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Leadership Appointments
Mark P. Farrell, PhD
Mark P. Farrell, PhD, associate professor of Medicinal Chemistry, has been named co-leader of The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Drug Discovery, Delivery and Experimental Therapeutics research program. This program brings together experts in drug discovery, delivery and diagnostics to develop new cancer treatments, collaborating with partners across academia, industry and government to accelerate progress.
Dr. Farrell’s research focuses on understanding how carbohydrates interact with proteins in the body. His lab studies how these interactions impact the immune system and contribute to disease progression. By designing and testing new molecules, Dr. Farrell and his laboratory are developing novel strategies to combat disease progression and improve cancer treatment outcomes, advancing the research program's mission to bring lifesaving therapies to patients.
Lisa Harlan-Williams, PhD
Lisa Harlan-Williams, PhD, associate professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, has been appointed associate director for Education at The University of Kansas Cancer Center. In this role, she will oversee educational and career development initiatives for a wide range of individuals, from high school students to junior faculty. She succeeds Danny Welch, PhD, professor of Cancer Biology, who began the cancer center’s Cancer Research Training and Educational component and led the effort for six years.
With 28 years of educational experience, Dr. Harlan-Williams has played a pivotal role in the academic and professional development of students across various scientific disciplines. She was instrumental in launching the cancer center’s Accelerate Cancer Education (ACE) program, a summer research experience for high school students. Dr. Harlan-Williams is committed to fostering an inclusive environment and aims to launch new initiatives to support the next generation of cancer researchers and clinicians.
With 28 years of educational experience, Dr. Harlan-Williams has played a pivotal role in the academic and professional development of students across various scientific disciplines. She was instrumental in launching the cancer center’s Accelerate Cancer Education (ACE) program, a summer research experience for high school students. Dr. Harlan-Williams is committed to fostering an inclusive environment and aims to launch new initiatives to support the next generation of cancer researchers and clinicians.
Dinesh Pal Mudaranthakam, PhD, MBA
Dinesh Pal Mudaranthakam, PhD, MBA, has been named co-director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resource. With over 15 years of experience in designing and implementing research databases, data warehouses and informatics tools, Dr. Mudaranthakam brings a wealth of knowledge to this leadership role.
The Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resource provides cancer center researchers with expertise in study design, statistical oversight and analyses, clinical research informatics and data management, electronic data collection, bioinformatics, statistical genomics and investigator-initiated clinical trials.
Dr. Mudaranthakam’s research focuses on areas such as population health, rural and racial disparities and clinical trial optimization, with an emphasis on building an integrated informatics ecosystem to expedite research processes. As an informatics expert, he has developed cutting-edge tools like the Cancer Curated Clinical Outcomes Database (C3OD), an intuitive platform used by physicians and research staff for feasibility analysis and trial recruitment.
The Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resource provides cancer center researchers with expertise in study design, statistical oversight and analyses, clinical research informatics and data management, electronic data collection, bioinformatics, statistical genomics and investigator-initiated clinical trials.
Dr. Mudaranthakam’s research focuses on areas such as population health, rural and racial disparities and clinical trial optimization, with an emphasis on building an integrated informatics ecosystem to expedite research processes. As an informatics expert, he has developed cutting-edge tools like the Cancer Curated Clinical Outcomes Database (C3OD), an intuitive platform used by physicians and research staff for feasibility analysis and trial recruitment.
Devin Koestler, PhD
Devin Koestler, PhD, professor and associate director of research operations in the Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, has been appointed assistant director for Shared Resources at The University of Kansas Cancer Center. In this role, he will work closely with Matthew Mayo, PhD, associate director for Shared Resources, to oversee and enhance the cancer center’s scientific shared resources and core facilities, which offer advanced instrumentation and tools to support basic, clinical and translational research.
Dr. Koestler, who also serves as co-director of the Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resource and director of the Quantitative ‘Omics Core that supports the Kansas Institute for Precision Medicine, joined the University of Kansas Medical Center in 2013. He brings extensive experience in directing scientific cores and expertise in biostatistics and bioinformatics, with a focus on high-throughput ‘omics’ data and cancer-related epigenetics. Many of Dr. Koestler’s research efforts involve large-scale epidemiologic studies studying DNA methylation and its relationship to cancer development and prognosis.
Dr. Koestler, who also serves as co-director of the Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resource and director of the Quantitative ‘Omics Core that supports the Kansas Institute for Precision Medicine, joined the University of Kansas Medical Center in 2013. He brings extensive experience in directing scientific cores and expertise in biostatistics and bioinformatics, with a focus on high-throughput ‘omics’ data and cancer-related epigenetics. Many of Dr. Koestler’s research efforts involve large-scale epidemiologic studies studying DNA methylation and its relationship to cancer development and prognosis.