Kristina Lopez, LCSW, MSW - Moderadora

Kristina Lopez is a bilingual/bicultural Information Specialist with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Information Resource Center (IRC). She is part of a team of highly trained oncology professionals who help to support people impacted by blood cancer through education and resources. Kristina is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a certified supervisor for clinical social work interns in the state of Florida, and has been involved in education in various forums including the NASW, CancerCon, and Noticias Ya. Prior to joining the IRC team, Kristina worked at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida for almost 8 years – 4 of those years focused on pediatric Hematology/Oncology. She also worked as a counselor for primarily Medicaid clients. Kristina attended the University of Central Florida (UCF) and graduated in 2010 with her bachelor’s degree in Social Work and minor in Nonprofit Management. She obtained her master’s degree from her alma mater in 2011. Kristina has a passion for serving at risk populations including the Latinx and LGBTQ+ communities as well as has special interests in DEI and access to care.

Cristian I. Rodriguez Arocho, MD - Linfoma y la leucemia linfocítica crónica

Dr. Cristian I. Rodríguez Arocho is a hematologist/oncologist with formal training in bone marrow transplantation and cell therapy. Hi is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and oncology. During his hematology/oncology fellowship he felt passionate for bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy. After completing his hematology/oncology training at San Juan City Hospital he went to Moffitt Cancer Center for a formal training bone marrow transplantation and cell therapy. He formally trained in autologous stem cell transplant, allogeneic stem cell transplant (match related, match unrelated and haploidentical) and chimeric antigen receptor therapy. In the summer of 2020, he returned to Puerto Rico and joined the bone marrow transplant team led by Dr. Alexis Cruz Chacón at the Auxilio Mutuo hospital. Since then, he has been treating patients with hematological diseases in need of a stem cell transplant. Currently he provides care for myeloid and lymphoid malignancies. Also provides care for benign hematological diseases in need for a stem cell transplant. Currently, his team is working to get accreditation for CART access in Puerto Rico. One of his biggest goals is to get accreditation in Puerto Rico for CART and FACT.

Alexis M. Cruz-Chacón, MD - Lucemia aguda en adultos y Síndromes mielodisplásicos 

Dr. Alexis M. Cruz-Chacón is the Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program at Hospital Español Auxilio Mutuo. He is also the Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program Director at Hospital Municipal De San Juan and part of the Hematology and Oncology faculty at the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center Hospital (San Juan, PR). Dr. Cruz-Chacón earned his medical degree from Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine (Bayamon, PR) and completed his Internal Medicine residency at the VA Caribbean Healthcare System and Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship at Hospital Municipal de San Juan (both in San Juan, PR). He also completed an advanced Blood and Marrow Transplantation Fellowship at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and University of South Florida (Tampa, FL). He specializes in blood and marrow hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autologous and allogeneic) and in the evaluation and treatment of hematologic malignancies (leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloproliferative neoplasms, and multiple myeloma). Dr. Cruz-Chacon focuses much of his clinical and research interests to the treatment of hematologic malignancies with novel molecular therapies and immunotherapies, development of new transplant conditioning and post-transplant maintenance regimens, and expanding blood and marrow transplantation and other therapies for hematologic malignancies to the elderly population. He is a principal investigator for the Puerto Rico NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP). Dr. Cruz-Chacón is board-certified in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology. He is an active member of the American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Current President of the Puerto Rico Hematology and Medical Oncology Association.

Joel Lopez-Figueroa, MD - Mieloma

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