NCI-CONNECT Staff
Our NCI-CONNECT team is dedicated to helping those with rare central nervous system (CNS) tumors.
Co-Leaders
Marta Penas-Prado, M.D.
Co-Lead, NCI-CONNECT
Dr. Penas-Prado provides clinical care to patients with rare CNS tumors and serves as a principal investigator on therapeutic clinical trials. She evaluates patients’ physical well-being and provides diagnosis, symptom, and treatment information.
Terri Armstrong, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, NCI-CONNECT
Dr. Armstrong co-founded NCI-CONNECT with Dr. Gilbert, and led its patient outcomes research projects. She strived to understand the impact of both disease and treatment on how a person with a CNS tumor feels and functions. Dr. Armstrong serves as an NIH Scientist Emeritus.
Mark Gilbert, M.D.
Co-Founder, NCI-CONNECT
Dr. Gilbert co-founded NCI-CONNECT with Dr. Armstrong, and he served as the protocol principal investigator for its clinical trials. He also co-founded the Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative (BTTC), a network of renowned medical centers throughout the United States that provides clinical trials to patients with rare CNS tumors. Dr. Gilbert serves as an NIH Scientist Emeritus.
Clinical Staff
Alvina Acquaye-Mallory
Outcomes Program Manager
Alvina manages the patient outcomes studies and provides wellness practices to patients. These include strategies to help patients cope with the mental, physical, and emotional challenges they face during diagnosis.
Kristen Oshin
Patient Care Coordinator
Kristen coordinates the intake process for patients, including scheduling appointments, coordinating travel, gathering all necessary medical information, and providing visit information to patients.
Byram Ozer, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Research Physician
Dr. Ozer is a neuro-oncologist who cares for patients with rare brain and spine tumors. His interests encompass clinical research, as well as translational research that uses scientific advancements to understand the cellular processes underlying tumor development and progression.
Margarita Raygada, Ph.D.
Oncology Genetic Counselor and Geneticist
Dr. Raygada provides genetic counseling and testing to patients. She also evaluates family and medical history to help determine if patients and their families are at risk for developing specific cancers or hereditary cancer syndromes. In addition, she discusses management plans for cancer screening, prevention, and risk reduction.
Kathleen Wall
Clinical Research Nurse
Kathleen manages patient participation on clinical trials, including assessing if patients are eligible for trials and registering them.
Program Staff
Brittany Cordeiro
Program Manager
Brittany manages program operations, plans workshops and meetings, oversees and coordinates projects, and aids leadership to achieve project success. She also facilitates partnerships with non-profit organizations and provides referral information and education materials to providers, advocates, and patients.
NCI-CONNECT welcomes your questions.
Contact us at NCICONNECT@mail.nih.gov or call 240-760-6530.