Faculty

Umesh Sharma, MD
Dr. Umesh Sharma is a professor of radiology, and currently serves as Principal of Janaki Medical College, Janakpur, Nepal. He completed MD from Vitebsk Medical Institute, Belarus and postgraduate training from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. He has published dozens of scientific articles in national and international medical journals.

Yogendra P Singh, MD

Dr. Yogendra P Singh is professor of surgical oncology at Trubhuvan University teaching hospital Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu. He completed MBBS from Tribhuvan University and MD from Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan. Dr. Singh has published more than 50 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals. A nationally renowned physician, Dr. Singh is a sought after speaker for his expertise in breast cancer.

Binay Shah, MD, MHA

Binay Shah, MD knew exactly what he wanted to do as a child growing up in Nepal, where he saw the suffering of others take a terrible toll on his homeland. Led by a heart full of compassion, he was determined to do something that could impact lives. “Ever since I was a small child I wanted to help others, which is why Mother Teresa is one of my heroes,” Dr. Shah said. “Being a doctor, health and education is the best way for me to help people.” Dr. Shah founded Binaytara Foundation to promote health and education. Dr. Shah is a hematologist and oncologist at Peace Health United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, Wash. His clinical research focuses on health services and outcomes. Dr. Shah has published a number of papers in peer-reviewed journals including Journal of Clinical Oncology, British Journal of Hematology, Leukemia and Lymphoma, Acta Oncologica and Annals of Hematology. He has presented a number of research papers at national and international conferences. He served as the president of Idaho Society of Clinical Oncology from 2014-2015. Dr. Shah received his medical degree from B.P. Koirala Institute of health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. He completed Internal Medicine residency from Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn and Hematology Oncology fellowship from University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Shah is on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Derrel Walker, MD

Derrel Walker, MD is the Associate Medical Director of Horizon Home Health and Hospice in Meridian, Idaho, and the Chief Scientific Officer for The Finding Home Foundation in Eagle, Idaho. Dr. Walker is actively involved in the BTF’s activities, especially the hospice and palliative care programs in Nepal and India. He provided hospice and palliative care training for the Binaytara Foundation’s hospice and palliative care project in Madhya Pradesh, India and traveled to Janakpur, Nepal in December 2018 to support the development of the Binaytara Foundation Cancer Center (BTFCC). Dr. Walker in on LinkedIn.

Sanjeev Thakur, MD

Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Thakur is an Otolaryngologist who completed his MBBS in 2001 as well as an Otolarygology residency in 2006 from the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. He has a special interest in community work and serving the underprivileged. His area of surgical interest is head and neck surgery and skull base surgery. Dr. Thakur is a BTFCC volunteer and heads the BTFCC clinical operations as the Chief Medical Officer and oversees the otolaryngology department.

Anshu Kumar Thakur, MD

Dr. Anshu Kumar Thakur joined the BTFCC in April 2019 as a full-time oncologist. A graduate of Janaki Medical College, Dr. Thakur completed a five-year fellowship in clinical oncology from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Dr. Thakur is trained in both medical oncology and radiation oncology. He is also interested in clinical research and teaching/learning to improve patient care.

Sanjay Gupta, MD

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the chief of cancer prevention, early detection, and palliative care programs at the Binaytara Foundation Cancer Center. Dr. Gupta earned his MBBS at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Nepal in 2012, and completed MDGP from the same institution. He said he is excited to join the BTFCC and contribute to cancer prevention and early detection as well as palliative care services in the region. “We will have a huge positive impact on the quality of life in this region,” he said.  Dr. Gupta is supported by a team of highly qualified medical officers, nursing staff, and other healthcare providers in this department.

Pamesh Jha, MD

An alumnus of Janaki Secondary Boarding School, Janakpur, Dr. Jha graduated with a medical degree from the Chongqing Medical University, China. He completed his residency in general surgery from Kathmandu University.  Prior to joinig BTFCC, he was a lecturer in General Surgery Department at Nobel Medical College, Biratnagar. Dr. Pamesh says, “Janakpur is the capital of province no 2 and is the most undeveloped state in Nepal. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve patients in my hometown.” He wants to establish himself as one of the most dedicated surgeon in the field on oncology. He says “I feel satisfied after seeing patients improve.” Dr. Jha is fluent in Nepali, English, Maithili, Hindi and Chinese.

David Aboulafia, MD

Dr. David Aboulafia is a physician in the department of Hematology and Oncology at the Virginia Mason Clinic in Seattle, Washington, USA. He has also served as the Medical Director of Bailey-Boushay House for over 25 years.

Sudip Shrestha, MBBS, MD, PhD

Dr. Sudip Shrestha, the Executive Chairman of Nepal Cancer Hospital and Research Centre is a visionary and a pioneer in the field of oncology in Nepal. Previously, Dr. Shrestha worked as Medical Director and HoD of Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, helping establish and run this important public hospital, and also played an instrumental role in establishing the Om Cancer Care Centre, the dedicated cancer care wing of a popular private hospital in Nepal. His passion for comprehensive cancer care has led him to envision and set up many organizations dedicated to academic, palliative or other aspects of cancer care. As founding president, he provided the vision and energy for the establishment of Nepalese Association of Palliative Care (NAPCare 2009) and the Nepal Cancer Support group (NCSG 2009). He is also a founder member of Om Health Foundation, a voluntary organization to help poor patients.
As the country’s leading expert on cancer, he has been involved in numerous cancer activities as speaker, teacher, organizer, researcher, or founder. Dr. Shrestha continues being bold and visionary in tackling cancer in Nepal, and wants to help make cancer treatment and control a part of the country’s national health policy, and help cover cancer patients under a national health insurance policy.

Dr. Arvind Chaudhry is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. He is also the Director of Summit Cancer Centers. Dr. Chaudhry received his cancer training at the National Cancer Institute, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, where he completed his fellowship in Hematology and Oncology. Dr. Chaudhry also completed a PhD program and doctoral thesis in cancer research at Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at SUNY Health Sciences Center, Syracuse, N.Y.

Siddhartha Yadav, MD, FACP

Dr. Yadav is a Chief Fellow in Hematology/Oncology and an Assistant Professor of Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He earned his medical degree from the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu and completed his Internal Medicine residency training at William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan. He then became a Chief Resident there and eventually moved to Minnesota for his oncology training at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Yadav has received Young Investigator Award from American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Outstanding Fellow Award from Minnesota Society of Clinical Oncology, ASCO Merit Award and Clegg Scholarship from the British Medical Journal. His research and clinical interests lie in inherited cancers due to germline mutations in DNA-repair genes, especially among patients with gastrointestinal and breast cancers. Dr. Yadav has also received a research grant from the Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO to study pancreatic tumors in germline mutation carriers. He has presented his research at several international forums and has published over forty peer-reviewed articles. 

Bishnu Dutta Paudel, MD

Dr. Bishnu Dutta Paudel a professor of medical oncology, and program director of medical oncology fellowship program at National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital, Nepal. He completed MBBS from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, MD from University of Colombo, Sri-Lanka and hematologists-oncology fellowship from Wake Forest University, USA. Dr. Paudel serves as a member of tobacco tax board at Ministry of Health, Nepal.

Richa Mishra, MD

Dr.  Richa Mishra is an anesthesiologist who brings her experience of working in anesthesia, ICU, and surgery departments to the BTFCC. Dr. Mishra is a grduate of Kathmandu Medical College and she completed residency in anesthesia from Kathmandu University. Dr. Mishra is interested in patient care, teaching, and research.

Binay Thakur, MD, PhD

Dr. Binay Thakur is a nationally renowned surgical oncologist, and senior consultant in the Department of Surgical Oncology at BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal. He completed MD and postgraduate training from Lugansk Medical Institute, Ukraine. He has published and presented more than 100 papers.

Kapendra Shekhar Amatya, MS

Dr. Kapendra is the Head of Surgical Oncology Department, has more than 15 years’ experience in Surgical Oncology field. After graduating from Beijing University in 2004, He has worked as a Registrar and Junior Consultant Surgical Oncologist at BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital more than 4 years. Subsequently, he joined Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital as Surgical Oncologist and dedicated more than 7 years and there he was very instrumental in establishing the Surgical Oncology Department and is credited in starting Onco-plastic Breast surgery in Breast Cancer, Orthotopic Neo bladder Reconstruction in Urinary Bladder Cancer, Laproscopic services and Pelvic surgeries like Anterior, Posterior and Total Pelvic Excentration. He is renowned for surgeries like D2 Gastrectomies in Stomach Cancer, Extended Colectomies in Colon Cancer, TME in Rectum Cancer and Whipple’s Surgeries in Pancreas and Duodenum Cancer. He is highly experience of treating more than 1000 cases of breast cancer, 400 cases of stomach cancer, 300 cases of Colon & Rectal Cancer and 250 cases of Urinary bladder cancers and Kidney cancers and many other cancer surgeries. He has received trainings in Oncoplastic Breast Cancer surgery in Thailand and Gastric cancers and Laproscopy in South Korea.