Steering Committee

David R. Spigel, MD, joined Sarah Cannon in 2003 and as chief scientific officer, he oversees all scientific aspects of Sarah Cannon's clinical trial program, working with the research physician leaders to ensure the best new agents and studies are available to our patients. He serves as a primary contact for the Pharma and biotech partners as well as the strategic site physicians with whom Sarah Cannon conducts cancer research.

Dr. Spigel received his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1992, and medical degree from The University of Tennessee in Memphis in 1996. After completing an internal medicine and chief residency at Indiana University Medical Center, he completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. He is board certified in medical oncology. Additionally, he is a partner with Tennessee Oncology, PLLC.

Ravi Salgia, MD, PhD, is the Arthur and Rosalie Kaplan Chair in Medical Oncology and the Associate Director for Clinical Sciences Research in the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California.

Prior to joining City of Hope, Dr. Salgia served as tenured professor of Medicine, Pathology, and Dermatology; Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program and Aerodigestive Tract Program Translational Research Lab, Section of Hematology/Oncology; Vice Chair for Translational Research, Department of Medicine; and Associate Director for Translational Science at the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Salgia earned his undergraduate degree summa cum laude in mathematics, biology, and chemistry, and then his MD, and PhD, from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois, where he also completed fellowships in neurochemistry and physiology. He continued his postgraduate training with an internship and residency in internal medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, followed by a fellowship in medical oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, during which time he also served as a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Dr. Salgia is frequently invited to present his work at national and international conferences and symposia and is the recipient of several honors and awards. He is serving as a chartered member of NIH/NCI’s Tumor Progression and Metastasis Study Section, and he was also elected as the Translational Science Representative on NCI's Thoracic Malignancy Steering Committee.

Board-certified in internal medicine and medical oncology, Dr. Salgia is the current chief editor for Cancer Commons, and the co-chief editor for the Journal of Carcinogenesis. He also serves on the editorial advisory boards of four additional journals. Dr. Salgia has authored 286 peer-reviewed articles, reviews and editorials, one book, and 34 book chapters.

Andrea Ferris is President and CEO of LUNGevity and a member of the Board of Directors. In this capacity, she is responsible for setting and executing the strategic direction of the organization and its science programs. Ms. Ferris was the Vice President of Strategy and Growth of Decision Lens, Inc. a company she helped launch in January 2005. Prior to joining Decision Lens, Andrea held a variety of management positions at Johnson & Johnson, including Director of Investor Relations, Manager Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions, and Plant Controller. She also spent several years at McNeil Consumer Products, a J&J subsidiary, in marketing and mergers & acquisitions. Prior to her time at J&J, Andrea worked for Lehman Brothers and Coopers & Lybrand in New York City in both Mergers and Acquisitions and as a CPA.

Ms. Ferris served on Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center National Committee of Performing Arts and on the Board of ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) of Metro DC. She has also served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for DC Metro Boys and Girls Club and has worked with the Ronald McDonald House and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Ms. Ferris received her BS in Economics from Wharton with concentrations in Accounting, Decision Sciences, and Finance. She received her MBA from Wharton with concentrations in Finance and Latin American Studies.

Nikki Martin is Senior Director of Precision Medicine Initiatives where she focuses on accelerating access to precision medicine, especially biomarker testing, for lung cancer patients. Nikki came into patient advocacy from multiple roles in public affairs and communications at diagnostic and biotech companies including Genentech, Novartis Diagnostics, and Grifols where she collaborated with patient advocacy groups and other stakeholders on a variety of global health issues. She believes that patient advocacy organizations play an essential role in convening influential entities from government to providers, payers, and industry, which can lead to critical work with long-lasting impact on patient care. Nikki started her career in healthcare communications in Japan where she advised healthcare clients on public relations activities in the Japanese market.