NCI-CONNECT Staff

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Brittany Cordeiro

Program Manager

Brittany manages program operations, communications, 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.