PHILADELPHIA, PA – NRG Oncology (NRG), a National Cancer Institute (NCI) National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) group focused on improving outcomes for adults with cancer through multi-center clinical research, recently announced changes in leadership across multiple committees.
Andres M. Álvarez-Pinzón, MD, PhD, EMHA, assumed the role of Vice Chair of the NRG Oncology Developmental Therapeutics Committee effective November 1, 2025. A recognized physician-scientist and senior healthcare research executive, Dr. Álvarez-Pinzón brings more than two decades of leadership experience in oncology clinical trials, translational medicine, cancer neuroscience, and cooperative-group research. Dr. Álvarez-Pinzón holds dual MD and PhD degrees in Medicine, Bioethics, and Cancer Neuroscience, and completed advanced research fellowship training in Neurosurgical Oncology, Cancer Immunology, and Experimental Therapeutics. His academic and clinical background reflects a deep commitment to advancing precision medicine and translational research. He currently serves as Director of Research at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jacksonville, Florida, where he leads institutional efforts to expand access to innovative therapies, clinical trials, and integrate artificial intelligence, biomarker development, and biobanking frameworks into precision oncology research.
Previously, Dr. Álvarez-Pinzón directed the Oncology Research Programs at Moffitt at Memorial and Memorial Health System and held a faculty appointment as Research Professor at Florida Atlantic University. His expertise spans precision oncology, neuro oncology, and early-phase clinical trial design, with a sustained focus on regulatory excellence, operational integration, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Dr. Álvarez-Pinzón has co-led cooperative-group outcomes research programs and NIH-supported biobanking initiatives, including projects focused on solid-tumor biobanking and the inclusion of underrepresented populations in Florida. Through his national leadership and institutional service, he continues to advance translational, equitable, and patient-centered oncology research, fostering cross institutional collaboration in alignment with the mission and scientific excellence of the NRG Oncology network and MD Anderson.
Ronald Chen, MD, MPH, will become the Chair of the NRG Patient Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) Committee effective March 1, 2026. Dr. Chen is a nationally recognized radiation oncologist and clinical trialist specializing in genitourinary cancers. He currently serves as Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he also holds an Endowed Professorship with Tenure and serves as Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. Dr. Chen’s research and leadership focus on improving cancer outcomes through clinical trials, comparative effectiveness research, and patient-reported outcomes, with particular attention to health equity and survivorship care. He has played a central role in NCI cooperative group research, serving as co-chair of the NCI Prostate Cancer Task Force, member of the NCI Cancer Care Delivery Research Steering Committee, and principal investigator or co-investigator on multiple NCTN-sponsored trials. Prior to becoming Chair of the NRG Oncology PCOR Committee, Dr. Chen served as the Committee’s Vice-Chair and also serves as a member of the NRG GU Committee. Dr. Chen is currently the Principal Investigator of the actively accruing NRG-GU008 “INNOVATE” Phase III trial adding apalutamide and advanced imaging to salvage treatment for node-positive prostate cancer patients following radical prostatectomy. He was also the Principal Investigator of the NRG-CC007CD NRG NCORP trial for increasing dose survivorship care planning in prostate cancer survivors who are receiving androgen deprivation therapy, which recently reported results at the 2025 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.
Vered Stearns, MD, FASCO, will be the Chair of the NRG Translational Science Committee effective March 1, 2026. Dr. Stearns is a leader in translational breast cancer research whose career spans clinical, academic, and national leadership roles. She currently serves as Interim Chief of Breast Medical Oncology, Director of Translational Breast Cancer Research, and Associate Director for Clinical Research at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Meyer Cancer Center, following two decades of leadership at the Kimmel Cancer Center and the Johns Hopkins University, where she directed the Women’s Malignancies Disease Group and held the Breast Cancer Research Chair in Oncology. Dr. Stearns has led pioneering studies identifying biomarkers and genetic variants—such as CYP2D6—that predict response to breast cancer therapies, shaping precision medicine approaches in the field. Her research has also advanced novel treatments, understanding of chemoprevention, survivorship, and wellness strategies, including trials on epigenetic therapy, weight loss interventions, and digital symptom monitoring. Prior to her new role as Committee Chair, Dr. Stearns served as Vice Chair of the NRG Translational Science Committee. Additionally, she is Vice-Chair of the NRG Breast Cancer Translational Working Group. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and recipient of multiple honors, including the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Mentoring Award.
Alexandra Thomas, MD, will assume the role of Chair of the NRG Protocol Operations Management (POM) Committee effective March 1, 2026. Dr. Thomas is a Professor of Medicine and Associate Director for Translational Science at the Duke Cancer Institute, where she is recognized as a national leader in breast oncology and clinical trials research. She has spent more than two decades advancing the delivery of innovative cancer therapies while minimizing treatment-related toxicities. Her career includes extensive experience leading multi-institutional clinical trials, developing investigator-initiated studies, and fostering collaborations between clinicians, scientists, and engineers to accelerate translational research. Dr. Thomas has held major leadership roles across the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), including Co-Chair of the BIG-NCTN High-Risk Luminal Disease Working Group and a member of multiple NCI committees on immuno-oncology, accrual strategy, investigational drug development, and late recurrence. She is Principal Investigator on major federally funded grants, including an NHLBI R01 examining cardiovascular effects of estrogen deprivation and an NCI UG1 supporting clinical trial leadership and infrastructure at Duke. Dr. Thomas previously served as the NRG POM Committee Vice-Chair. Additionally, she continues to contribute to NRG in various roles including as a core member of the NRG Breast Cancer and Medical Oncology Committees, a co-Chair of the Breast Cancer Rare Tumor Working Group, and a liaison between the Breast Cancer Committee and Early Career Mentorship Subcommittee.
Trisha Wise-Draper, MD, PhD, will become the Medical Oncology Vice-Chair of the NRG Head and Neck Cancer Committee effective March 1, 2026. Dr. Wise-Draper is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati and a tumor immunologist and clinical trialist specializing in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). She holds dual MD and PhD degrees in Medicine and Cancer Biology, respectively, and completed advanced training in hematology, oncology, and experimental therapeutics. Dr. Wise-Draper has served as principal investigator on over fifty clinical trials, leading numerous early-phase and investigator-initiated studies that have advanced novel immunotherapy and targeted therapy approaches. Her translational research focuses on identifying biomarkers of immunotherapy resistance, optimizing immune cell analysis, and developing new therapeutic combinations using patient-derived models. She has held key leadership roles, including Deputy Director of the Office of Clinical Research, Section Head of Medical Oncology, and Medical Director of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office. She serves on the NCI Head and Neck Steering Committee and is a Senior Editor for Clinical Cancer Research. Her work has been recognized with numerous honors such as Clinical Trialist of the Year, Cincy Magazine Best Doctor, and Rising Star Award, and she has mentored over 25 trainees across academic and clinical research disciplines. Dr. Wise-Draper’s contributions have significantly advanced the understanding of immunotherapy mechanisms, oncogenic drivers such as DEK, and the development of precision oncology approaches for head and neck cancer. Dr. Wise-Draper is Medical Oncology Co-Chair for NRG-HN014 of the immunotherapy drug cemiplimab with surgery for advanced skin cancer. She is also a member of multiple NRG committees and subcommittees including the Developmental Therapeutics Committee, Developmental Therapeutics Gynecologic Phase I Subcommittee, and Immunotherapy Subcommittee and well as Chair of the Previously Untreated Locally Advanced Working Group under the Head and Neck Cancer Committee.
NRG looks forward to the continued advances of the group’s research through the leadership and guidance of these individuals in their new roles.
NRG is exceedingly thankful to all of the outgoing committee leaders Dr. Panos Konstantinopoulos (Developmental Therapeutics), Dr. Suart Wong (Head and Neck Cancer), Dr. Benjamin Movsas (Patient Centered Outcomes Research), Dr. Maria Werner-Wasik (Protocol Operations Management), and Dr. Michael Birrer (Translational Science) who dedicated much of their time and effort to make our committees what they are today.
For current open NRG committee leadership and member application cycles, please check the NRG website current openings page.
About NRG Oncology
NRG Oncology conducts practice-changing, multi-institutional clinical and translational research to improve the lives of patients with cancer. Founded in 2012, NRG Oncology is a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit corporation that integrates the research of the legacy National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), and Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) programs. The research network seeks to carry out clinical trials with emphases on gender-specific malignancies, including gynecologic, breast, and prostate cancers, and on localized or locally advanced cancers of all types. NRG Oncology’s extensive research organization comprises multidisciplinary investigators, including medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, physicists, pathologists, and statisticians, and encompasses more than 1,300 research sites located world-wide with predominance in the United States and Canada. NRG Oncology is supported primarily through grants from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and is one of five research groups in the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network.