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Meet Our Team

The Thoracic Oncology Program (TOP) at the Upstate Cancer Center has a multidisciplinary team of physicians from multiple specialties to give our patients the most comprehensive treatment available. Each member of this team brings a special expertise. The coordinated efforts allow for a well thought-out and streamlined diagnostic and treatment plan.


Medical Director

Jason Wallen, MD, MBA, FACS, FCCP

Jason M. Wallen, MD, MBA,
FACS, FCCP

Associate Professor of Surgery

Medical Director Emerita

Leslie J Kohman, MD, FACS

Leslie J Kohman, MD, FACS
Distinguished Service Professor of Surgery


 

Note: While the physicians pictured below represent the core team, patients may be seen by other members of each specialty.

 

Meet Our Team

Stephen L Graziano, MD
Stephen L Graziano, MD
Medical Oncology
315 464-8200
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Internal Medicine; Oncology; Hematology; Medical Oncology; All Cancers and Hematological Conditions; Lung Cancer; more
Education: University of Minnesota Medical School
Research Interests:

Participation in the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
(Principal Investigator).

Education Interests:

Clinical Trials 

Solid Tumor Biology

Clinical Interests:

Lung cancer and Thoracic Malignancies

Prognostic Factors in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer; lung cancer clinical trials; participation in the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. 

Associations/Memberships: American Society of Clinical Oncology - ASCO; Alliance For Clinical Trials In Onconology; Thoracic Malignancy Steering Committee Of The National Cancer Institute

Jeffrey A Bogart, MD
Jeffrey A Bogart, MD
Radiation Oncology
315 464-5276
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Radiation Oncology; All Cancers and Hematological Conditions; Esophageal Cancer; Lung Cancer; Prostate Cancer; Urologic Cancers; more
Education: SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse
Research Interests:

  • Lung and prostate cancer
  • Clinical investigations through cooperative clinical trials

Clinical Interests:
  • Lung cancer
  • Prostate cancer including IMRT and brachytherapy
  • Breast cancer
  • Lymphoma
Associations/Memberships: American College of Radiology (ACR); Onondaga County Medical Society

Michael D Mix, MD
Michael D Mix, MD
Radiation Oncology
315 464-5276
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Radiation Oncology; Brain Cancer; Brain Tumor; Esophageal Cancer; Liver Cancer; Lung Cancer; more
Education: SUNY Upstate Medical University

Michael A Archer, DO, FACS
Michael A Archer, DO, FACS
Surgery
315 464-1800
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Surgery; Thoracic Surgery; Achalasia; Barretts Esophagitis; Bronchiectasis; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD); more
Education: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Research Interests:

Quality metrics in lung cancer surgery. Molecular and genetic drivers of thoracic malignancies. Impact of social media on the dissmenation of scientific and surgical peer-reviewed publications

Education Interests:

Surgical education and simulation in surgical training.

Clinical Interests:

Lung cancer screening. Thoracic surgical oncology. Multimodality treatment of locally advanced lung and esophageal cancers. Robotic thoracic surgery. 

Associations/Memberships: Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), Member; General Thoracic Surgical Club, Member; Association for Academic Surgery, Member; Medical Society of The State of New York, Member; American College of Surgeons (ACS), Fellow

Jason M Wallen, MD, MBA, FACS, FCCP
Jason M Wallen, MD, MBA, FACS, FCCP
Surgery
315 464-1800
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Thoracic Surgery; Achalasia; Barretts Esophagitis; Bronchiectasis; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD); Chest Pain (Lung Related); more
Research Interests:

Lung cancer, lung infections, surgery in patients with limited pulmonary capacity, minimally invasive surgery, endoscopic procedures.

Education Interests:

Surgical Education

Clinical Interests:

Lung Cancer, Esophageal Cancer, Thymus Cancer

GERD/Gastroesophageal Reflux, Hiatal Hernia, Achalasia, Esophageal Diverticula

Minimally invasive surgery, robotic surgery, endoscopic surgery


Christopher M Curtiss, MD
Christopher M Curtiss, MD
Pathology
315 464-4750
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Anatomic and Clinical Pathology; Pulmonary Pathology; Surgical Pathology; Interstitial Lung Disease; Lung Cancer; Lung Disease; more
Education: SUNY Upstate Medical University
Research Interests:

Pulmonary Pathology, Lung Cancer, Interstitial Lung Disease, Non-neoplastic Lung Disease, Digital Pathology

Clinical Interests:

Surgical Pathology, Pulmonary Pathology

Associations/Memberships: New York State Thoracic Society; College of American Pathologists (CAP); American Society for Clinical Pathology; United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP); American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Ola El-Zammar, MD
Ola El-Zammar, MD
Pathology
315 464-4750
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Anatomic Pathology; Clinical Pathology; Cytopathology; Pulmonary Pathology; Lung Cancer; Lung Disease; more
Education: American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
Research Interests:

Thoracic oncology and inflammatory bowel disease.

Clinical Interests: Surgical pathology, cytopathology, pulmonary pathology, and gastrointestinal pathology.
Associations/Memberships: United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP); American Society for Clinical Pathology

Kamal K Khurana, MD
Kamal K Khurana, MD
Pathology
315 464-4750
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Anatomic Pathology; Clinical Pathology; Cytopathology; Gynecologic Problems; Human Papillomavirus (HPV); Vaginal Cancer; more
Education: University College of Medical Sciences Delhi University, India
Research Interests:

Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration, Head & Neck Cytology

Clinical Interests: Interventional cytopathology
Associations/Memberships: American Medical Association; American Society for Clinical Pathology; American Society of Cytopathology (ASC)

Ernest M Scalzetti, MD
Ernest M Scalzetti, MD
Radiology
315 464-5189
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Diagnostic Radiology; Computed Tomography; Cardiovascular MRI; Cardiomyopathy; Chest Pain (Heart Related); Chest Pain (Lung Related); more
Education: SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse
Research Interests:

  1. Percutaneous image-guided interventions for improved diagnosis and treat ment of lung cancer.
  2. Observer performance in thoracic imaging.
  3. Physiologic implications of CT and MRI of the chest, particularly CT scans made to diagnose pulmonary embolism.

Education Interests:

Medical imaging for diagnostic and management of diseases of the heart and lungs.

Clinical Interests:

Cardiopulmonary imaging; Pulmonary physiology; Lung cancer.


Kaushal B Nanavati, MD
Kaushal B Nanavati, MD
Integrative Therapy
315 464-4686
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Family Medicine; Integrative Medicine; Acute & Chronic Diseases and Conditions in Adult Patients; Acute & Chronic Diseases and Conditions in Pediatric Patients; Chronic Disease Management; Family-centered Care; more
Clinical Interests:

Primary Care; Integrative and Holistic Medicine

Associations/Memberships: American Academy of Family Physicians; New York State Academy of Family Physicians (NYSAFP); American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin; Society for Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM)

Manju P Paul, MD
Manju P Paul, MD
Pulmonary Medicine
315 464-3835
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Interventional Pulmonology; Critical Care Medicine; Internal Medicine; Pulmonary Diseases
Education: St. John's Medical College, Bangalore University, India
Research Interests:

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Bronchoscopy, Pleural Diseases

Education Interests:

Lung Cancer, Complex Airway Disorders, Malignant Pleural Effusion, Asthma

Clinical Interests:

Linear and radial endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), Electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy, Endobronchial cryosurgery and electrosurgery, Airway stents, Bronchial thermoplasty, Endobronchial laser resection, Rigid bronchoscopy, Balloon bronchoplasty, Medical thoracoscopy, Placement of chest tubes and PleurX catheters, Percutaneous tracheotomy tube placement

Associations/Memberships: American Thoracic Society (ATS); American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP); Society of Critical Care Medicine; American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology

Birendra P Sah, MD, FCCP
Birendra P Sah, MD, FCCP
Pulmonary Medicine
315 464-3835
Diseases/Specialties/Treatments: Internal Medicine; Pulmonary Diseases; Critical Care Medicine; Asthma; Bronchiectasis; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD ); more
Education: B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Science, Dharan, Nepal
Research Interests:

Sarcoidosis

 

Clinical Interests:

Sarcoidosis

Pulmonary Artery Hypertension

Associations/Memberships: American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP); American Thoracic Society (ATS); Society of Critical Care Medicine

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