Cancer and Blood Diseases
Overview
Bench-to-bedside research in hematology and oncology
Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC) is one of the top research centers in the world for pediatric cancers and blood diseases. It brings together laboratory scientists and clinical researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital in a single program. We investigate pediatric cancers and non-malignant blood disorders from every angle—from examining cells under the microscope to tracking the effectiveness of current drug regimens using the most advanced molecular methods—so that we can create better treatments for children seen here and around the world.
Our researchers also take full advantage of fruitful collaborations with those at neighboring institutions in the Boston area and beyond, including Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, the Broad Institute, the Whitehead Institute and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All of our faculty hold academic appointments at Harvard Medical School or Harvard University.
Basic, translational and clinical research on cancers and blood diseases
Basic research is the backbone of advancements in clinical care, illuminating the biological mechanisms that form the basis of health and disease. Translational research bridges the laboratory and the clinic, providing the groundwork for clinical studies—the key stepping stone to offering new treatment options to children with hard-to-treat or relapsed conditions. We leverage our strengths in research to develop unique and innovative clinical trials—testing new approaches to the devastating illnesses affecting children.
The translational and clinical studies we conduct span prevention, treatment and late effects of pediatric cancer and blood diseases. Our researchers are also conducting pioneering research into gene therapy, stem cell research and treatments for non-malignant blood diseases and immunodeficiencies. Many of our studies, including our protocol for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), have built the foundation for new and improved cancer therapies.
We are a founding member of the Transatlantic Gene Therapy Consortium, an international consortium of pediatric research hospitals using gene therapy to treat childhood illnesses. These clinical trials are unique in the world. We are also the regional Phase I center for the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators' Consortium (POETIC), which means that we offer unique clinical studies unavailable at other hospitals in New England. At any time an average of 60 separate clinical trials are accepting new patients at DF/CHCC.
| Researcher | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| Chester Alper, MD | Genetics of immune function |
| Scott Armstrong, MD, PhD | Leukemia stem cell biology |
| Edward Benz, Jr., MD | Hemolytic anemias |
| Amy Billett, MD | Childhood Lymphoma, Quality Improvement and Patient Safety |
| Fernando Camargo, PhD | Hematology/Oncology |
| Alan Cantor, MD, PhD | Hematopoiesis |
| Susan Chi, MD | Hematology/Oncology |
| Alan D'Andrea, MD | Fanconi anemia |
| George Daley, MD, PhD | Pluripotent stem cells |
| Lisa Diller, MD | Neuroblastoma |
| Lindsay Frazier, MD | Cohort studies |
| Rani George, MD, PhD | Pediatric oncology |
| Todd Golub, MD | Cancer genetics |
| Allen Goorin, MD | Osteoarcoma |
| Holcombe Grier, MD | Sarcomas |
| Eva Guinan, MD | Transplant immunology |
| Alejandro Gutierrez, MD | Hematology/Oncology |
| W. Nicholas Haining, BCh, BM | Pediatric oncology |
| Matthew M. Heeney, MD | Sickle cell disorders |
| Simone Hettmer, MD | Hematology/Oncology |
| Steven Joffe, MD, MPH | Ethics of human subjects research |
| Lisa Kenney, MD, MPH | Hematology/Oncology |
| Alex Kentsis, MD, PhD | Hematology/Oncology |
| Mark Kieran, MD, PhD | Anti-angiogenesis and novel molecularly targeted therapy in neuro-oncology |
| Carla Kim, PhD | Lung stem cells and lung cancer |
| Andrew Kung, MD, PhD | Oncology |
| Mathew William Lensch, PhD | Hematology/Oncology |
| Judy Lieberman, MD, PhD | Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes |
| Wendy London, PhD | Hematology/Oncology |
| Thomas Look, MD | Leukemogenesis |
| Samuel Lux, IV, MD | Anemias |
| Jennifer Mack, MD, MPH | Hematology/Oncology |
| Alan D. Michelson, MD | Platelets in thrombosis and bleeding disorders |
| Elizabeth Mullen, MD | Hematology/Oncology |
| David G. Nathan, MD | Gene transfer for anemia |
| Ellis Neufeld, MD, PhD | Bleeding disorders |
| Roslyn W. Orkin, PhD | Hematology/Oncology |
| Stuart Orkin, MD | Hematopoiesis |
| Sung-Yun Pai, MD | T cell development and function |
| Andrea Patenaude, PhD | Psychosocial aspects of survivorship |
| Barry Paw, MD, PhD | Hematopoiesis |
| David Pellman, MD | Aneuploidy |
| Andrew Place, MD, PhD | Leukemia, Lymphoma, Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia |
| Christopher John Recklitis, PhD, MPH | Hematology/Oncology |
| Charles M. Roberts, MD, PhD | Altered chromatin remodeling and epigenetics in cancer |
| Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD | Pediatric solid tumors |
| Derrick Rossi, Ph.D. | |
| Stephen Sallan, MD | Acute lymphoblastic anemia |
| Rosalind Segal, MD, PhD | Nerve cell proliferation |
| Colin Sieff, MB.BCh | Diamond-Blackfan anemia |
| Lewis Silverman, MD | Acute lymphocytic leukemia |
| Timothy Alan Springer, Ph.D | f |
| Kimberly Stegmaier, MD | Pediatric and other malignancies |
| Cameron Trenor, MD | Hematology/Oncology |
| Christina Ullrich, MD, MPH | Hematology/Oncology |
| Denisa Wagner, Ph.D. | how blood cells respond rapidly to injury or stressful situations and initiate defensive or reparatory processes |
| Leo Wang, MD, PhD | Hematology/Oncology |
| Christopher Weldon, MD, PhD | chemo-resistance pathways in solid tumors |
| Jennifer Whangbo, MD, PhD | Hematology/Oncology |
| David A. Williams, MD | Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Adhesion, Migration, Rho GTPAses, RAC, Gene Therapy, Fanconi Anemia |
| Joanne Wolfe, MD, MPH | Palliative care |
| Leonard Zon, MD | Zebrafish model of hematopoiesis and cancer |
