Christina Ullrich, MD, MPH

Research Overview

Dr. Ullrich’s research interests include symptom management in children with life-threatening illness, with a particular focus on fatigue in children with cancer.  She seeks to better understand fatigue in children with serious illness, with the ultimate aim of designing interventions to reduce suffering from this symptom.  She is currently conducting a trial evaluating a pharmacologic intervention for children with cancer-related fatigue.

As a member of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) Program, at Dana-Farber and Children’s Hospital Boston, Dr. Ullrich is also interested in integration of palliative care with HSCT to optimize comfort, communication, and quality of life for children undergoing HSCT.

About Christina Ullrich

Dr. Ullrich received her MD from Harvard Medical School and her MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health.  She completed her residency through the Boston Combined Residency Program (Children’s Hospital Boston and Boston Medical Center).   Dr. Ullrich has completed fellowships in both pediatric hematology/oncology and pediatric palliative care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital Boston.  She is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric hematology/oncology and hospice and palliative medicine.  Dr. Ullrich received a Young Investigator Award from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine for her work investigating cancer-related fatigue in children.  Her work aiming to better understand and improve symptom distress and quality of life in children who undergo HSCT is currently funded by a K23 Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health.

Key Publications

• Ullrich CK and Mayer OH. Assessment and management of fatigue and dyspnea in pediatric palliative care. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2007;54(5).735-756.
   
• Ullrich C, Berde C, Billett A. Pain and Symptom Management in the Child with Cancer. In: Orkin SH, Fisher DE, Look AT, Lux SE, Ginsburg D, Nathan DG, editors. Oncology of Infancy and Childhood, 1st edition. Philadelphia: Saunders, An Imprint of Elsevier Inc, 2009.
   
• Ullrich C, Sourkes B, Wolfe J. Palliative Care for the Child with Cancer. In: Poplack DG, Pizzo PA, editors. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Oncology, 6th Edition: Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. In Press.
   
• Ullrich C, Dussel V, Hilden J. Scheaffer J, Moore C, Berde C, Wolfe J. Understanding Fatigue in Children with Advanced Cancer. J. Pain Symptom Manage. 2010; epub ahead of print.
   
• Ullrich C, Dussel V, Hilden J, Schaeffer J, Lehmann L, Wolfe J. The End-of-Life Experience of Children Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant for Cancer: Parent and Provider Perspectives and Patterns of Care. Blood. 2010; 115(19):3879-3885.