Dr. Chandler enjoys spending his free time building and creating, with a particular interest in woodworking.

Mitul Gandhi, MD, completed his undergraduate studies at Rutgers University, graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, with minors in Classical Humanities and Political Science. He went on to earn his medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where he received the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Research Award, among other distinctions. He then completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, followed by a Hematology and Medical Oncology fellowship at Northwestern University, where he served as Chief Fellow in his final year. During his fellowship, he focused on clinical research in high-risk lymphoma, presenting at major national meetings and earning the American Society of Hematology’s Abstract Achievement Award in 2013, with publications in leading journals such as Blood.

Since joining Virginia Cancer Specialists, Dr. Gandhi has become co-director of the Virginia Cancer Specialists Research Institute and Director of the Hematology Trials Program, serving as principal investigator on numerous studies in leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. He also serves on the national US Oncology Hematology Committee and the Multiple Myeloma Executive Committee, with his research regularly featured at major national meetings, and has been recognized as a Top Doctor by Northern Virginia Magazine, Washingtonian, and Castle Connolly. Outside of work, Dr. Gandhi values time with his wife and three children, enjoys coaching soccer, and looks forward to planning their next family trip.

Kara Wacker is the Strategic Planning Administrator for the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT). Mrs. Wacker has managed standards development, accreditation processes, and educational programming within her 18 years at FACT. In her current role, she evaluates advances in cellular therapy. She facilitates updates to advance FACT’s mission to improve the quality of cellular therapy through peer-developed standards, education, and accreditation for the benefit of patients. This effort includes establishing relationships among a diverse and growing set of stakeholders in cellular therapy and leveraging the subject-matter expertise within the FACT volunteer inspectorate and committees.