As an academic health system, Tampa General Hospital offers a collaborative approach to all patient care with experts representing multiple specialties. Our multidisciplinary team includes neuro-oncology specialists, neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists, psychologists, physicians assistants, nurses, an integrative medicine team, nutritionists, social workers and more. Additionally, Patients work directly with a care navigator to answer any questions they may have and ensure their experience is as seamless as possible.
Neuro-Oncology Specialists
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Sajeel Chowdhary, MD Dr. Sajeel A. Chowdhary is an esteemed neuro-oncologist and the Director of Translational Research/Neuro-Oncology with the Cancer Institute at Tampa General Hospital who takes a multidisciplinary/multi-modality approach to delivering world-class care. He returns to Tampa General, where he was a staff neuro-oncologist and neurologist from 2004–2009. He was also an Assistant Professor of Neuro-Oncology and Neurology at the Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of South Florida (USF) between 2004 – 2009. |
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Noman Ashraf, MD Dr. Noman Ashraf is a hematologist-oncologist with Tampa General Hospital who specializes in solid tumor oncology. He has been an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine since 2019. |
Neurosurgery Specialists
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Harry van Loveren, MD Dr. Harry van Loveren focuses on providing patients with comfort and confidence with his combination of medical practice, surgical skills, and bedside manner. Specializing in neurosurgery, Dr. Harry van Loveren obtained his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and serves as a member of the American Association of Neurological and Congress of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. van Loveren's clinical and research interests include pain, functional neurosurgery, trauma, vascular neurosurgery, and skull base surgery. Since 1982, Dr. van Loveren has contributed over 115 academic papers in various publications and has lectured at more than 200 conferences across the United States and around the world. |
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Siviero Agazzi, MD, MBA, FACS Dr. Siviero Agazzi pursued advanced training in complex cranial surgery by completing a fellowship in Skull Base and Cerebrovascular Surgery. In 2005 Dr. Agazzi joined the faculty of the University of South Florida Department of Neurosurgery. Since then he has dedicated his practice to complex brain surgery and has gained significant experience in the treatment of tumors (acoustic neuromas, meninigiomas, gliomas), vascular diseases (aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations), trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm. His expertise has been solicited several times by other neurosurgical teams for complex cranial procedures both in adults and children. At the national level, Dr. Agazzi has been recognized as an expert in complex cranial surgery. |
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Kunal Vakharia, MD Dr. Kunal Vakharia specializes in complex cranial and endovascular pathologies. Trained in all aspects of brain surgery, Dr. Vakharia has a particular focus in complex cranial and cerebrovascular pathologies, including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations and fistulas, carotid and cerebro-occlusive disease, acoustic neuromas, pituitary adenomas, meningiomas, and other skull base tumors. He has over 70 peer-reviewed research articles and over 25 book chapters. He is also trained in minimally invasive and endoscopic surgery. |
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Puya Alikhani, MD, FAANS Dr. Alikhani is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with special emphasis on minimally invasive spine surgery for treatment of complex spinal disorders including tumor, scoliosis, trauma, fractures,neck and leg pain and degenerative spinal pathologies. He manages patients with spinal cord tumors as well as peripheral nerve disease. Having published several papers on minimally invasive approaches to spine surgery, Dr. Alikhani has a strong passion for teaching and is constantly involved with multiple research projects. He also lectures on spinal disorders both domestically and internationally. |
Radiation Oncology Specialists
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John David, MD Dr. John David is a board-certified radiation oncologist with Tampa General Hospital. He serves as the Director of Brachytherapy Services and Lead Physician of Radiopharmaceuticals. He has advanced sub-specialized training in brachytherapy and extensive expert training in radiopharmaceuticals. His other interests include stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy/stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SBRT/SABR). Prior to joining Tampa General Hospital, Dr. David was fortunate to visit and work with physicians at the New York Proton Center, gaining experience in one of the most contemporary radiation treatment modalities – proton therapy. |
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Brian Collins, MD, FCCP |
Neuro-Oncology Support Team
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Diana Peta-Gay English, MD Dr. Diana P. English specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all gynecologic cancers. She has shown herself to be a dedicated researcher and has several original papers related to targeted therapeutic approaches to uterine serous cancer, health disparity research and research on novel treatment approaches to ovarian cancer. She has a strong interest in palliative medicine/supportive care for patients with cancer and has also completed a fellowship in palliative medicine at Stanford University. Currently, she works as an academic gynecologic oncologist and is the director of Oncologic Palliative Care at the University of South Florida. Dr. English has also been involved in international service, particularly medical mission trips to developing countries. |
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Lacey Clement, PhD Lacey Clement, PhD, is a licensed psychologist with Tampa General Hospital who specializes in cancer care. Her primary focus is on the assessment and treatment of patients with chronic, serious and complex medical issues, most notably life-limiting, progressive illnesses. She has served as the primary adult psycho-oncologist in the TGH Cancer Institute, seeing patients throughout the cancer continuum in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Additionally, Dr. Clement is a member of TGH’s interdisciplinary palliative medicine team, and her numerous other roles include working as a consultation liaison psychologist on inpatient medical units, including oncology, trauma and complex medicine. Dr. Clement received her doctorate in clinical health psychology and master’s degree in clinical psychology from University of Colorado Denver. She is credited with several peer-reviewed publications and presentations in her areas of expertise and has served as a reviewer for the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, Translational Behavioral Medicine, and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Dr. Clement is a member of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS), the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) and the Society for Health Psychology. |
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Elia E Villalobos Soto, PsyD Dr. Elia E. Villalobos Soto is a licensed psychologist who joined the staff of Tampa General Hospital in 2022 to provide specialized cancer care. In her role, Dr. Villalobos provides consultation, assessment, and intervention services to individuals experiencing emotional distress in the context of medical conditions, with a particular focus on breast cancer. Additionally, Dr. Villalobos has experience in conducting pre-surgical psychological evaluations, including assessments for bone marrow and stem cell transplant. Regarding her assessment experience, she completed a master’s degree in neuropsychology and behavioral neurology at Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, where she conducted neuropsychological evaluations to a wide range of patients with neurological and comorbid medical conditions. Dr. Villalobos has the added skill of being bilingual and can provide psychological services in Spanish. |
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Jessica Neil, APP |
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Samantha Roberts, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC |
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Waleska Gonzalez Phone: (813) 844-5047 |
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Laura Kate Miller Phone: (813) 844-3463 |
Community Involvement
The TGH Neuro-Oncology Team proudly supports the American Brain Tumor Association. The Tampa General Hospital Cancer Center and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine sponsor the annual Brain Tumor 5k (BT5K) event in Tampa. Team members participate in the event and raise funds to advance the understanding and treatment of brain tumors with the goal of improving, extending, and, ultimately, saving the lives of those impacted by a brain tumor diagnosis.
