Welcome to Checkpoint NOW
The podcast where you learn from the experts about the latest evidence, practice guidelines and opinions on managing complex Immune Related Toxicities. Our discussions focus on dialogue and shared decision making between oncologists and subspecialty experts. Checkpoint NOW Podcast is sponsored by Citrus Oncology. Visit citrusoncology.com for more information.
Meet Your Hosts
Afreen Idris Shariff, MD
Dr. Afreen Shariff is an Endocrinologist, the Co-founder of Citrus Oncology and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine. Her clinical and research focus is in improving care for endocrine disorders in cancer patients. She has a profound commitment to enhancing healthcare delivery and equity through value-based, patient-centric clinical and educational programs targeted at improving access and reducing health costs while managing complex oncology patients effectively. With the mission to provide cancer warriors with incident and existing side effects from cancer drugs, the highest quality care through innovation, collaboration and compassion, Dr. Shariff has created and led several successful initiatives over the years. A few of these include, the Duke Endo Oncology Program, Cancer Therapy Toxicity Program, founding the Onco-Endocrinology Special Interest Group (SIG) through The Endocrine Society and creating a novel AI model to effectively predict hospitalizations from immunotherapy related adverse events up to 2 weeks in advance of the expected event. She is the recipient of the 2023 ACCC Innovator Award and Healio Disruptive Innovator Award 2024 for Clinical Innovation. In 2024, she Co-founded a virtual multi-specialty cancer support clinic- Citrus Oncology that enables patients and oncologists to take control of side effects from cancer drugs from the comfort of their home or offices. Visit citrusoncology.com for more information. Timely access, patient-provider-subspecialist education, care navigation and predicting and preventing hospital admissions from toxicities using AI powered clinical decision tools has been the focus of her career. Dr. Shariff decided to leverage the impact and outreach of podcasts as a medium to advance her educational mission and started Checkpoint NOW in 2020.
Pauline Funchain, MD
Dr. Funchain is a medical oncologist specializing in melanoma, high risk skin cancers, immunotherapy toxicities, and hereditary cancer genetics. She started in oncology at the Cleveland Clinic, where she served as Director of both Melanoma Oncology and Cancer Genomics. In Cleveland, she developed and led the first irAE tumor board established in the US in 2017 and launched the Management of Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Toxicity conference in 2020, the longest running clinical care and research conference on irAEs. She moved with her family to Stanford Cancer in 2023. At Stanford, Dr. Funchain codirects the Immunotherapy Toxicity (IOTOX) Working Group as well as the Skin Cancer Genomics Program. Nationally, Dr. Funchain co-chaired the inaugural American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Guidelines Panel on Systemic Therapy in Melanoma and serves on the ASCO Guidelines Panel on the Management of irAEs. Dr Funchain joins the Checkpoint NOW podcast in 2024 to continue the conversation on irAE management and research with the greater community of patients and medical providers.
Tian Zhang, MD, MHS (Former Host)
Tian Zhang, M.D., M.H.S., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of genitourinary malignancies, including kidney, prostate, bladder, and testicular cancers. Dr. Zhang earned her medical degree from the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology (HST) program at Harvard Medical School. She completed a residency in internal medicine at Duke University, where she also received advanced training through a hematology-oncology fellowship. In addition, she earned a Master of Health Sciences in the Clinical Research Training Program at Duke in 2019. Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in medical oncology, she joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2021. Dr. Zhang is a clinical trialist and translational researcher focused on evaluating clinical development of novel therapeutics and evaluating biomarkers for genitourinary malignancies. She partners closely with a multidisciplinary team at UT Southwestern to provide data-driven clinical care for her patients. She has gained an international reputation developing clinical trials in kidney, prostate, and bladder cancers. She serves as the study chair for PDIGREE, a phase III trial in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Dr. Zhang is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). She serves on numerous committees, including as Co-chair of the National Cancer Institute Genitourinary (GU) Steering Committee Renal Task Force and as Chair of the Chinese American Hematologist and Oncologist Network (CAHON) Academic Committee. She is a member of several ASCO clinical management guidelines committees as well as the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, GU Oncology, and Immuno-Oncology Committees. She brings a track record of research and mentoring to UT Southwestern. She has received multiple peer-reviewed grants, a Resident Research Mentoring Award from Duke, and, notably, the 2021 Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Scholar Rising Stars Award. Dr. Zhang was the co-host of Checkpoint NOW since its inception in 2020 till 2024. She was instrumental in creating the formative impact of the podcast and continues to be a great support and resource for Checkpoint NOW!
Listen to our Podcasts.
Season 2: Episode 4
Adrenal Insufficiency- What patients need to know.
Hosts: Join Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Pauline Funchain as they break down Adrenal Insufficiency from cancer treatments in simple terms for patients, caregivers and care teams.
Season 2. Episode 2
Thyroid disease in a cancer patient.
Hosts: Join hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest experts and thyroidologists Dr. Trevor Angell and Dr. Anupam Kotwal about thyroid disease in cancer for patients and caregivers.
Season 2: Episode 1
Patient experience, advocacy and immune toxicities
Hosts: Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with Dena Battle from KCCure- an evidence based, patient driven patient advocacy organization. Dena shares her deep insight on patient, caregiver experiences around toxicity symptoms and how we can learn from each other to improve patient outcomes.
Season 1: Episode 19
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Special Populations
Hosts: Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they talk to oncologists Dr. Sharon and Dr. Nagash to learn about Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in special populations. Dr. Sharon is an accomplished Oncologist at the National Cancer Institute. He co-Directs immunotherapy trials at the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (also known as CTEP) and serves as an attending physician in NCI's Developmental Therapeutics Clinic. As part of his work in immunotherapy drug development, he has made a major effort to advance the understanding of immune-related adverse events, including the establishment of the Alliance-NIH irAE Biorepository. Dr. Naqash, is an Oncologist with a focus on Early phase clinical trials, drug development and biomarkers in Immunotherapy. He is currently an Assistant professor of Medicine at the Oklahoma Health Stephenson Cancer Center.
Season 1: Episode 15
Neuro-toxicities from Immune checkpoint Blockade: Rare and complex
Hosts: Learn from the experts about immune mediated neurological toxicities. Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest expert and Neurologist Dr. Andrew Mammen. Andrew Mammen, M.D., Ph.D., joined NIAMS as Muscle Disease Unit Leader in the Laboratory of Muscle Stem Cells and Gene Regulation in 2014. He obtained his medical degree and Ph.D. in neuroscience at Johns Hopkins in 2000, where he subsequently completed his medicine internship, neurology residency, and neuromuscular fellowship. Prior to his appointment at NIH, he was Associate Professor of Neurology and Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He co-founded the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center in 2007, where he continues to see myositis patients as an adjunct faculty member. Dr. Mammen and his colleagues at Hopkins discovered a novel form of autoimmune myopathy associated with statin use and autoantibodies recognizing HMG-CoA reductase, the pharmacologic target of statins. In addition to clinical studies involving myositis patients, his current laboratory research interests include defining pathogenic mechanisms in the various forms of autoimmune myopathy and understanding the role of myositis autoantigens in muscle regeneration.
Season 1: Episode 18
Immune Mediated neuro toxicities (Part 2)
Hosts: Learn from the experts about the latest in immune mediated neurological toxicities. Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest experts- medical Oncologist Dr. Kerry Reynolds, and expert neurologists Drs. Amanda Guidon and Leeann Burton from Massachusetts General Hospital for an informative and high yield discussion.
Season 1: Episode 17
Autoimmune Type 1 Diabetes: Challenge for our patients and clinicians
Hosts: Learn from the experts about the clinical diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of autoimmune Type 1 Diabetes. Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest experts and endocrinologists Dr. Ole-Petter Hamnvik and Dr. Le Min from Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School and Dana Farber Cancer Institute for an informative and high yield discussion.
Season 1: Episode 16
Managing Immune mediated Adverse events from a trainees perspective
Hosts: Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with resident physicians Dr. Harsh Patolia, Dr. Nathan Hirshman and Dr. Michelle Ferriera who share their experience and tips for fellow residents in training on managing immune mediated adverse events.
Season 1: Episode 14
Immune mediated Liver Toxicities
Hosts: Learn from the experts about the latest in Immune Mediated Liver Toxicities. Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest expert and Transplant Hepatologist Dr. Lindsay King. Dr. King is a Hepatologist, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine.
Season 1: Episode 13
Skin Toxicities from Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (PART 2): Common and perplexing
Hosts: Hosts: Learn from the experts about the latest in Onco- Dermatology and Immune skin Mediated toxicities. Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest expert and Dermatologist Dr. Adela Rambi Cordones. Dr. Cordones is a Dermatologist, Associate Professor of Dermatology at Duke University School of Medicine. She leads the Immunodermatology Clinic at Duke and is clinician investigator with an expertise in Autoimmune Skin Disease and Cutaneous Drug reactions.
Season 1: Episode 12
Skin Toxicities from Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (PART 1): Common and perplexing
Hosts: Learn from the experts about the latest in Onco- Dermatology and Immune skin Mediated toxicities. Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest expert and Dermatologist Dr. Meenal Kheterpal. Dr. Kheterpal is a Dermatologist, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Duke University School of Medicine. She also directs clinical research in Melanoma and Non - Melanoma Skin Cancer at Duke Dermatology.
Season 1: Episode 11
Onco-Nephrology and Immune Mediated Nephrotoxicities
Hosts: Learn from the experts about the latest in Onco- Nephrology and Immune Mediated toxicities. Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest experts and Nephrologists Dr. Matt Sparks and Dr. David Ortiz-Melo. Dr. Matt Sparks is a Nephrologist, Assistant Professor of Medicine and the Associate program Director for the Nephrology fellowship at Duke. He is also a well-known online celebrity nephrologist who is the program director of the nephrology social media collective internship and co-creator of Nephmadness. Dr. David Ortiz-Melo is a Nephrologist and Assistant Professor of Medicine. Dr. Ortiz-Melo has created and directs the Onco-Nephrology clinic at Duke.
Season 1: Episode 10
Immune Mediated Pulmonary Toxicities
Hosts: Hosts: Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest expert and Oncologist, Dr. Jarushka Naidoo about the complex and challenging diagnosis of Immune mediated Pneumonitis. Dr. Jarushka Naidoo is currently a thoracic oncologist at Beaumont Hospital, Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland and she is also the national lead for lung cancer for Cancer Trials Ireland, and serves as an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University. She also serves on the NCCN guidelines committee for the management of immune-related toxicity, and runs an institutional multidisciplinary team for immune toxicity management.
Season 1: Episode 9
Immune Mediated Cardiac Toxicities: Diagnostic challenges, management and novel discoveries.
Hosts: Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest expert Dr. Javid Moslehi, MD, Cardiologist, Associate Professor of Medicine and an expert in immune-mediated cardiotoxicities at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Moslehi is also the Director of Cardio-Oncology at Vanderbilt.
Season 1: Episode 8
Immune Mediated Colitis- Novel discoveries and novel therapies
Hosts: Learn from the experts about the latest in scientific trials and novel therapies in the pipeline for management of Immune Mediated Colitis. Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest experts- medical Oncologist Dr. Kerry Reynolds, Gastroenterologist/ Immunologist Dr. Micheal Dougan from Massachusetts General Hospital and rising star resident Dr. Nazli Dizman from Yale for an informative and high yield discussion.
Season 1: Episode 7
Immune Mediated Colitis and lessons learnt from multidisciplinary team based management.
Hosts: Learn from the experts about the clinical diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of Immune Mediated Colitis. Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest experts- medical Oncologist Dr. Kerry Reynolds and Gastroenterologist/ Immunologist Dr. Micheal Dougan from Massachusetts General Hospital for an informative and high yield discussion.
Season 1: Episode 6
Rheumatic adverse events: Discussions on pre-existing rheumatic disease, biomarkers, collaborations and more.
Hosts: Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest experts and rheumatologists Dr. Leonard Calabrese and Dr. Cassandra Calabrese from Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Alexa Meara from Ohio State University about budding collaborations and scientific discovery in Immune Mediated Rheumatic Adverse Events
Season 1: Episode 5
Immune mediated Myositis and Myalgia's: Diagnosis and management for the non- Rheumatologist
Hosts: Hosts: Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest expert and Rheumatologist Dr. Sophia Weinmann about the complex and challenging diagnosis of Immune mediated Myositis and Myalgia's
Season 1: Episode 4
Immune mediated Inflammatory Arthritis: Challenges in diagnosis and management
Hosts: Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss with guest expert and Rheumatologist Dr. Sophia Weinmann about the complex and challenging diagnosis of Immune mediated Inflammatory Arthritis.
Season 1: Episode 2
Immune Related Thyroid Toxicities
Hosts: Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss challenges encountered in the diagnosis and management of commonly encountered Immune Related Thyroid Toxicities.
Season 1: Episode 3
Breaking down the diagnosis and management of Immune Hypophysitis
Hosts: Join our hosts Dr. Afreen Shariff and Dr. Tian Zhang as they discuss all things Immune Hypophysitis and all you need to know to get better at managing this complex toxicity
Trailer
Introducing Checkpoint NOW- the podcast at the intersection of immunotherapy and toxicities.
Hosts: Dr. Afreen Shariff, MD, Endocrinologist, Duke Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Duke Cancer Institute
Season 1: Episode 1
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors have been transformative for cancer care. What have we learnt so far?
Hosts: Dr. Afreen Shariff, MD, Endocrinologist, Duke Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Duke Cancer Institute; Dr. Tian Zhang, MD, MHS, Genito-Urinary Oncologist, Duke Cancer Institute
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Photos by Christian Perner, David Jorre and Jean-Philippe Delberghe on Unsplash.