Leadership

EBCHR is led by a team of four faculty at Emory University who share a passion for the study of botanicals as they pertain to human health and medicine.

DongMoonShinBMPDong Moon Shin, MD, FACP, is the Frances Kelly Blomeyer Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cancer Research, Professor and Executive Vice Chair of Education in Hematology/Medical Oncology, Professor of Otolaryngology, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Director of the Head and Neck Cancer SPORE Program,  Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar and Associate Director of Academic Development at the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University. Dr. Shin has a highly successful scholar and research track record as a head and neck cancer investigator. He is a well established international and national recognized investigator in head and neck cancer research related to biology, biomarkers, chemoprevention, biochemoprevention, nanotherapeutics and molecularly-based innovative new therapy. And he has had published more than 260 articles in peer reviewed journals.

Dr. Shin’s research focus is in head, neck and lung cancers. During the past 30 years his research has been in the following areas: establishing carcinogenesis models in preclinical and clinical settings for head, neck and lung cancer; developing biomarkers in animal and human carcinogenesis for head, neck and lung cancer; developing molecular targeted prevention and therapies using epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathways (i.e., EGFR monoclonal antibodies, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, other molecular targeted molecules and several natural compounds (i.e., green tea, luteolin, resveratrol, honokiol, and others) for cancer prevention; and developing novel therapeutics (clinical or translational protocols) for head and neck cancer, lung cancer, thymoma and mesothelioma. He is also currently focused on new drug delivery to cancer patients using nanotechnology.

Dr. Shin is a recipient of the following awards:

  • Clinical Oncology Career Development Award from American Cancer Society, 1994
  • Faculty Scholar Award at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 2000
  • Best Doctors in America, 2003-2015
  • “Top Doctors” in Atlanta Magazine, 2005-2015
  • America’s Top Doctors in Cancer by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. 2005-2015
  • Georgia Cancer Coalition (GCC) Distinguished Scholar Award, 2005-2015
  • America’s Top Oncologist in Cancer by Consumer’s Research Council of America, 2007
  • Cambridge Who’s Who Life Time Member, 2007
  • Francis Kelly Blomeyer Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research, 2008-Present
  • “Millipub” Award from Emory University School of Medicine, 2011
  • Top Doctors featured in U.S. News & World Report, 2012/2013
  • Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) Overseas Compatriots Award, 2015

Quave_headshotCassandra L. Quave, PhD is Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Human Health at Emory University, where she leads drug discovery research initiatives and teaches undergraduate courses on medicinal plants, food and health. She is also the Curator of the Emory University Herbarium and is currently leading a revitalization effort for the collection. Trained as a medical ethnobotanist, her research is focused on the documentation and analysis of botanical remedies used in the treatment of infectious disease. Her geographic region of focus is on the Mediterranean, with emphasis on Italy and the Balkans. To date, she has more than 50 publications and two edited books on this subject. Dr. Quave currently serves as the President of the Society for Economic Botany, an international society with the mission of fostering research and education on the past, present, and future uses of plants by people.

Dr. Quave is a recipient of the following awards:

  • Harvard Business School New Venture Club competition, Washington DC & New York club winner and Global finalist, 2011
  • Phytoneering Award, Bionorica Global Research Initiative, 2014

Jack Arbiserjack-arbiser, MD, PhD is the Thomas J. Lawley Professor of Dermatology at Emory University. His research focuses on the regulation of angiogenesis and tumorigenesis by signal transduction pathways. Our laboratory has chosen three model systems to study these relationships. The first area is the common vascular birthmarks of children and their malignant counterparts, angiosarcomas. The second application of these studies are benign neoplasms which develop in the autosomal dominant syndrome tuberous sclerosis (TS). The third application of these studies is in the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma. Dr Arbiser has developed the hypothesis that oncogenes disrupt the balance between angiogenesis stimulators and inhibitors. His laboratory has a long history of development of small molecules as antiangiogenic and antitumor therapies. They have both discovered natural products from botanicals and synthesized novel small molecules.

Dr. Arbiser is a recipient of the following awards:

  • American Dermatologic Association Young Leadership Award, 2005
  • Albert Levy Award for top publication, 2007
  • Deal of the Year, Emory University Office of Technology Transfer, 2009
  • Southeast BIO (SEBIO) BIO/Plan Competition, First Place- Accuitis, 2012

kucukOmer Kucuk, MD, FACN is a Professor of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Urology at the Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Kucuk conducted the first clinical trials to show the benefits of soy and lycopene supplements in prostate cancer treatment. He is a Professor in Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute.

Dr. Kucuk comes to Emory Winship from the Karmanos Cancer Center at Wayne State University in Detroit where he was a professor and co-leader of the population sciences and prevention program and member of genitourinary and head and neck cancer multidisciplinary groups. Dr. Kucuk has more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, review articles and book chapters to his credit, and he is on the editorial boards of numerous publications, including the Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention and Cancer Epidemiology.

Nutrition and cancer is Dr. Kucuk’s primary research focus, and he has published extensively on various nutrients in combination with chemotherapy and radiation.  Dr. Kucuk has been conducting clinical trials with lycopene and soy isoflavones in combination with standard therapy for prostate cancer since 1996.   He is also investigating the effects of micronutrients and phytochemicals on biomarkers of cell growth, differentiation, inflammation and oxidative stress in a variety of cancers.

Dr. Kucuk earned his medical degree at Hacettepe University Medical School in Ankara, Turkey. He conducted a residency and fellowship at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois, and a hematology and oncology fellowship at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. Before joining the medical staff at Wayne State University, Dr. Kucuk served as professor and researcher at the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine in Honolulu.