CLL Perspectives is pleased to have assembled an advisory board comprised of leading experts in the clinical research and treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Our advisors are active contributors to the Web site, providing their insight into compelling educational content and expert analyses of the latest clinical data. Click on the links below to learn more about our advisors.

John C. Byrd, MD Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center	Michael J. Keating, MB, BS M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Thomas J. Kipps, MD, PhD Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center	Susan M. O'Brien, MD M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Kanti R. Rai, MD Long Island Jewish Medical Center	Andrew Schorr Founder, Patient Power

John C. Byrd, MD
Dr. Byrd is the Director of the Hematologic Malignancies program at Ohio State University and holds the D. Warren Brown Professorship in Leukemia Research and academic rank of Professor of Medicine and Medicinal Chemistry. Dr. Byrd’s research accomplishments over the past 10 years relate best to work done between the laboratory and clinic (translational work) with several different therapeutic agents active in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and related leukemia and lymphoma. In particular, he continues to be very active in the development of therapeutic antibodies and other targeted agents because of his desire to work on non-toxic therapies for the treatment of leukemia. Dr. Byrd has been a faculty member of the Clinical Research Training Institute of the American Society of Hematology and is a founding member of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Data Safety and Monitoring Committee. Dr. Byrd was recently elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation for his research accomplishments. He has authored or been a co-author on 115 peer-reviewed publications.

Michael J. Keating, MB, BS
Dr. Keating is a Professor of Medicine in Hematology at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He has been a member of the faculty there since 1977 and works as a physician in the Leukemia Department. Since the mid-1980s Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) has been the major focus of his research. His career is marked by close collaboration with laboratory scientists but his emphasis has been on delivery of effective, compassionate care to patients suffering from leukemia. In 1988, Dr. Keating won the Service to Mankind Award from the Leukemia Society of America and in 1996, was voted one of the best doctors in America by the American Health magazine. He was awarded in January 2002 with the Charles A. LeMaistre Outstanding Achievement Award in Cancer and in March 2002, the Rai and Binet Award at the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. His major pursuits at the present time are developing new potentially curative therapies for CLL and developing rational combinations of new agents in the treatment of leukemia in general. He also serves as President and CEO of the CLL Global Research Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the development of new tools for the treatment and control of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Thomas J. Kipps, MD, PhD
Dr. Kipps is a UCSD Professor of Medicine and Deputy Director of Research at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center. He received his PhD in Immunology and MD from Harvard University, and had his residency and fellowship training in Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Genetics at Stanford University. Dr. Kipps has a national and international reputation for his work in cancer research, immunology, and gene therapy. He is the author of more than 200 publications and is the primary investigator on several peer-reviewed grants, including an award from NCI/NIH to fund the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Consortium (CRC). The CRC involves collaboration with eight other Cancer Centers around the nation. Dr. Kipps has 20 years of experience in combining research and clinical care responsibilities.

Susan M. O'Brien, MD
Dr. O'Brien hs been Professor and Internist at M.D. Anderson's Department of Hematology since 1995, and has contributed to M.D. Anderson's dedication to quality patient care since joining the hospital in 1985 as a fellow in Medical Oncology. She now specializes in the biology of and therapy for Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, Dr. O'Brien has served on various medical societies and held administrative positions, including chairmanship of the IRB. She has also authored and contributed to over 400 medical publications.

Kanti R. Rai, MD
Dr. Rai is Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York. Dr. Rai is Professor of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Rai has had a long interest in the study of the natural history of human acute and chronic leukemias. His work with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is known throughout the world and his name is synonymous with the classification system for CLL that he and co-workers developed in the 1970s. His current interests include the study and identification of new agents of promise in the treatment of CLL as well as the study of the molecular biology of CLL.

Andrew Schorr
Since 1985, Andrew Schorr has been a pioneer in health communications. Andrew is the founder of Patient Power, LLC and host of the nationally-syndicated Patient Power weekly radio programs. He is also the co-founder of HealthTalk, a leading information resource for people with chronic illnesses and cancer. Andrew is a former television news reporter (WBTV/Charlotte) and national television producer (PM/Evening Magazine, Group One Medical, and Newscope). In 1996, Andrew was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Successful treatment has allowed him to lead a normal life and take no daily medications. Andrew's mission is to connect with prominent medical experts and patient advocates to help both patients and professionals learn more about today’s critical health concerns and make more informed healthcare decisions.