Our Team Approach

Dr. Russell Witt is a surgical oncologist with expertise in the treatment of patients afflicted with cutaneous malignancies and soft tissue sarcoma. He is an alum of the University of California Davis, where he earned his medical degree and a master's degree in Clinical Research. Dr. Witt's extensive training includes a rigorous general surgery residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, followed by a research fellowship at the University of California San Francisco where he worked on in utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and enzyme replacement therapy for lysosomal storage disorders. He then completed surgical oncology fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Witt brings a depth of knowledge and experience to his practice, striving to provide compassionate and excellent care to his patients

After completing Mastering in Microbiology, Dr. Shafiei began working at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dr. Don Rockey’s lab focusing on wound healing and the extracellular matrix remodeling in liver fibrosis. She then obtained a Ph.D. focusing on adipocyte-derived factors “adipokines” or “adiponectin” and identifying the role these factors serve in the physiology and pathophysiology of obesity. She went on to study a variety of subjects including Toll-like receptors, liver steatosis, COVID-19 and extracellular vesicles derived from tumors cells. She joined the Witt lab in early 2024 to focus on how obesity influences melanoma treatment responses.

Jacob graduated from University of Alabama Huntsville while studying the impact of fasting on the hepatic expression of the MKP-1 protein. He also spent time at the University of Memphis studying the Ah receptor, before moving to the University of Virginia. He stands as a beacon of determination and resilience, in the heart of a bustling laboratory dedicated to unraveling melanoma immunology. As he stands amid the vials and equipment, his heart beats not just for science, but for every person who dares to dream of a future beyond melanoma.

Mackenzie was born and raised in Florida and went to the University of Miami for undergrad and Florida International University for medical school. She is a general surgery resident at the University of Virginia who is doing two dedicated years of research. She is also completing a Masters of Science in Clinical Research. She hopes to apply to a surgical oncology fellowship in the future. In her free time, Mackenzie enjoys college football and trying new foods. 

Nidhi was raised in Austin, Texas and went to the University of Texas at Austin where she obtained her undergraduate degree in human biology. She is currently a fourth year medical student at the University of Virginia where she is doing a research year in the Witt Lab. She is interested in allergy and immunology and enjoys reading historical fiction, trying new places to eat in Charlottesville, and painting. 

Meg was born and raised in Covington, Louisiana, and received her BA from Vanderbilt University. She is a second-year medical student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. She has continued working in the Witt Lab after receiving a research stipend from the UVA Medical Student Summer Research Program. Meg is interested in dermatology and dermatological surgery, surgical oncology, and melanoma research.

Emily grew up in Buffalo, New York, and earned her BS from the University of Maryland. She is now a second-year medical student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where she continues her work in the Witt Lab after receiving a research stipend from the UVA Medical Student Summer Research Program. She is interested in dermatology and surgical oncology and enjoys hiking in her free time.

Dade is from Reisterstown, MD. She is a second-year undergraduate planning on majoring in Biology. Outside of the lab, Dade enjoys watching movies, spending time with family and friends, and creating art.

Shivangi is from Fairfax, Virginia. She is a second-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences looking to major in Biology while minoring in Psychology and Studio Art. In her free time, Shivangi enjoys dancing, hiking, and painting.

Justin is from Stephens City, Virginia. He is a third year biology major in the College of Arts and Sciences. Outside of the lab he enjoys playing golf, watching sports, and cooking.

Hilda Joseph is a third year undergraduate student from Richmond, VA majoring in biology and minoring in data science at UVA in the College of Arts and Sciences. In her free time, she enjoys playing in the school band, reading mystery novels, and spending time with family and friends.

Allan Tsung, MD, joined the School of Medicine as the chair of the Department of Surgery in June 2022. He came to UVA from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, where he served as professor and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery. Dr. Tsung earned his medical degree from the SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, then completed his residency in surgery and a fellowship in hepatobiliary and pancreas surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. He specializes in evaluating and caring for patients with liver, bile duct and pancreas cancers and is an expert in laparoscopic and robotic surgery

With a training background as an MD and PhD student from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Hongji Zhang has an extensive experience in immunology and molecular biology research. Dr. Zhang decided to pursue a career in translational research following the completion of his postdoctoral training at Ohio State University and subsequently joined the faculty at the University of Virginia. His overarching research goal is to provide novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of these diseases, with a particular emphasis on investigating the hepatic immune responses following pre-operative exercise therapy (PEx). Dr. Zhang expects the PEx to be of great use to researchers and physicians at the University of Virginia and beyond to facilitate the development of PEx for patients undergoing liver resections and minimize the risk of tumor relapse in other organs (e.g., the kidney and lung) after major surgeries.

Xinghua Liao serves as the laboratory manager for the Witt and Tsung labs, contributing her wealth of experience and expertise in laboratory management, research methods, and administration. She plays a vital role in our team, overseeing daily lab operations, facilitating lab growth, and implementing innovative strategies to streamline workflow within the group.

Susan is a general surgery resident in the first year of her post-doctoral research fellowship in the Tsung/Zhang lab. She received her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and is currently pursuing her master's degree in clinical research. Her research in the Tsung/Zhang lab focuses on the interaction between neutrophil extracellular traps and tumor microenvironment in metastatic cancers as well as socioeconomic disparities in cancer outcomes. She additionally works with Dr. Witt on clinical outcomes research.

Mohamad El Moheb, MD is a general surgery resident at the University of Virginia. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the American University of Beirut. He then completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where he focused on developing interpretable AI models in Surgery. Dr. El Moheb is currently in his first year of research in the lab and is pursuing a master's degree in data science. His research focuses on studying the genetic basis of cancer and developing AI applications in surgical practices.

Kaelyn Cummins, MD is a general surgery resident at the University of Virginia working in the Tsung/Zhang lab. She is originally from Maryland but received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine before coming back to the East Coast. She is studying the interaction of immune therapies with the tumor microenvironment, disparities in surgical outcomes, and the genetic basis of common surgical diseases. She is also working towards a master's degree in clinical research.