Faculty

Ashley Springer, MSN,APRN-Rx, AGPCNP-BC (Moderator)

Nurse Practitioner
Hawaii Cancer Care
Honolulu, HI

Ashley Mae Springer completed her Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She currently holds a membership within; Hawaii Society of Clinical Oncology, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology. She has been a strong proponent for clinical research within her practice, Hawaii Cancer Care.

Evan S. Wu, MD, PhD (Speaker)

Director of Thoracic Oncology, Hawaii Pacific Health
Assistant Professor, Translational and Clinical Research
University of Hawaii Cancer Center
Honolulu, HI

Dr. Evan Wu earned his Ph.D. in Biostatistics from Johns Hopkins University and his Medical Degree from the University of Miami. Dr. Wu attended Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, where he was fellowship trained in medical oncology. Dr. Wu is a board-certified medical oncologist and researcher focusing on thoracic cancers, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Dr. Wu previously worked as a Medical Director in early oncology at AstraZeneca, where he led the development of targeted therapies for lung cancer.

Through his involvement in cancer research, Dr. Wu focuses on identifying new therapies to improve the lives of patients with thoracic cancers through clinical trials at the University of Hawaii. As an active member of the medical oncology community, Dr. Wu has led the development of several clinical trials focusing on lung cancer, mesothelioma and cellular therapy for HPV-associated cancers. He also has experience in developing biomarkers for immunotherapy using artificial intelligence.

His interests outside of medicine include tennis and hiking with his two Jack Russell Terriers.

Taryne A. Imai, MD, MEHP, FACS (Speaker)

Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery
Medical Director, Surgical Services
Associate Professor of Surgery
University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Queen's Medical Center
Honolulu, HW 

Dr. Taryne A. Imai, MD, MEHP, FACS, is the Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery for the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii and the Medical Director for Surgical Services at the Queen's Medical Center. Before joining her current position, she was the Clinical Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Imai completed her undergraduate and medical school education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and JABSOM in Honolulu, Hawaii. After completing her residency in general surgery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, she pursued fellowships in Thoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and Surgical Critical Care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She also holds a Master's degree in Education for Health Professions from Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Imai specializes in using robotics to treat chest diseases, both benign and malignant. Her primary focus is on improving the lung cancer care process by providing patients with a fully robotic approach to diagnose, stage, and treat lung cancer in a single anesthetic session.

Beyond her clinical work, Dr. Imai is actively involved in many professional organizations. She serves on the Executive Committee for the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Workforce on Health Policy, Reform, and Advocacy, and the Pacific West Regional Board of the American Lung Association. Additionally, she is an editorial board member for the Annals of Surgery and The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

Samuel Birer, MD (Speaker)

Radiation Oncologist
Cancer Center of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI

Samuel (Sam) Birer is originally from San Francisco, CA, and completed his medical doctorate at Duke University School of Medicine. He then completed his internship in internal medicine at the University of Hawaii, before returning the mainland to complete a residency in radiation oncology at the University of Michigan, where he served as chief resident. Dr. Birer is a board-certified radiation oncologist practicing at the Cancer Center of Hawaii in Honolulu, HI. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles, and his research has focused on the mechanisms underlying radiation therapy-associated toxicity and practical strategies for toxicity reduction in patients undergoing cancer treatment.

Disclosures:

In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, Horizon CME (HCME) ensures that continuing education activities are balanced, independent, objective, and scientifically rigorous. 

All persons in a position to influence the content of an accredited continuing education activity provided by Horizon CME are required to disclose to HCME any relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies within the past 24 months. All reported relevant financial relationships have been mitigated by Horizon CME.

Evan S. Wu, MD, PhD discloses consulting with Johnson and Johnson, Bristol Meyers Squibb, AbbVie during the past 24 months.

Samuel Birer, MD (Speaker) discloses advisory board with OncoHost during the past 24 months.

Ashley Springer, MSN,APRN-Rx, AGPCNP-BC discloses advisory board with Janssen and speaker's bureau with AstraZeneca during the past 24 months.