Leadership
The RSO Team
Our team of executives, pharmaceutical developers, and scientists envision a world where every patient has options and access to the care they need at every stage of disease. We are focused on transitioning strong pre-clinical scientific evidence into actionable treatments to expand options for patients with rare and aggressive cancers. We are a versatile team that puts the patient first.
Jarrett Duncan
Jarrett Duncan co-founded RS Oncology in 2017 in collaboration with the research laboratory at the University of Vermont that made the underlying scientific discovery for the company’s lead technology. An experienced corporate attorney, Mr. Duncan previously practiced law in a large New England firm and lead an acquisitions team for a large insurance company. He also has significant experience in developing successful innovative technologies to combat air and water pollution. His diverse background enabling his capable leadership of RS Oncology encompasses start-up and joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, environmental law, litigation and pharmaceutical drug development initiatives. Mr. Duncan is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Vermont Law School. He is a licensed attorney in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
George Naumov, PhD
Dr. George Naumov is the COO and CBO at RS Oncology. Dr. Naumov has over 20 years of consulting experience working with life sciences startups as well as top pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In that capacity, he was involved with the development and approval of new treatments for multiple myeloma and for ovarian cancer during the course of his dedicated work at two biotech companies prior to his joining RS Oncology. He also served as a Senior Research Biologist in Oncology at Merck & Co, was a scout for Merck Venture Fund and served as an Oncology franchise representative on the “Novel technologies in licensing committee” for the company. He is widely published in the field of oncology. During his career, Dr. Naumov has built a scientific and business brand of collaboration and innovation, both in academic and commercial settings. Dr. Naumov holds a BSci in biochemistry from Queen’s University at Kingston and a PhD in Medical Biophysics from the University of Western Ontario, Canada. He ran a laboratory under Dr. Judah Folkman at Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital Boston.
Brian Cunniff, PhD
Professor Brian Cuniff is Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Vermont. Following his post-doctoral work at the University of Utah and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Cunniff returned to the University of Vermont to start his independent research lab which focuses on understanding how mitochondria structure and function contribute to tumor initiation, growth, and metastasis. The Cunniff lab was instrumental in providing research and development for RS Oncology to bring new therapeutic options to the clinic for malignant mesothelioma. The lab currently serves as a primary research site for RS Oncology related efforts. Dr. Cunniff completed his PhD in the Cellular and Molecular Biomedical Sciences program at UVM in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Nicholas Heintz. He has authored or co-authored numerous scientific publications related to his innovative research.
Nichole Pfeiffer Hicks
Nichole Pfeiffer Hicks has worked for over 20 years with non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses to provide leadership, expertise and insight for successful engagement and fundraising strategies, global strategy, partnerships, and social responsibility. She currently leads patient advocacy and collaborations for RS Oncology. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Hicks founded a consulting agency specializing in partnerships, fundraising strategy and social responsibility with a client roster including ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Patachou Foundation and HALO Branded Solutions. She also previously led the national strategy for youth and millennial engagement and a top fundraising program for the American Cancer Society. Ms. Hicks is a recognized expert in developing collaborative national partnerships that maximize mission impact and in exploring and implementing innovative fundraising and engagement opportunities. Ms. Hicks holds a BA in Journalism from Indiana University Bloomington.
Christine Linnehan-Sununu
Christine Linnehan is a senior communications professional with over two decades of global branding, marketing, multimedia and visual design experience across a wide range of industries. She is dedicated to promoting and enhancing the brand and reputation of RS Oncology through strategic communications, dynamic collaborations, corporate social responsibility, and patient advocacy. Ms. Linnehan’s earlier roles included consulting for other pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, Fortune 500 corporations, trade associations and retail. She also served as an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at Boston University and is the recipient of several marketing, photography and communications awards. Ms. Linnehan received Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Fine Arts from Boston University.
Scientific Advisory Board
RS Oncology’s Scientific Advisory Board is comprised of top medical professionals with expertise in mesothelioma, thoracic oncology and lung cancer. These thought leaders provide invaluable external perspective and scientific expertise as we move forward in the development of our pipeline.
Sean Dulloo, MRCP (MD)
Dr. Sean Dulloo is a Consultant and Medical Oncologist at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust UK. Dr. Dulloo received his medical training through the National University Health System including residency at the University of Singapore. He also earned a Master’s of Science in Health Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Dr. Dulloo is a Research Investigator for the RS Oncology MITOPE Trial of RSO-021 in pleural mesothelioma and has presented key findings from ongoing trials. He has also published independent research on the need for precision therapy for mesothelioma patients who are lacking treatment options.
Dean Fennell, MRCP, FRCP (MD/PhD)
Dr. Dean Fennell is a Professor of Thoracic Oncology and the Director of the Mesothelioma Research Program at the University of Leicester, UK. Professor Fennell is a dedicated consultant medical oncologist leading a clinical trial-based practice in the NHS focusing on early and late phase trials for mesothelioma. As a Key Opinion Leader, Dr. Fennell has held leadership roles in several organizations including the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG), National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Mesothelioma Subgroup, the Board of European Organization for the Treatment Research of Cancer (EORTC) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) mesothelioma Taskforce. He has also co-authored European and British Mesothelioma Treatment Guidelines.
James Spicer, MRCP, FRCP (MD/PhD)
Dr. James Spicer is a Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at the King’s College in London funded by Cancer Research UK and National Institute for Health Research. He also serves as an Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust UK. Professor Spicer trained at major London teaching hospitals, has a Ph.D. in cancer biology from the Institute of Cancer Research in London, and a degree in biochemistry from the University of Oxford. Professor Spicer’s interests include the development of new cancer drugs and the care of patients with thoracic malignancies, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. His research interests include early phase trials and novel immunotherapies.
Clinical Team
Phillippa Graham, MBChB (MD)
With over 20 years experience in clinical drug development in a variety of therapeutic areas including virology and oncology, Phillipa Graham has been involved in significant projects ranging from writing clinical development plans, protocol design, drafting amendments, medical monitoring and safety data review. As an independent pharmaceutical physician with Bexon Clinical, her main areas of expertise are in Phase I to Phase IV clinical development plans and in all aspects of the development cycle of a new drug. Dr. Graham has worked with both start-up biotechnology firms and major pharmaceutical companies. She completed her MBchB (equivalent to an MD) at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.
