Program Leaders: Stephan Grupp, MD, PhD and Kai Tan, PhD
The Pediatric Oncology Program of the Abramson Cancer Center discovers, develops and translates novel therapeutic approaches to improve cure rates and reduce acute and long-term toxicities in children with cancer. Established in 1992, the Program has the overall goal to change the standard of care for children with cancer in the US and across the world. Scientific aims are:
- Characterize molecular mechanisms of childhood cancers and predisposition for risk evaluation and precision therapies
- Further develop innovative cell therapies for hematologic malignancies to improve cure rates and minimize the use of allogeneic stem cell transplantation
- Identify targets in high risk and relapsed solid tumors and develop new therapies for these challenging tumors
The Program is led by Stephan Grupp, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics, Chief of the Cell Therapy and Transplant Section and Medical Director of the Cell and Gene Therapy Laboratory, and Kai Tan, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics. Together, they provide translational and transdisciplinary leadership for the Program members, who form a dynamic community of investigators. The Program has integrated basic, translational, and clinical research components, with a diverse group of investigators who have expertise in cancer genomics, cell biology and signal transduction, tumor immunology and immunotherapy, drug development, clinical pharmacology, epidemiology, clinical research, cancer control, survivorship, and behavioral oncology. Most notably in recent years, Program members worked collaboratively with members of other Programs to develop CD19-targeted CAR T cells (tisagenlecleucel), taking the first CAR T therapy to FDA approval for children and young adults with ALL.
This CAR T cell therapy was used to treat Emily Whitehead, the first child worldwide to undergo the experimental immunotherapy for ALL.
Other accomplishments include advances for targeted therapy of pediatric leukemia, discovery of novel cancer pathways in neuroblastoma and gliomas, and two new FDA approved drugs for pediatric solid tumors.
Pediatric Oncology Program Membership
- Denise Adams, MD
- Richard Aplenc, MD, PhD, MSCE
- Rochelle Bagatell, MD
- Frank Balis, MD
- Allison Barz-Leahy, MD, MSCE
- Kathrin Bernt, MD
- Kristopher Bosse, MD
- Garrett Brodeur, MD
- Nancy Bunin, MD
- Kristina Cole, MD, PhD
- Jacquelyn Crane, MD
- Thomas De Raedt, PhD
- Sharon Diskin, PhD
- Caitlin Elgarten, MD, MSCE
- Michael Fisher, MD
- Jessica Foster, MD
- Aime Franco, PhD
- Patrick Grohar, MD, PhD
- Stephan Grupp, MD, PhD
- Hakon Hakonarson, MD, PhD
- Wendy Hobbie, RN, MSN, CRNP, FAAN
- Michael Hogarty, MD
- Stephen Hunger, MD
- Jennifer Kalish, MD, PhD
- Cassie Kline, MD, MAS
- Chelsea Kotch, MD, MSCE
- Theodore Laetsch, MD
- Yimei Li, PhD
- John Maris, MD
- Shannon Maude, MD, PhD
- Jane Minturn, MD, PhD
- Yael Mosse, MD
- Sogol Mostoufi-Moab, MD, MSCE
- Timothy Olson, MD, PhD
- Anne Reilly, MD, MPH
- Susan Rheingold, MD
- Alix Seif, MD, MPH
- Kai Tan, PhD
- Sarah Tasian, MD
- David Teachey, MD
- Kristy Weber, MD
- Adam Wolpaw, MD, PhD