Chicago Multiple Myeloma Rounds 2021

Harry and Edith Gladstein Professor of Cancer Research

I have been active in clinical research since I joined IUSM in 1995 and my work has been published in Nature Medicine and New England Journal of Medicine among others. My Role as a leader of the Multiple Myeloma program has allowed me to participate in practice changing research using IMID's and Proteasome inhibitors. I have facilitated clinical research at IU Simon Cancer Center and IU School as the Medical director of clinical research and the associated dean for clinical research. I have focused on Myeloma and with the help of the IU Grand Challenge Grant we are putting together the infrastructure to support highly competitive team of researchers and conduct research aimed at preventing myeloma and improving the treatment of those suffering from the disease especially those with high risk disease where both remission and survival is short. I am also active with the international Myeloma Foundation and the American Society of Hematology (ASH). My outside collaboration has focused on disease registry to help understand the course of disease outside clinical trials. I Chair the steering committee of one (Connect MM) and member of the steering committee of another (Insight). My collaboration with ASH is focused on database harmonization to develop larger set of patients data to help understand the natural course of myeloma.

Dr. Paner is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Rush University Medical Center, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplant, and is the Director of Coleman Foundation Comprehensive Multiple Myeloma Clinic. Her practice is committed to improving outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma through the incorporation of innovations and researches in the field. She is the principal investigator of several multiple myeloma clinical research trials at Rush. She is also an active member of renowned professional organizations such as the International Myeloma Society, the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Cooperative Group, the American Society of Hematology, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Dr. Paner is a CME program course director for Chicago Multiple Myeloma Rounds. She collaborated with multiple myeloma experts from Chicago and partnered with Leukemia Research Foundation, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and Plexus Communications in establishing Chicago Multiple Myeloma Rounds. It is a series of educational meetings designed to bring together physicians, pharmacists, nurses and researchers from academic institutions as well as community-based practices and focused on the advances and evolving management of multiple myeloma. 

Rush University
2nd Year Fellow
Home state: Rochester, MN
Medical School: Creighton University
Residency: Mayo Clinic

Indiana University Health
Dr. Attaya Suvannasankha specializes in Cancer Treatment. She earned her medical degree from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand and completed her internship and residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yshiva University, Bronx NY. She trained afterwards as a fellow at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY. Dr. Suvannasankha currently has a rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 with over 100 reviews. Patients say that she is empathetic, outstanding, and intelligent. In a recent five-star review, a patient commented: "She is a true, caring professional." The doctor's primary location is IUSCC Hematology Clinic, 1030 W Michigan St, Indianapolis IN, 46202, but she also sees patients in Carmel. In addition to English, Dr. Suvannasankha speaks Thai.

Binod Dhakal, MD, MS, is Associate Professor of Medicine, at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Division of Hematology, specializing in multiple myeloma and plasma cell disorders. He graduated from Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara Nepal in 2004, completed Internal Medicine Residency at Saint Francis Hospital Evanston Illinois, and a fellowship in hematology/oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he also served as a Chief Fellow. He has authored numerous publications, including journal articles, meeting abstracts and book chapters. His current research interests include myeloma immunotherapy focusing on the clinical and translational aspects, high risk myeloma and myeloma kidney disease.

Dr. Esmail completed her internal medicine residency at Rush University Medical Center and is currently in her hematology/oncology fellowship at Loyola University Medical Center. 

Patrick A Hagen, MD, MPH completed his residency at the University of Minnesota.  He then moved to Loyola for his hematology fellowship with a focus on Bone Marrow Transplantation.  His early clinical research included investigating novel approaches to preventing graft versus host disease and veno-occlusive disease of the liver.  After completing his fellowships training at Loyola, he stayed on as an assistant professor in hematology and bone marrow transplantation.  His current focus of research is in Multiple Myeloma and Systemic Light Chain Amyloidosis with a particular attention to improving autologous stem cell transplantation outcomes.  He is the primary investigator on several investigator sponsored trials in myeloma, amyloidosis, and graft versus host disease.  He has received external grant funding to evaluate different methodologies of measuring minimal residual disease in multiple myeloma and internal funding to evaluate novel therapeutic targets in high risk myeloma.  He is the co-chair of the Loyola multiple myeloma research committee, co-chair of the Chicago multiple myeloma rounds, working group member of the national Southwest Oncology Myeloma Committee, and Director of the Loyola BMT Quality Improvement Program.