O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine Spring 2020 | Page 8

QUICK TAKES
O’NEAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER RECRUITS NEW FACULTY
SUSAN BAL, M.D., is an assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology & Oncology and
associate scientist in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. She comes to UAB from Memorial
Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she completed an advanced cellular therapy fellowship. Bal’s
clinical and research interest is in plasma cell disorders, including multiple myeloma and amyloid light
chain amyloidosis. She is working with other colleagues to start a multidisciplinary amyloidosis clinic
focusing on the care of patients with this rare disorder.
ARNAB BASU, M.D., MPH, is an assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology &
Oncology and associate scientist in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. He comes to UAB from
the University of Southern California. Basu’s clinical practice is focused on the care of patients with
genitourinary malignancies with a research focus on kidney and bladder cancer.
CARRIE COLEMAN, PH.D., is an assistant professor of Microbiology and associate scientist in the
O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. She comes to UAB from the University of Colorado Anschutz
Medical Campus. Coleman’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms used by the
Epstein-Barr virus to establish a lifelong latent infection, as well as how dysregulation of this long-term
infection can lead to the development of malignancies.
YVONNE EDWARDS, PH.D., is an associate professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics and
a scientist in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. She comes to UAB from the University of
Massachusetts Medical School. Edwards’ research utilizes bioinformatics, next-generation sequence
technologies, model organisms and other techniques to study complex biological systems.
AHMED ELKHANANY, M.D., is an assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology &
Oncology and associate scientist in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. He comes to UAB
from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Elkhanany’s research interests are in conducting
innovative clinical trials for breast cancer patients with a focus on immune modulation, as well as the
role of biological disparities in breast cancer.
SMITH GIRI, M.D., MHS, is an assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology &
Oncology and associate scientist in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. He comes to UAB from
Yale University. His clinical practice focuses on the care of plasma cell disorders. His research efforts
are in studying the impact of frailty on treatment-related toxicity among older adults with multiple
myeloma, optimizing therapy intensity and treatment sequencing based on frailty, and developing
targeted interventions to improve outcomes among older adults with plasma cell disorders and other
hematologic malignancies.
GAURAV GOYAL, M.D., is an assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology &
Oncology and associate scientist in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. He comes to UAB
from the Mayo Clinic. Goyal’s clinical practice is focused on the care of patients with lymphoid and
histiocytic malignancies. He is especially committed to Erdheim-Chester Disease research and has
been instrumental in establishing UAB as an ECD referral care center, making UAB one of only 33
providers in the country to treat ECD and the only ECD referral care center in the state.
6 O’NEAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER AT UAB