Dr. Hina Khan is a Thoracic Oncologist at the Brown University Health Cancer Institute in Providence, Rhode Island. She is the Director of the Multidisciplinary Lung Nodule Management Program and Site Director of the Thoracic Oncology Multidisciplinary Clinic at Miriam Hospital. Dr. Khan has led several University, pharmaceutical, and NIH-funded projects as a principal investigator. Her translational research focuses on enhancing responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors and exploring novel biomarkers of response to immunotherapy in lung cancer.

She is the site investigator for the CCC-19 (COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium) and TERAVOLT (Thoracic Cancers International COVID-19 Collaboration) registries, studying outcomes of COVID-19 in lung cancer patients. Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, she actively engages in community outreach and education.

In support of her work on equitable lung cancer screening access, Dr. Khan received the 2022 Robert A. Winn Career Development Award (Winn CDA), funding her research on lung cancer screening in underserved populations of Rhode Island and demonstrating the benefit of navigators in increasing screening rates. She serves on the SWOG Cancer Research Network DEI Leadership Council, addressing inequities and disparities across trials, and has studied the burden of radon exposure in Rhode Island and its genomic imprint on radon-induced lung cancer.

Dr. Rogers is a distinguished physician-scientist-leader who recently joined Brown as an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology from the University of Florida. A highly accomplished academic, she holds an MD and MPH and recently earned her MBA from Yale University as a Pozen-Commonwealth Fund Fellow in Health Equity Leadership—a prestigious program designed to develop transformative leaders committed to improving healthcare access and outcomes in disparity populations.

Nationally recognized for her contributions in cancer disparities, Dr. Rogers has led studies focused on improving representation of all populations in clinical trials and developing innovative strategies to engage communities in cancer prevention and treatment. As a clinical trials investigator, she has championed initiatives to design studies that reflect the needs of under-resourced populations and to integrate community voices into research priorities.

Dr. Raoof’s research focuses on the burden of cancer through early detection and prevention.

Translational Research Disease Groups (TRDGs) provide a regular forum for advancing translational cancer research and fostering collaboration across disciplines. Eight TRDGs have been established at the Legorreta Cancer Center, each organized around a specific cancer type.

The Thoracic, Head & Neck Cancer TRDG brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers and clinicians, including experts in:

• Hematology/oncology, radiation oncology, and surgical oncology
• Pathology, cancer biology, genetics, population science, biostatistics, and bioinformatics
• Fellows, residents, and student trainees

Our meetings create opportunities to:

• Develop and prioritize new translational research directions
• Share resources and expertise across Brown and affiliated hospitals
• Launch collaborations that can lead to pilot funding, extramural grant applications, and publications in high-impact journals
• Advance investigator-initiated clinical trials and translational protocols

TRDGs meet every 2–3 months, typically at the Brown University Molecular Medicine Building (70 Ship Street) or at an affiliated hospital site. Meetings feature a mix of roundtable discussions and designated speakers, with ample time for feedback and collaborative planning. Minutes are shared internally with group members.

Membership is open and evolving. We welcome faculty, fellows, residents, and students with an interest in translational breast cancer research to join our efforts.

• Review ongoing translational research and investigator-initiated trials
• Identify collaboration opportunities based on current science and feasibility
• Discuss biomarkers, tumor signaling pathways, and drug development strategies
• Exchange information on funding opportunities (e.g., P01s, SPOREs, or other translational grants)
• Highlight progress through focused presentations by investigators or subgroups
• Leverage institutional resources (genomics, tissue banks, clinical trial infrastructure, tumor boards)
• Engage trainees and early-career researchers in translational projects
• Form working groups to advance projects toward new protocols, grant submissions, and publications

Contact

For more information or to join the Thoracic, Head & Neck Cancer TRDG, please contact Attila Seyhan, PhD.