Faith Davies

Faith E. Davies is director of the Clinical Myeloma Program at Perlmutter Cancer Center and a Professor Of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She earned her medical degree from the University of Wales College of Medicine and completed her general medical training and hematology specialty training in the UK. Prior to joining the faculty of NYU Langone, New York, Dr. Davies held positions with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas, USA and the Institute of Cancer Research / Royal Marsden Hospital, in London, UK.
Her research focus for over two decades has been on the biology and treatment of multiple myeloma, in particular the examination of potential new drugs and new genetic technologies. She is recognized internationally for her work looking at prognostic and predictive biomarkers (e.g. genetic abnormalities, imaging and minimal residual disease within the context of clinical trials. Dr. Davies laboratory work is aimed at identifying biologically based therapeutic targets in myeloma that are amenable to small molecule interventions and translating those laboratory findings into the clinical arena with a focus on individualized treatment.
Dr. Davies is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the American Association for Cancer Research, the Royal College of Physicians (UK), and the Royal College of Pathologists (UK). She is widely published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Oncology, Blood, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Leukemia.

Ruben Niesvizky, MD is Director of the Multiple Myeloma Center and Director of Oncology Operations at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He is Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and Attending Physician at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Dr. Niesvizky received his medical degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a research fellowship in cell biology/granulomonopoiesis at the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition in Mexico City. Dr. Niesvizky served as Chief Fellow during his training as a clinical hematology fellow at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York. He trained as a hematology/oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, where he was assistant attending physician for 6 years. Dr. Niesvizky is fluent in Spanish, Hebrew and English.

Dr. Niesvizky’s work has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Blood, JCO, Leukemia and Lymphoma, and Seminars in Oncology. He was the director of the clinical core of the Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society granted in 2000. He is the recipient of various grants and awards from the National Cancer Institute; a K23 award and 3 translational research grants for the development of new drugs. Dr Niesvizky regularly presents at annual meetings such as ASH and ASCO, of which he is also a member. He is an active participant in clinical trials of promising new drugs and medical procedures for the treatment of myeloma, lymphoma, and related hematologic disorders.

Faith E. Davies is director of the Clinical Myeloma Program at Perlmutter Cancer Center and a Professor Of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She earned her medical degree from the University of Wales College of Medicine and completed her general medical training and hematology specialty training in the UK. Prior to joining the faculty of NYU Langone, New York, Dr. Davies held positions with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas, USA and the Institute of Cancer Research / Royal Marsden Hospital, in London, UK.
Her research focus for over two decades has been on the biology and treatment of multiple myeloma, in particular the examination of potential new drugs and new genetic technologies. She is recognized internationally for her work looking at prognostic and predictive biomarkers (e.g. genetic abnormalities, imaging and minimal residual disease within the context of clinical trials. Dr. Davies laboratory work is aimed at identifying biologically based therapeutic targets in myeloma that are amenable to small molecule interventions and translating those laboratory findings into the clinical arena with a focus on individualized treatment.
Dr. Davies is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the American Association for Cancer Research, the Royal College of Physicians (UK), and the Royal College of Pathologists (UK). She is widely published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Oncology, Blood, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Leukemia.

Dr Mikhael is a Professor in the Clinical Genomics and Therapeutics Division at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope Cancer Center. He is also the Director of Myeloma research at the HonorHealth Research Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr Mikhael specializes clinically in plasma cell disorders, namely multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, and Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia. He is the PI of many clinical trials, primarily in relapsed multiple myeloma, and his other clinical research interests include pharmaco-economics, communication skills, and media relations.

Dr. Mikhael recently served as the Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) from 2018 to 2026 – he now serves as Medical Advisor to the IMF to provide guidance and strategic input in areas such as patient education, health disparities, collaboration with partners, international research, and publications.

Dr Mikhael has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles in these fields and lectures internationally on a regular basis. Dr. Mikhael is deeply committed to health disparities in myeloma and is the chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council at TGen. Dr. Mikhael is heavily involved in training future researchers and mentors junior faculty worldwide. Dr. Mikhael is an active member of the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) and recently led the ASCO guidelines in myeloma. Dr. Mikhael also serves as the Treasurer on the executive of the American Society of Hematology.

After certification in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, as well as working in Cancer Pharmacology from 1994 onwards at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Dr. Paul Richardson joined the Jerome Lipper Myeloma Center in 1999, was appointed Clinical Director in 2001, and led the development of several first-generation novel drugs including bortezomib, lenalidomide and pomalidomide for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Subsequent studies have focused on next generation novel drugs including panobinostat and second-generation proteasome inhibitors including ixazomib. More recently, his clinical innovations have been in the development of the breakthrough monoclonal antibodies elotuzumab and daratumumab for the treatment of both untreated and relapsed myeloma, as well as isatuximab and more broadly, antibody drug conjugates including belantamab mafodotin, as well as other immunotherapeutic strategies. In addition to these agents, he has contributed to the development of melflufen, a novel peptide drug conjugate and the first-in-class small molecule inhibitor selinexor, which targets XPO-1, a key nuclear export protein, as well as first-in-human studies of potent cereblon E3 ligase modulators (so called CELMoDs) for the treatment of relapsed and refractory myeloma.

Over the last decade, his major effort has been focused on the development of lenalidomide, bortezomib and dexamethasone (so-called RVD), including its incorporation as part of the Intergroup Francophone Myelome (IFM)/DFCI clinical trials in newly diagnosed patients eligible for stem cell transplant treated with RVD. This regimen has generated an unprecedented response rate, leading to its adoption in this international study, as well as others in the United States and across the globe. This particular trial incorporates genomic and proteomic evaluation to establish a future platform for tailored therapy and the optimal positioning of stem cell transplant, with results reported in 2022 as a plenary session at ASCO and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Furthermore, RVD has been established as a backbone to which next generation agents are being added, including elotuzumab, daratumumab and isatuximab, as well as panobinostat.

He has published extensively, having authored or co-authored over 460 original articles and 340 reviews, chapters, and editorials in peer-reviewed journals. In addition to holding positions on the Editorial Boards of leading journals, he is prior Chairman of the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC), Clinical Trials Core, a position held for 5 years as part of a rotating tenure, and for which he continues as a member of the Steering and Project Review Committee. He was also a member of ASCO Hematologic Malignancies Subcommittee for the required one-year term, and then for one year on the ASCO Internet Cancer Information Committee during 2017. He was appointed Chair of the Alliance Myeloma Committee in 2011 and completed his 10-year tenure in this role in 2021.

Honors include the George Canellos Award for Excellence in Clinical Research and Patient Care, and The Tisch Outstanding Achievement Award for Clinical Research, as well an honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians (UK), given in recognition for international contributions in multiple myeloma and stem cell transplantation. He was a co-recipient of the prestigious Warren Alpert Foundation Prize in recognition of the successful therapeutic targeting of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in 2012. He was also a co-recipient of the Accelerator Award for contributions to clinical research and patient enrollment in MMRC studies, as well as for the Research Center of the Year Award in 2009, followed by a second award for Center of the Year in 2017. He was ranked by Thomson Reuters Science Watch amongst the top 19 investigators at DFCI for the most highly cited research in 2016 and again in 2022. He was the co-recipient of the ASH Ernest Beutler Prize for clinical science and translational research in the development of proteasome inhibition as an effective treatment strategy for multiple myeloma in 2015; the COMY Award for MM research (Paris, France) in 2016, and the prestigious IMF Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, together with the Clare and Richard Morse Research Award (DFCI) in 2019, as well as the Giants of Cancer Care Award (USA) in 2021.