Hematology & Oncology Faculty & Leadership

Dr. Craig Lockhart is the Director of the Division of Hematology & Oncology at MUSC and Associate Director for Clinical Science at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. His research specialty is gastrointestinal cancers, and he has been a principal investigator on more than 100 Phase I/II and III trials.

Prior to joining MUSC, Dr. Lockhart was on the faculty and in leadership roles at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis/Siteman Cancer Center, and at Vanderbilt University/Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

Dr. Lockhart has been conducting early-phase clinical trials for over 20 years. His specific research interests are developing and conducting Phase I/II clinical trials of novel therapeutics applied to gastrointestinal cancers. In treating these cancers, he aims to incorporate novel agents or molecular/genetic-based treatments into therapeutic trials in the pursuit of personalized cancer care. He has developed and led multi-institutional clinical trials involving the treatment of GI tumors through national cooperative groups as well as investigator-initiated studies. He has been an investigator and co-investigator on individual grants, on successful SPORE grant applications and on successful multi-institutional UM1 grant applications.

Dr. Lockhart has also served on several committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), including the scientific and career development committees. He has been a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines committee for gastric and esophageal cancers. He also serves as faculty at the ASCO/American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop, mentoring fellows and junior faculty on the development of gastrointestinal cancer therapeutic protocols.

Dr. Lockhart graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas in 1993. He completed residency training at Barnes Hospital at Washington University, fellowship training in hematology/oncology at Duke University and a fellowship in drug development at GlaxoSmithKline in the North Carolina Research Triangle Park. He also earned a Master of Health Science degree in clinical trials at Duke University. He completed his undergraduate degree, a bachelor’s in biology, at Rice University.

Benjamin Djulbegovic is a Professor of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, where he serves as a section Chief of Benign Hematology and Director of the Hematology Stewardship Program. His primary academic and research interest lies in attempts to measure and optimize clinical research and practice of medicine by understanding the nature of medical evidence and decision-making. To this effect, his work aims to close the translational research circle by integrating methods and techniques across evidence-based medicine (EBM), predictive analytics, health outcome research, and decision sciences with the goals of reducing overuse, underuse, and misuse of delivery of health services to improve patients' health outcomes.

Dr. Djulbegovic has systematically applied the science of EBM and decision analysis to the entire fields of hematology and oncology that, resulted in two books; the book on "Reasoning and decision-making in hematology" was listed as one of the best books by J Natl Cancer Inst and the book "Decision Making in Oncology. Evidence-based management" was assessed as "one of the first and best attempts to apply an evidence-based approach to the practice of medical oncology."

As of April 2022, he has published over 400 papers in peer-review journals, 196 abstracts, and numerous book chapters. He also received numerous awards for his work, published in major scientific and medical journals, including Nature, Lancet, JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, BMJ, etc. He has also widely taught these subjects. During the last 25 years, Dr. Djulbegovic has received continuous external funding from federal and private entities. He was also selected in Newsweek's list of Top Cancer Doctors and, since 2011 continuously been selected among 1% of top US doctors by the US News \& World Report in the field of hematology. His current h-index is 72, and he has been regularly included in the top 1% cited scientists worldwide.

John Kaczmar, M.D., is the Clinical Trials Office Deputy Medical Director and Director of the Phase 1 Clinical Tials Program at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. Dr. Kaczmar also serves as Director of the Anderson Advanced Cancer Therapy Clinic which is a specialized unit that provides a team of clinicians who are completely dedicated to the needs of patients participating in Phase 1 clinical trials. Dr. Kaczmar is a medical oncologist who specializes in caring for patients with head and neck cancers.

Dr. Abirami Sivapiragasam (Abi Siva) is an Associate Professor of Medicine and a board-certified medical oncologist at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, with more than a decade of clinical and academic experience. She specializes in the care of patients with breast cancer and serves as the Director of Medical Oncology. In this role, she focuses on strengthening clinical programs, expanding access to innovative therapies, and building collaborative models of care that improve outcomes across South Carolina and beyond.

Dr. Sivapiragasam is equally committed to education and mentorship. As Program Director of the Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program, she is dedicated to training the next generation of oncologists. She has developed structured mentorship and research initiatives designed to support fellows in building strong clinical skills, pursuing meaningful scholarship, and growing into thoughtful, patient-centered leaders in oncology.

A passionate clinician-scientist, Dr. Sivapiragasam serves as principal investigator on multiple clinical trials and leads the Breast Cancer Clinical Research Group at MUSC. Her research focuses on designing pragmatic clinical trials that can be seamlessly integrated into everyday practice. She is particularly interested in right-sizing therapy through de-escalation strategies that reduce toxicity while maintaining efficacy, as well as biomarker-driven approaches that personalize treatment decisions.

She collaborates closely with translational scientists to advance innovative therapeutic concepts from bench to bedside, with the goal of accelerating access to cutting-edge treatments for patients. Through her clinical leadership, research efforts, and dedication to education, Dr. Sivapiragasam remains deeply committed to improving breast cancer care and advancing the field of oncology.

Priyal Agarwal, MD, is a medical oncologist specializing in sarcoma and breast cancer care. She received her medical degree with honors from Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, India, followed by an Internal Medicine residency at Michigan State University and a Hematology/Oncology fellowship at the University of Nebraska. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Agarwal is committed to keeping up with the latest advancements in her field. Her passion lies in providing compassionate and comprehensive care to sarcoma and breast cancer patients. At Hollings Cancer Center, she works collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team to deliver exceptional cancer care for patients. Dr. Agarwal is deeply committed to addressing the unique oncologic and psychosocial needs of young adults navigating cancer. She is passionate about expanding survivorship programs and advancing treatment options through clinical trials, ensuring patients receive comprehensive support throughout their journey.

Dr. Steven Akman has been practicing hematology-oncology for more than 43 years. During his long career, he has taken care of patients with a range of non-malignant hematologic conditions, malignant hematologic conditions, and solid tumors. His area of emphasis has been in the medical oncologic management of breast cancer. He directed the Breast Cancer Center of Excellence of the Wake Forest University Comprehensive Cancer Center for 17 years.

His wealth of experience allows him to bring maturity, patience, insight, and empathy to every patient interaction. He plans to spend the next five years taking care of hematology/oncology patients in the outpatient setting. His goal is to provide every patient with the highest possible quality of care and the educational and emotional support required for an effective partnership. Providing the highest possible quality of care includes the opportunity to provide access to clinical trials.

Jonathan Alexander, M.D. was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, before moving to the United States to begin his medical training. He received a Master of Science from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. He then received his medical degree from St George's University School of Medicine, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina. He chose to pursue an additional year of training at Stanford University in California, where he completed a fellowship in Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy. His clinical and research interests include myeloid neoplasms, focusing on acute myeloid leukemia and bone marrow transplant.

Dr. Mariam Alexander is a physician in the Hematology/Oncology division. Her clinical and research interests are in solid tumor biology, with a special focus on lung cancer and targeted therapies. Her mission is to improve access to state of the art, personalized care for cancer patients and support them through their challenging diagnoses.She earned her Ph.D. in molecular biology and genetics at the University of Toronto, Canada. Her training in hematology and oncology was done at the Montefiore Medical Center in NYC. Prior to that, she did her medical training at Saba University School of Medicine and completed her internal medicine residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY.

Dr. Mohammad Alhousani is an Assistant Professor of Medicine specializing in lymphomas and related B- and T-cell disorders. His expertise includes both aggressive and indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), Waldenström macroglobulinemia, and central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma. His clinical and research work focuses on bringing the latest advances in lymphoma care to patients, with particular interest in CAR T-cell therapy, bispecific antibodies, clinical trials, and blood and marrow transplantation.

Dr. Alhousani completed his internal medicine residency at Marshall University, followed by a hematology and oncology fellowship at Allegheny Health Network. He then pursued advanced training in Blood and Marrow Transplantation at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he gained extensive experience in lymphoma care and CAR T-cell therapy. He is dedicated to advancing lymphoma and cellular therapy through clinical research, multidisciplinary collaboration, and a patient-centered approach that emphasizes innovative, personalized, and compassionate care.

Dr. Katherine Antel earned her medical degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and where she went on to complete an internal medicine residency and a fellowship in hematology and bone marrow transplant. Dr. Antel went on to pursue 3-year research fellowship in lymphoid genomics at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston U.S. Her research area of interest is in lymphoid biology, and lymphoid genomics. Dr. Antel is an associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Her clinical and research areas of interest include the biology and genomics of aggressive lymphoma and the development of clinical assays to detect and diagnose lymphoma using cell-free DNA.

Medical School: Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, India
Residency: Internal Medicine, Saint Joseph Hospital, Chicago, IL
Fellowship: Hematology and Oncology, Drexel University/Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia PA
Additional degree: Master's in Public Health, East Tennessee State University
Clinical and Research Interests: Treatment of acute leukemia, myelodysplastic disorders, and understanding the novel targetable mechanisms in myelodysplastic syndromes in the clinical setting. He also enjoys teaching and training future generations of medical professionals.

Dr. Bechhold practiced for over 30 years in Cincinnati as a partner in one of the largest private oncology groups in the country. The group had a robust clinical trials program and she headed several breast cancer trials. She also served on numerous professional and community organizations, edited the Medical Society magazine, was a writer for Cancer- a journal for oncologists, and a popular public speaker. She served as Medical Director for one of the largest hospice programs in the country for 27 years. She was named a Woman of the Year by the Cincinnati Enquirer and a Career Woman of Achievement by the YWCA.

Dr. Bechhold is passionate about helping cancer patients understand their disease and how to manage the treatment options to their best outcome.

She and her husband, Chris, raised two daughters. Dr. Bechhold is thrilled to be in Charleston where she loves to play tennis, golf, and do needlepoint. She is an avid reader and writes a book column for the Daniel Island News as well as publishing a reading blog.

Dr. Kevin Becker is a medical oncologist who cares for patients with genitourinary cancers, including prostate, kidney and bladder. As Associate Chief for the Oncology ICCE, he is focused on statewide ambulatory and infusion services, including access, clinical trial engagement, quality, and standardization across the MUSC Health network.

Dr. Becker received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2004. He completed an Internal Medicine residency and a Hematology and Oncology fellowship at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. In 2020, he received a Master of Medical Management degree from Carnegie Mellon University. He completed the Northwell Health Physician Leadership Development Program in 2021. Dr. Becker's research aims to expand and improve treatment options through cancer treatment clinical trials.

Dr. Joseph Caveney is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. Before joining MUSC, Dr. Caveney was on faculty at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY and an attending physician at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at HonorHealth in Scottsdale, AZ. Dr. Caveney completed much of his medical training in his home state at West Virginia University School of Medicine, including medical school, internal medicine residency and a hematology/oncology fellowship. He further subspecialized with an advanced BMT-CT fellowship focused on hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy at Stanford University. He is board-certified in medical oncology, hematology and internal medicine. Dr. Caveney's area of expertise is transplant and cellular therapy, particularly allogeneic/autologous transplantation, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T-cell engager (TCE) therapy. He looks forward to serving the patients of MUSC with rapidly expanding treatment indications in cellular therapy and exciting advances in blood and marrow transplantation.

Alexander Coltoff, M.D. received his medical degree from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. He then completed his internal medicine residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, followed by a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at New York Presbyterian - Columbia, both in New York. His clinical and research focus is on hematologic malignancies, particularly myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). He has been published as a clinical investigator and received an American Society of Hematology (ASH) award for developing research scientists.

Benjamin Djulbegovic is a Professor of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, where he serves as a section Chief of Benign Hematology and Director of the Hematology Stewardship Program. His primary academic and research interest lies in attempts to measure and optimize clinical research and practice of medicine by understanding the nature of medical evidence and decision-making. To this effect, his work aims to close the translational research circle by integrating methods and techniques across evidence-based medicine (EBM), predictive analytics, health outcome research, and decision sciences with the goals of reducing overuse, underuse, and misuse of delivery of health services to improve patients' health outcomes.

Dr. Djulbegovic has systematically applied the science of EBM and decision analysis to the entire fields of hematology and oncology that, resulted in two books; the book on "Reasoning and decision-making in hematology" was listed as one of the best books by J Natl Cancer Inst and the book "Decision Making in Oncology. Evidence-based management" was assessed as "one of the first and best attempts to apply an evidence-based approach to the practice of medical oncology."

As of April 2022, he has published over 400 papers in peer-review journals, 196 abstracts, and numerous book chapters. He also received numerous awards for his work, published in major scientific and medical journals, including Nature, Lancet, JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, BMJ, etc. He has also widely taught these subjects. During the last 25 years, Dr. Djulbegovic has received continuous external funding from federal and private entities. He was also selected in Newsweek's list of Top Cancer Doctors and, since 2011 continuously been selected among 1% of top US doctors by the US News \& World Report in the field of hematology. His current h-index is 72, and he has been regularly included in the top 1% cited scientists worldwide.

Anthony Dominick, D.O., was born and raised in Kansas City before moving to Chicago, IL, to earn his Bachelor of Science in Biology at Loyola University. He received his medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, FL. He then moved back to his hometown of Kansas City to complete his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in hematology and oncology at The University of Kansas Medical Center. Early on in his training, he was inspired by his mentors and developed a passion for malignant hematology. After completing training, he spent four years in private practice caring for patients with hematologic conditions in eastern North Carolina.

Dr. Dominick joined MUSC to pursue his interest and passion for caring for patients with multiple myeloma. He also has a secondary clinical interest in lymphoproliferative disorders.

Dr. Edwards is a medical oncologist dedicated to caring for breast cancer patients. Her journey began in the Republic of Georgia, where she earned her M.D. degree with honors from Tbilisi State Medical University and was recognized for her academic achievements with a Silver Medal from the Ministry of Public Education. Following training in obstetrics and gynecology in Georgia and the United Kingdom, she relocated to the United States to pursue further medical education.

Dr. Edwards obtained her D.O. from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Buffalo, where she also conducted clinical research at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her medical training culminated in a Hematology and Medical Oncology fellowship at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Dr. Edwards was recognized for her contributions to the field and was awarded the Segel-Halterman Award for Research in Medical Oncology in 2023. Her passion lies in providing compassionate and comprehensive care to breast cancer patients, offering hope and guidance throughout their treatment journey. At Holling Cancer Center, she collaborates closely with a multidisciplinary team to deliver exceptional care and achieve optimal outcomes.

Dr. Theodore S. Gourdin is a board-certified oncologist specializing in genitourinary cancer. He has a particular interest in treating urothelial cancer of the bladder.His medical degree was awarded by the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine and his fellowship in hematology/oncology at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.

Dr. Charles Greenberg practices medicine in the area of nonmalignant blood disorders. He provides consultative advice regarding the diagnosis and treatment of bleeding, thrombosis, and disorders of blood cells. Dr. Greenberg conducts translational research regarding new diagnostic tests for management of bleeding and thrombotic disorders. Working in collaborations within the MUSC health care system he assists in management of blood, blood products, and the cost-effective management on nonmalignant blood disorders. Clinical research on the use new approaches to manage bleeding and thrombosis continue as part of national and international groups targeting life-threatening blood disorders. Dr. Greenberg's basic research is in the area of transglutaminase structure and function and he has published in the area of Factor XIII and tissue transglutaminase biology related to hemostasis, thrombosis, wound healing, angiogenesis, and tumor growth.

Dr. Varsha Gupta is a medical oncologist specializing in the care of patients with breast cancer. Prior to joining the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Gupta served on the faculty of the Breast Cancer Clinic at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. There, she provided care for patients across all stages and subtypes of breast cancer and served as co-investigator on multiple clinical trials aimed at improving patient outcomes. Dr. Gupta's research interests include strategies to improve the tolerability of cancer treatments, with a special focus on young-onset breast cancer and the unique survivorship challenges faced by this population. Her work interests include early phase clinical trials, real-world evidence research, and efforts to expand access to clinical trials for underserved patients.

Dr. Gurumurthi completed his medical degree at The University of Western Australia (Perth, Australia) followed by internal medicine residency and a dual fellowship in clinical and laboratory hematology in Australia. Dr Gurumurthi furthered his experience in lymphoma and cellular therapies through advanced fellowships in MD Anderson Cancer Center (Texas) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York). His clinical and research interests focus on T-cell lymphoma and relapsed lymphomas. He is dedicated to advancing innovative treatment strategies to address critical unmet needs in hematologic oncology, while mentoring the next generation of physicians.

Dr. Brian Hess earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and went on to complete an internal medicine residency at Loyola University of Chicago. He furthered his training by completing a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Washington University. Dr. Hess is an associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. His areas of interest include lymphoma and bone marrow transplant.

Dr. Thai Ho is an oncologist specializing in treating genitourinary cancers (bladder, upper tract, kidney). In the lab, Dr. Ho investigates clear cell renal cancer (ccRCC), which is among the top 10 leading causes of cancer deaths in the United States. He uses SETD2 mutations in ccRCC as a paradigm for investigating the mechanisms that underpin how these mutations drive cancer progression and to look for novel ways to target these mutations, which are still mostly regarded as undruggable.

Dr. Jain is a medical oncologist with 26 years of academic and clinical experience. He is interested in the provision of clinical services to patients that are unquestionably and unconditionally par excellence. He's a firm believer that patient satisfaction should be a key measure of success and patient outcomes should be superior to national and international benchmarks. Dr. Jain was born in Kota, Rajasthan, India. He received his M.B., B.S. (Medicine and Surgery) from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India, and was recognized as the best Intern at Maharao Bhim Singh Hospital. He obtained his M.S. degree and his Ph.D., both in immunology, from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Dr. Jain's residency training in the United States took place at Miriam Hospital, Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and he also did a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to coming to Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Jain served as an Assistant Professor at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Assistant Professor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of Harvard Medical School, Chairman of the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Tawam Hospital, in affiliation with Johns Hopkins in the United Arab Emirates, and Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University, and then most recently as an Associate Professor at Morehouse School of Medicine. He has also served as a medical oncologist and a reviewer of first-in-human trials at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration since 2021.

I am a physician-scientist medical oncologist with a clinical focus on melanoma and cutaneous malignancies.  My research is focused on the development of novel therapeutic strategies to overcome immunotherapy resistance in melanoma and other cancers. In addition to established in vivo and in vitro models of cancer, my lab utilizes novel patient-derived tumor models. Our patient-derived organotypic tumor spheroids (PDOTS) platform involves ex vivo 3D microfluidic culture of multicellular tumor spheroids from tumor explants that retain native tumor-infiltrating immune and stromal elements. PDOTS profiling enables evaluation of tumor-immune dynamics in response to therapeutic pressure using clinically relevant biospecimens for preclinical and clinical applications.

John Kaczmar, M.D., is the Clinical Trials Office Deputy Medical Director and Director of the Phase 1 Clinical Tials Program at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. Dr. Kaczmar also serves as Director of the Anderson Advanced Cancer Therapy Clinic which is a specialized unit that provides a team of clinicians who are completely dedicated to the needs of patients participating in Phase 1 clinical trials. Dr. Kaczmar is a medical oncologist who specializes in caring for patients with head and neck cancers.

Dr. Craig Lockhart is the Director of the Division of Hematology & Oncology at MUSC and Associate Director for Clinical Science at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. His research specialty is gastrointestinal cancers, and he has been a principal investigator on more than 100 Phase I/II and III trials.

Prior to joining MUSC, Dr. Lockhart was on the faculty and in leadership roles at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis/Siteman Cancer Center, and at Vanderbilt University/Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

Dr. Lockhart has been conducting early-phase clinical trials for over 20 years. His specific research interests are developing and conducting Phase I/II clinical trials of novel therapeutics applied to gastrointestinal cancers. In treating these cancers, he aims to incorporate novel agents or molecular/genetic-based treatments into therapeutic trials in the pursuit of personalized cancer care. He has developed and led multi-institutional clinical trials involving the treatment of GI tumors through national cooperative groups as well as investigator-initiated studies. He has been an investigator and co-investigator on individual grants, on successful SPORE grant applications and on successful multi-institutional UM1 grant applications.

Dr. Lockhart has also served on several committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), including the scientific and career development committees. He has been a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines committee for gastric and esophageal cancers. He also serves as faculty at the ASCO/American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop, mentoring fellows and junior faculty on the development of gastrointestinal cancer therapeutic protocols.

Dr. Lockhart graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas in 1993. He completed residency training at Barnes Hospital at Washington University, fellowship training in hematology/oncology at Duke University and a fellowship in drug development at GlaxoSmithKline in the North Carolina Research Triangle Park. He also earned a Master of Health Science degree in clinical trials at Duke University. He completed his undergraduate degree, a bachelor’s in biology, at Rice University.

As a faculty member at MUSC, Dr. Lupak's goal is to be actively engage with the residents, fellows, and medical students' education as well as actively participate in oncology research and patients' care. She is very enthusiastic about being able to teach and practice clinical medicine in a way that meaningfully contributes to the educational mission of the University. During her training at the Henry Ford Hospital, she participated in multiple clinical research and QI projects. Dr. Lupak delivered multiple lectures to the trainees including grand rounds and she is committed to further develop her professional skills at MUSC. Dr. Lupak's ultimate purpose as a clinician and educator has been to develop as intimate and useful understanding as she might of the nature of medical education, so that she may continuously and meaningfully contribute to the improvement of this fundamentally important professional process. Where possible, Dr. Lupak looks for opportunities to extend her educational activities into an interdisciplinary realm beyond both her own department. Her teaching emphasis therefore is more upon the methods of clinical problem solving and the way in which we pursue solutions, than upon the specific nature of a defined set of problems.

Dr. Paul O'Brien is a medical oncologist with special interests in gastrointestinal malignancies. He is active in the development of clinical trials and also serves as the inpatient attending on the medical oncology service three months per year.

Medical School: Universidad Central Del Caribe School of Medicine
Residency: University of South Florida

Dr. Christopher A. Rangel is a board-certified medical oncologist who specializes in managing patients with non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, and thymic cancers.

Dr. Abirami Sivapiragasam (Abi Siva) is an Associate Professor of Medicine and a board-certified medical oncologist at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, with more than a decade of clinical and academic experience. She specializes in the care of patients with breast cancer and serves as the Director of Medical Oncology. In this role, she focuses on strengthening clinical programs, expanding access to innovative therapies, and building collaborative models of care that improve outcomes across South Carolina and beyond.

Dr. Sivapiragasam is equally committed to education and mentorship. As Program Director of the Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program, she is dedicated to training the next generation of oncologists. She has developed structured mentorship and research initiatives designed to support fellows in building strong clinical skills, pursuing meaningful scholarship, and growing into thoughtful, patient-centered leaders in oncology.

A passionate clinician-scientist, Dr. Sivapiragasam serves as principal investigator on multiple clinical trials and leads the Breast Cancer Clinical Research Group at MUSC. Her research focuses on designing pragmatic clinical trials that can be seamlessly integrated into everyday practice. She is particularly interested in right-sizing therapy through de-escalation strategies that reduce toxicity while maintaining efficacy, as well as biomarker-driven approaches that personalize treatment decisions.

She collaborates closely with translational scientists to advance innovative therapeutic concepts from bench to bedside, with the goal of accelerating access to cutting-edge treatments for patients. Through her clinical leadership, research efforts, and dedication to education, Dr. Sivapiragasam remains deeply committed to improving breast cancer care and advancing the field of oncology.

My research is focused on developing novel immunotherapies for non-small cell lung cancer. Immunotherapy has become a mainstay of treatment for non-small cell lung cancer’s (NSCLC), yet PD-1/PD-L1 directed immune checkpoint blockade alone or in combination with chemotherapy fails to yield durable responses in the large majority of treated patients. Our understanding of immunotherapy’s success or failure on an individual basis must evolve rapidly to extend benefit to a great proportion of treated patients.

As scientific director of the Hollings Advisory for Rapid Translation (HART), I provide consultation to investigators as they navigate the trial development process. Whether it is connecting to potential funding partners or facilitating collaboration among other researchers at MUSC or other cancer centers, HART supports the efficient activation of new investigator-initiated clinical trials.