The MSK-GCRT Team
Professor Sir Murray F. Brennan, GNZM, MD
Dr. Murray Brennan is an oncologic surgeon-scientist. He was Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 1985 until June 2006, and from 2010 served as Vice President of International Programs and Director of the Bobst International Center and since 2018 as Senior Vice President of International Programs. Dr. Brennan has lectured throughout the world and authored or co-authored more than 1,100 scientific papers and book chapters, and three books on soft tissue sarcoma.
He has served as Director of the American Board of Surgery, Vice President of the American College of Surgeons, Chairman of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, and President of the Society of Surgical Oncology, the James IVth Association, the Society of Clinical Surgery, the International Gastric Cancer Association, and the American Surgical Association. He has been awarded Honorary Fellowships in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Edinburgh, England, Australasia, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and Canada. Dr. Brennan has received Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of Edinburgh, Otago, Goteborg and University College of London.
In 1995 Dr. Brennan was honored with membership in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, and in 2000 he received the American College of Surgeons’ highest award, the Distinguished Service Award. In January 2015, he was appointed by Her Majesty The Queen as Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Dr. T. Peter Kingham
Dr. Kingham is the Director of the Global Cancer Disparities Initiatives Program and an Associate Professor. His primary research interest is determining how to improve cancer care for patients in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC). He has over the last 17 years worked in numerous countries, including Tanzania, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Mexico, Malawi and Nigeria providing surgery and cancer care while also training local medical professionals.
He is a co-PI on multiple prospective studies on colorectal and breast cancer in Nigeria, co-founded the African Research Group for Oncology (ARGO), and is President and co-founder of Surgeons OverSeaS (SOS). He is a PI of a UG3/UH3 NIH grant (2017) to study new technologies to diagnose cancer in LMIC and an NIH R01 (2020) studying colorectal cancer in Nigeria. He has over 220 publications in peer-reviewed journals and authored 18 chapters.
Dr. Vikki Mango
Victoria Mango, MD, FSBI is the Assistant Director of the Global Cancer Disparities Initiatives Program and an Associate Attending Radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is Director of Radiology at the MSKCC Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care. She also serves as the co-Chair of the Society of Breast Imaging’s International Education Outreach Committee and Director of the RAD-AID Kenya program with RAD-AID International, a non-profit organization that seeks to bring radiology services to underserved areas of the world. She has over 10 years’ experience working in global cancer outreach in numerous countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, India, and Indonesia.
She is committed to reducing cancer disparities in low and middle income countries through research and education and focuses her work on breast cancer and breast imaging. She serves as co-PI on multiple international studies. She has given over 100 invited lectures and has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles/chapters.
Vicky Baudin
Vicky Baudin is the Program Manager for the Global Cancer Research and Training (GCRT) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she oversees international research collaborations and education initiatives that strengthen capacity, advance training, and reduce cancer disparities worldwide.
She brings over a decade of experience leading initiatives in translational and clinical research administration, regulatory coordination, STEM education pipeline development, and health equity. Vicky has successfully managed large-scale programs, secured significant institutional and philanthropic funding, and developed research infrastructure across multisite collaborations.
Vicky holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Social & Behavioral Sciences from Boston University and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and African Studies from the University of Rochester. With expertise in grant management, program development, and strategic partnership building, she is committed to ensuring programs are evidence-driven, sustainable, and impactful. Guided by her dedication to equity in healthcare and research, she works to expand access, strengthen global networks, and translate research into meaningful outcomes for communities most affected by health disparities
Cristina Olcese
Cristina Olcese is the Clinical Research Manager for the Global Cancer Research and Training (GCRT) Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Cristina brings 12 years of clinical research experience overseeing a vast portfolio of therapeutic and non-therapeutic trials and has a range of knowledge from study start-up to manuscript publication.
She previously worked in the Department of Surgery in the Breast and Hepatopancreatobiliary services at MSKCC and had consulted for this program for 3 years. She is thrilled to be joining the GCRT Program in this capacity, leading the Clinical Research team and overseeing the Clinical Research operations and management of the program.
Rivka Kahn
Rivka Kahn is the Research Project Manager for the Global Cancer Research and Training (GCRT) Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Rivka brings experience managing numerous aspects of clinical research as well as combined experience of solid and liquid tumor research to the team. Prior to joining the GCRT, Rivka worked in Melanoma and Neuro-oncology research at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and in bone marrow transplant research at MSKCC. In her new role with the GCRT she oversees data coordination for the expanding research studies in Nigeria and manages IRB and regulatory compliance.
Rivka is passionate about global health and the future of cancer care. She is determined to improve healthcare disparities throughout the world.
Naqiya Choonawala
Naqiya Choonawala is the Research Project Associate for the Global Cancer Research and Training (GCRT) Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In her initial role with GCRT, she ensured data quality, regulatory compliance, and database management for multiple Nigeria-based studies. In her current role, Naqiya leads the Nigerian Cancer Research and Training (NCAT) Program, which aims to strengthen research capacity in Nigeria by empowering emerging researchers. She cultivates partnerships with experts and international organizations to foster knowledge sharing through training, mentorship, and resource allocation.
Naqiya holds dual master’s degrees in public health and business Administration from Stony Brook University. Driven by a strong desire to make a meaningful impact on the well-being of individuals worldwide, she is dedicated to addressing global health disparities by improving access to healthcare, promoting health equity, and developing sustainable solutions to further contribute to global health advancements.
Seyram Adjoa Doe-Tetteh
Seyram Adjoa Doe-Tetteh is a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Global Cancer Research and Training (GCRT) Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she ensures data quality, regulatory compliance, and maintains REDCap databases for Nigerian-based studies.
Seyram joins the GCRT team with a robust educational background, having earned degrees in Biochemistry and Psychology from Manhattanville College and Computational Biology from WCGS. Her experience managing the Make-an-IMPACT program at MSKCC has laid the groundwork for her future endeavors. Aspiring to become a principal investigator, Seyram aims to leverage her expertise to develop innovative computational methods for analyzing rare cancers within Sub-Saharan African populations.
Janny Liao
Janny Liao is a Clinical Research Coordinator with the Global Cancer Research and Training Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She supports research focused on improving cancer awareness, screening, and care in Nigeria.
Janny earned her A.B. in Integrative Biology from Harvard College, with a secondary field in Global Health and Health Policy. Her research at Harvard focused on RNA-based approaches for detecting gene fusions associated with treatment resistance in metastatic breast cancer. She has also led global health research examining the relationships among education, health knowledge, and access to preventive care in Lesotho and Vietnam. Prior to joining GCRT, she worked in healthcare management consulting, supporting efforts to improve hospital operations.
Janny is passionate about reducing disparities in cancer prevention and treatment in low- and middle-income countries. She plans to pursue a career in medicine and global health research.