Meet the Team
Below are our gastric and GEJ cancer specialists. They have extensive experience treating all stages of gastric and GEJ cancer.
Mount Sinai Medical Center
Steven Hochwald, MD, MBA, FACS
Principal Investigator
The goals of the principal investigator and this study are to improve the high mortality rates for gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer in certain rural regions of Florida. Patients with gastric cancer experience significant delays in the pretreatment phase, from symptom onset to cancer diagnosis, which need to be investigated and addressed. Patient and provider education enhances early detection, knowledge, coping with illness, and quality of life among cancer patients. Higher levels of education have been associated with improved survival in patients with gastric cancer. Our hope is that the navigation and education provided by this study will improve the survival of patients diagnosed with gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer in Florida.
The principal investigator has extensive experience with guideline-driven management of gastric cancer. He served for 10 years on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network panels for gastric and gastroesophageal cancers, where recommendations for the prevention, diagnosis, and management of gastric malignancies across the continuum of care were developed. Furthermore, he is Director of the Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center and understands the increasing burden that gastric cancer is placing on patients in Florida. Finally, he is Chief of Surgical Oncology and has performed hundreds of operations for the management of gastric and gastroesophageal cancer.
Alexandra M. Mayor, BSN, RN
Nurse Navigator
Alexandra M. Mayor is a registered nurse who has experience in oncology infusion and clinical research. She has provided direct care to patients at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she administered supportive treatments to patients undergoing infusion therapies and guided them through complex care plans. Nurse Mayor has experience with identifying research candidates, as she has assisted with several research studies. She effectively collaborates with physicians and other health care providers to provide comprehensive, individualized care to those who are receiving chemotherapy and immunotherapy infusions. Nurse Mayor is fluent in Spanish. She brings strong skills in patient education, safety, and care coordination to her role as a nurse navigator, helping patients with gastric and GEJ cancer navigate their treatment journey with compassion and continuity of care.
Laura Isabel Varela Restrepo
Clinical Research Coordinator
Laura Isabel Varela Restrepo is a hematology and clinical oncology specialist with more than 16 years of experience in both inpatient and outpatient cancer care. Most recently, she served over 10 years in Medellín, Colombia, where she regularly had to develop personalized treatment plans and oversee multidisciplinary teams in the oncology unit. She is fluent in Spanish with a limited working proficiency in French. Varela Restrepo is expert at managing solid tumors and side effects, prescribing and monitoring chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and addressing oncology emergencies. As a member of the Colombian Association of Hematology and Oncology, she has contributed to national data analysis for gastric cancer treatment optimization. Varela Restrepo is highly skilled at trial coordination, pharmacovigilance, and she has had experience with focusing on early detection and intervention for critically ill oncology patients. Varela Restrepo has also participated in health care regulatory compliance for oncology drug development and targeted therapies.
Hannah Sprinkle
Community Outreach Coordinator
Hannah Sprinkle holds a Master of Public Health with a specialization on Maternal and Child Health from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Medical Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She brings extensive experience in community health education, program development, and advocacy, having served as a Public Health Fellow and Communications Chair at GW University. Hannah is passionate about advancing public health initiatives through outreach, education, and partnership building. In her role as Community Outreach Coordinator, she will lead efforts to engage and educate diverse communities about gastric cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer prevention, screening, and care.
University of Florida
Ibrahim Nassour, MD, MSCS, FACS
Co-Principal Investigator
Ibrahim Nassour, MD, MSCS, FACS, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. At UF Health, Dr. Nassour specializes in surgeries for cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, liver, and bile duct. He has a special interest in treating patients with gastric cancer, offering advanced minimally invasive and robotic surgical approaches to improve outcomes and recovery. Dr. Nassour is committed to delivering personalized, evidence-based care and expanding access to cutting-edge surgical treatments for patients with gastric malignancies.
Dr. Nassour earned his medical degree from the American University of Beirut, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha. He completed his general surgery residency at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. During his training, he pursued a postdoctoral research fellowship and earned a master’s degree in Clinical and translational science. He subsequently completed advanced fellowship training in complex general surgical oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
His research focuses on comparative effectiveness studies evaluating the role of minimally invasive and robotic surgery. In addition, he is interested in designing clinical trials that incorporate liquid biopsies and adaptive neoadjuvant therapies, with the goal of improving and optimizing the care of cancer patients. His work has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and book chapters.
Dr. Nassour is double board-certified by the American Board of Surgery in general surgery and complex general surgical oncology. He is a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology, the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, and the American College of Surgeons.
Abdul-Qahar Yasinzai, MD
Clinical Research Fellow
Abdul-Qahar Yasinzai is an early-career investigator working with the gastrointestinal and genitourinary oncology teams at the University of Florida Health Cancer Center at Gainesville. He completed his medical education from Bolan Medical College, Pakistan, after which he joined the cancer center in July 2024 as a clinical research fellow. Dr. Yasinzai has experience in healthcare disparities research and in pattern recognition within raw clinical and population-based datasets. He will support the program’s database development, data analysis, and manuscript preparation, in alignment with the program’s goal to contribute to the understanding and identification of actionable opportunities to optimize the care of gastric and gastroesophageal malignancies in Florida.
Carla Vandeweerd, PhD
Dr. Carla VandeWeerd is a faculty member at the University of Florida and Founding Director of the UF Health Precision Health Research Center in The Villages®, Florida. With over 18 years of experience, she has led more than $20 million in research focused on aging, health and technology. Her work with federal, state and industry partners focuses on developing and evaluating innovations designed to keep older adults healthier, longer. Nationally recognized for her leadership, she has received multiple awards for innovation and is known for building collaborative, community-based research partnerships. Her role on this project supports educational outreach and community engagement for the central and North Florida regions.
Taylor Fradella, ASN, RN
Nurse Navigator, GI Oncology
Taylor Fradella began her nursing career in 2021 after earning her Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) from Santa Fe College. She spent her early years in the field at UF Health on the medical oncology inpatient unit, where she developed a strong foundation in providing compassionate, evidence-based care to patients navigating complex cancer diagnoses.
Since then, Taylor has served as a GI Oncology Nurse Navigator, working in close collaboration with multidisciplinary physician teams, fellow nurse navigators, and support staff to guide patients through every stage of their cancer journey. Her approach emphasizes clarity, empathy, and timely coordination—ensuring each individual receives the comprehensive care they need.
Taylor is currently completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at the University of West Florida, deepening her commitment to oncology nursing and continuous professional growth.