Lee Jones Lab

Jaron Arbet, Ph.D., is passionate about applying statistics, data science and software development to advance cancer research and improve public health. He earned his doctorate in biostatistics from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has extensive experience in biostatistics, bioinformatics and machine learning across academic medical centers, cancer research institutes and industry. His work includes leading multi-omics analyses, contributing to clinical and translational research and collaborating on interdisciplinary scientific projects. Since joining City of Hope in 2025 as an assistant research professor and biostatistician, Dr. Arbet has developed advanced analytical methods to support exercise oncology research by integrating clinical, molecular and behavioral data.

Catherine Lee earned her Master of Public Health degree from New York University in New York, New York. She has extensive experience in regulatory and operational oversight of therapeutic oncology trials, with a focus on exercise and nutritional medicine. She joined City of Hope as program director of the Exercise Oncology Program in July 2025, leading the protocol development process and overseeing the clinical trial portfolio. Her other duties include implementing digital and telehealth initiatives, managing vendor and analytical collaborator relationships and ensuring quality assurance and regulatory compliance throughout the life cycles of clinical trials.

Amanda O’Meara earned her Bachelor of Science from the State University of New York at Oneonta (SUNY Oneonta) in Oneonta, New York. She became a Clinical Research Coordinator in 2024, during which she facilitated patient care for exercise therapy trials while maintaining strict protocol and regulatory compliance. Amanda joined City of Hope in August 2025. In the Exercise Oncology Program, she manages clinical trial participants and oversees protocol compliance as a clinical research assistant.

Gabrielle Cervantes holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles, in Los Angeles, California, with a focus on medicine. She recently completed a postbaccalaureate program in general and medical sciences through UCLA Extension. Her professional background includes laboratory and COVID-19 research prior to transitioning into solid tumor oncology clinical trials and exercise oncology. As a clinical research assistant, she supports study coordination and data management to evaluate the impact of physical activity on cancer patient outcomes. Gabrielle joined City of Hope in July 2024 as an associate clinical research coordinator within the Clinical Trials Office and transitioned to the Exercise Oncology team in September 2025.

Meghan Michalski holds a Master of Science in Clinical Exercise Physiology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She has extensive experience in cardiopulmonary exercise testing, vascular assessments and exercise training for individuals with chronic health conditions. Meghan joined City of Hope in July 2025 as the supervisor of exercise physiology. Within the Exercise Oncology Program, she leads the exercise physiologist team and contributes to the development and implementation of exercise prescription protocols, workflows and operational procedures to support high-quality research.

Dale Holsombeck Jr., M.A., earned his Master of Arts in Exercise Physiology from the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 2021. He has extensive experience in cardiopulmonary and metabolic stress testing, as well as physical rehabilitation settings. In 2023, Dale joined the Lee Jones Laboratory at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York, as an Exercise Physiologist, where he administered physiological testing and developed individualized training programs for diverse cancer populations enrolled in multiple clinical trials. He continued in this role at City of Hope in August 2025.

Laken Hill earned her Master of Science in Exercise Oncology from Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. She has experience in cardiac stress testing and in delivering personalized exercise interventions to patients across the cancer continuum. Laken joined City of Hope in August 2025. Within the Exercise Oncology Program, she conducts exercise training and testing sessions across all research protocols, ensuring accurate delivery, documentation and adherence to study procedures.

Christian Hipolito earned his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from California State University, Long Beach, in Long Beach, California, where he contributed to research in exercise and cardiometabolic health. Prior to joining City of Hope, he worked as an exercise physiologist providing individualized exercise programming for diverse clinical populations, including oncology patients. Christian joined City of Hope in January 2026. He supports oncology research by delivering protocol-based exercise training, performing physiological assessments and ensuring study quality and participant safety.

Marie Montgomery holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications. She joined City of Hope in 2013 and began her career in Research Administration. As a Senior Business Manager, she provides administrative and operational support to multiple faculty members, postdoctoral fellows and research associates. Her responsibilities include overseeing daily departmental operations to ensure objectives and deadlines are met; managing contract and grant proposal submissions, awards, expenditures and extramural funding; and supervising workflow across support staff and multiple principal investigators. She also coordinates with centralized offices and supports short- and long-term administrative decision making while resolving budgetary, human resources, grant and laboratory operations issues across the full grant life cycle.

Vero Rodriguez holds a Bachelor of Science in Childhood and Adolescent Development and a Master of Science in Child Life. She joined City of Hope in 2022 and began her career in Research Administration. As a research operations analyst, Vero is responsible for reviewing, monitoring and processing internal contracts and managing pre- and post-award sponsored research activities to ensure objectives and deadlines are consistently met.