Faculty and Staff

Edward A. Neuwelt, M.D.

Dr. Neuwelt

Edward A. Neuwelt, M.D. is a professor in the Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University and the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. He divides his time between clinical work, primarily in the area of neuro-oncology including both operative neurosurgery and chemotherapy, and directing his research laboratory. 

Education

Dr. Neuwelt attended Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois from 1965 –1968 and then received his medical degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, Colorado in 1972. For his postgraduate training, Dr. Neuwelt did a surgical internship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas,Texas, 1972 –1973, followed by a Neurosurgical Residency at the same institution from 1973 –1978. During this time, Dr. Neuwelt also completed two neuro-oncology and neurosurgery research fellowships, first at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH) (1974 –1976) and then Queen Square Hospital in London, England (1976). While at the NIH, Dr. Neuwelt also completed his military duty as a Clinical Associate (Lt. Commander) in the United States Public Health Service, Neurosurgery and Enzymology Sections in Baltimore, Maryland (July, 1974 - July, 1976). Dr. Neuwelt is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and is a fully trained neuro-oncologist.

Leslie L. Muldoon, Ph.D., Director of Research Operations

Dr. Leslie Muldoon is an associate professor in the Department of Neurology, with a joint appointment in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology. She obtained a BS in Chemistry in 1982, and a Ph.D. in Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences in 1986 from the University of Chicago, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the OHSU Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy in 1990. She has led the BBBP Preclinical Laboratory since 1990. Dr. Muldoon has extensive background in tumor and cell biology, magnetic resonance imaging, and histological and immunological methods for assessing neurotoxicity and tumor volumetrics. She has played a central role in the analysis of chemoprotective agents against chemotherapy toxicity, and the development and imaging of brain tumor models. Dr. Muldoon directs all preclinical aspects of the program, including experimental protocol development, supervision of technicians and research fellows, and writing grant proposals and scientific manuscripts.

Nancy D. Doolittle, Ph.D., R.N., Associate Director of Clinical Research

Dr. Nancy Doolittle is an associate professor in the Department of Neurology at OHSU. She obtained a master's degree in 1981, a Ph.D. in 1990, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in 1991 in the Department of Physiological Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. She has been involved in the clinical care of neuroscience patients since 1974, and has been Associate Director of Clinical Research in the BBBP since 1995. Dr. Doolittle is the first author on several key publications for the BBB Program, including a multi-center assessment of BBB disruption chemotherapy, first evaluation of radiolabeled rituximab in primary CNS lymphoma, first large series report describing management and outcomes of patients with isolated brain relapse of systemic non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and the first clinical trial of sodium thiosulfate (STS) for hearing protection. Dr. Doolittle supervises clinical protocol implementation, including subject accrual, regulatory compliance, data management, analysis and reporting. She is the coordinator for the multi-site Blood-Brain Barrier Consortium. As such, Dr. Doolittle coordinates multi-site cooperative clinical trials as well as planning the annual Consortium clinical trials meeting in the fall and the international scientific BBB meeting in the spring.

Lisa Muir, M.P.A.: H.A., C.C.R.P.

Lisa has a B.S. in Molecular Biology from Portland State University and received her Master Degree in Public Health Administration in 2010. She is also a Certified Clinical Research Professional. Lisa has been with the BBBP for over 24 years, first as a laboratory technician and then for the past 16 years as the Program Administrator. She serves as grant, contract, and financial administrator for the NIH and VA grants and contracts that fund the BBBP preclinical and clinical research. She assists in development, submission and management of clinical research proposals. As a clinical study coordinator, Lisa assures adherence to protocols, assures compliance with IRB, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and FDA requirements, and monitors patients and patient tests for adverse events and outcomes.

Amy Huddleston, M.P.A.: H.A., C.C.R.P.

Amy has a BA in International Studies and Spanish and received her Master Degree in Public Health Administration from Portland State University in 2010. She is a Research Associate and a Certified Clinical Research Professional. Before completing her master's, Amy was the Patient Care Coordinator for 4 years. Since 2014, she has been the Clinical Manager as well as one of the Clinical Study Coordinators within the program. She assists in the development, submission and management of clinical research proposals, assures adherence to protocols, compliance with IRB, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and FDA requirements, and monitors patients and patient tests for adverse events and outcomes.

Samantha Holland, B.S.

Samantha graduated from PSU in June of 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in biology and a determination to begin a career in cancer research. In October of 2018, that goal was realized when she joined the Blood-Brain Barrier Program as a Research Assistant I. Samantha performs a wide range of research support activities such as immunohistochemistry, cell culture and in vitro assays and is responsible for the upkeep of much of the laboratory. She also assists with animal studies and is preparing to take on some of her own. Samantha also has a deep interest in microscopy and is currently training with the OHSU Advanced Light Microscopy Core to advance her imaging abilities

Collaborator

Ramon Barajas, M.D.
Neuroradiologist
Associate Professor of Diagnostic Radiology, School of Medicine

Dr. Ramon Francisco Barajas Jr., M.D., joined the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Center at Oregon Health and Science University in 2015. Dr. Barajas is board certified in Diagnostic Radiology with a Subspecialty Certificate in Neuroradiology. As a physician-scientist, he leads a multidisciplinary collaborative team of pre-clinical and clinical brain tumor researchers with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors. View profile