Meet the Phase I Clinical Trial Team at Jersey Shore University Medical Center

What You Need To Know

• The Phase I clinical trials program at Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s HOPE Tower in Neptune is staffed by an expert team dedicated to offering some of the most promising, first-in-human therapies to patients with solid tumors who have exhausted all lines of therapy known to provide clinical benefit and/or failed immunotherapy.
• As a satellite site of the Phase I program at Hackensack University Medical Center’s John Theurer Cancer Center — the largest, most extensive Phase I clinical trial program in New Jersey — our team brings years of experience in Phase I clinical trials to Jersey Shore University Medical Center patients.

The team includes: Martin Gutierrez, MD Hematology-Oncology Dr. Gutierrez is co-chief of the Thoracic Oncology Division; director of the Drug Discovery and Phase I Unit, and medical oncologist specializing in thoracic and gastrointestinal oncology at John Theurer Cancer Center. Under his leadership, John Theurer Cancer Center works closely with industry, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other academic institutions to expand its Phase I clinical research portfolio. He has nearly two decades of drug discovery experience — including many years with the NCI-NIH and other leading institutes — helping to bring new treatments to patients during their earliest stages of evaluation. Walter H. Elliott IV, MSN, RN, NP-C Phase I Nurse Practitioner Walter is a board-certified nurse practitioner with extensive experience in Phase I clinical oncology research. He serves as a sub-investigator on Phase I clinical trials, managing clinical trial slot availability, screening eligible patients and managing patient care. Walter earned his Bachelor of Science in Management — Executive Leadership and Entrepreneurship, from Clemson University, followed by his Associate Degree in Nursing from Trident Technical College in North Charleston, South Carolina. He then earned his Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University. Maria Feinstein, DNP, RN, BMTCN Phase I Clinical Research Nurse Maria is responsible for coordinating clinical operations and patient care for cancer clinical trials. She earned her Associate Degree in Nursing from the City University of New York – College of Staten Island, followed by her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the State University of New York at Delhi. She then earned her Master of Science in Nursing Informatics and her Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees from Walden University. Maria is also a Blood and Marrow Transplant Certified Nurse (BMTCN). Joseph M. Gallo Phase I Clinical Research Coordinator Joseph oversees day-to-day administrative activities and scheduling for the Phase I clinical trial program. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Evolutionary Anthropology from Rutgers University, followed by his Master of Public Health degree in Health Systems and Policy from the Rutgers School of Public Health.

For More Information

Physicians can refer a patient to the Phase I program via email by sending an email to Phase I staff at phase1referrals@hmhn.org. The email should include:

• Patient name
• Patient diagnosis
• 1-2 sentences about current status and/or past treatment

For direct physician-to-physician communication, please contact Phase I Unit Director Dr. Martin Gutierrez at 201-615-7251.