SPEAKER PROFILES:

Dr Charles A. Schiffer, MD

Charles A. Schiffer, MD, is Professor of Medicine and Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Michigan. He is the director of the Leukemia/Lymphoma Multidisciplinary Program.

Dr. Schiffer earned his BA cum laude at Brandeis University and his M.D. at New York University School of Medicine. He completed his internship, residency, and chief residency in Internal Medicine at Bellevue Hospital under the auspices of New York University School of Medicine and had subsequent training and positions at the Baltimore Cancer Research Institute, National Cancer Institute and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he served as Chief of the Division of Hematology. He has also served as Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology and Director of Clinical Research at the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Dr. Schiffer has authored and co-authored more than 300 articles and 80 book chapters on topics concerning the treatment of leukemia in adults, platelet transfusion, and granulocyte transfusion therapy, among others. He has served on the Editorial Boards for Blood, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, International Journal of Hematology, Transfusion Medicine Reviews and Transfusion, and reviews articles for multiple journals. Committee memberships have included Chairman of the Leukemia Committee of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B, Chairman of the Food and Drug Administration Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee, and grant reviews for the NCI and Leukemia/Lymphoma Society of America. Dr. Schiffer has been named among American Health Magazine’s and Castle Connelly’s “Best Doctors in America,” “Best Cancer Specialists in the US.” In 2006, he received the Dr. John J. Kenney Award from the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society of America and the Celgene Award for Career Achievement in Hematology. He has received multiple teaching awards from Wayne State University and was recently inducted into the Academy of Scholars, the highest recognition accorded to academic faculty at the University.

Dr Matilda Ong’ondi

Matilda Ong’ondi is a Consultant Physician and Clinical Hemato-Oncologist at the Kenyatta National Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenya’s oldest and largest hospital. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree (2005) and a Master of Medicine (MMed) degree in Internal Medicine (2010), both from the University of Nairobi. She is registered with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council as an Internal Medicine Specialist.

Dr. Matilda pursued her Clinical Hemato-oncology training at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia in 2017. In addition, she has undertaken various short Fellowship opportunities through the following institutions: International Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Foundation (Royal Adelaide Hospital and SAHMRI Adelaide, 2017); American Society of Hematology, Visitor Training Program at The Cancer Therapy and Research Centre, San Antonio Texas (2014); and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (2010).

Her main interests are: Multiple Myeloma; Acute Leukemia; Chronic Leukemia; and Platelet disorders. Her other interests are Psycho-Oncology and Clinical Research. She is also passionate about clinical bedside teaching and mentorship.

Dr. Matilda is a member of various societies: Kenya Society of Hematologists and Oncologists (KESHO); European Hematology Association (EHA); and International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH). In addition, she served as a member of the bodies that developed the Kenya National Cancer Guidelines and NCCN Harmonized Guidelines.

Moderator: Dr Angela McLigeyo 

Angela McLigeyo is a licensed Physician and Medical Oncologist practicing in Kenya. She has a Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine from the University of Nairobi, a M.Sc. in Clinical Oncology from Ulm University (Germany), and a Fellowship in Medical Oncology from the University of Nairobi. In addition, she obtained a 5-year board certification in Medical Oncology from ESMO in 2019. She has over 17 years of experiences in hospital and clinical settings.

She is a member of the Kenya Society of Haematology and Oncology (KESHO), European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). She is also a fellow of the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Physicians.

Her core skills are in clinical decision making in internal medicine and oncology, conducting trainings, streamlining medical education and conducting research as well as participation in the development of treatment guidelines and protocols.

Dr McLigeyo currently provides comprehensive oncology healthcare at both public and private health facilities, conducts research in oncology and internal medicine when opportunities arise, and is engaged in teaching internal medicine and oncology at the Kenyatta University. She has authored several research articles in peer reviewed journals and presented abstracts at several conferences.