Team
The Neuro-Oncology team is made up of doctors from various disciplines and nurses with specialized training. The multidisciplinary team approach helps to ensure that patients receive the most comprehensive and highest quality care. We also work with other clinical service teams and teams that provide psychosocial support, so that patients and their families are cared for in every way.
Physicians from the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
Neuro-Oncology Medical Team
Jennifer Elster, M.D., Medical Director, Pediatric Proton Therapy Program; Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, UC San Diego
Megan Paul, M.D., Pediatric Neuro-Oncologist; Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, UC San Diego
Lanipua Yeh-Nayre, B.S.N., M.S.N., C.P.N.P., Nurse Practitioner
Holly Strebel, B.S.N., R.N. CEN, Nurse Manager
Radiation Oncology
Iain MacEwan, M.D., Radiation Oncologist at California Protons and UC San Diego; Assistant Professor of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, UC San Diego
Supportive and Palliative Care
Kimberly Bower, M.D., Palliative Medicine Physician
Neurosurgery
Michael Levy, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chief, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, UC San Diego
David Gonda, M.D., Director of Epilepsy Surgery; Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery, UC San Diego
Cara Lee-Stephenson, N.P.
Alina Shumakova, M.S.N., CPNP
Other Key Neuro-Oncology Team Members
H.S. O’Halloran M.D., Director of Pediatric Neuro-Ophthalmology
Nathaniel Chuang, M.D., Chief of Neuroradiology; Associate Clinical Professor of Radiology, UC San Diego San Diego Imaging Medical Group
Paritosh Khanna, M.D., Radiologist
Denise Malicki, M.D., Ph.D., Neuropathologist; Associate Professor of Pathology, UC San Diego
Robert Weschler-Reya, Ph.D., Director, Joseph Clayes III Research Center for Neuro-Oncology and Genomic Medicine; Director, Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program Sanford Burnham Prebys (SBP) Medical Discovery Institute
Other Clinical Service Teams
- Integrative Medicine
- Neuropsychological Testing
- Nurse Educators
- Nutrition Services