Medical Advisory Board
PMP PALS Medical Advisory Board is a team of appendix cancer specialists from around the country. Together, they provide medical oversight, perspective, and ideas to better educate our community on this rare disease and its related peritoneal conditions like PMP. All are skilled practitioners of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) and have treated numerous Pals over the years.
Jula Veerapong, MD (MAC Chair)
Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health (CA)
Dr. Veerapong is a general surgeon and surgical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal and peritoneal surface malignancies. As an associate professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery, Dr. Veerapong instructs medical students, residents, and fellows at UC San Diego School of Medicine. A regular speaker at national and international meetings, Dr. Veerapong has authored several book chapters and his scholarly work has been published in Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Cancer Research, and Clinical Cancer Research, among others.
Melanie C. Ongchin, MD
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (PA)
Dr. Ongchin is a surgical oncologist at UPMC and specializes in the treatment of recurrent malignancies and peritoneal carcinomatosis.
She received her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ.
Jeremiah Deneve, DO
University of North Carolina Health Care (Chapel Hill, NC)
Dr. Deneve specializes in surgical oncology, colorectal cancer, carcinomatosis, and appendiceal cancer. As an associate professor, he also teaches at UNC School of Medicine and serves as the program direcctor of their surgical oncology fellowship.
Rebecca L. Wiatrek, MD
Texas Oncology (Austin, TX)
Dr. Wiatrek is a surgical oncologist private practice at Texas Oncology in Austin, TX, She specializes in peritoneal surfaced malignancies, including colorectal/appendiceal carcinomtosis, neuroendocrine tumors; colon rectal; melanoma; sarcoma, retroperitoneal and soft tissue; breast cancer.
Harveshp D. Mogal, MD
Fred Hutch Cancer Center (Seattle, WA)
Dr. Mogal practices at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. His specialties include surgical oncology, gastrointestinal cancer, liver tumors and cancers, mesothelioma cancer care, and soft tissue tumors