Hematology/Oncology Research

The division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology has active research programs. These include clinical research and bench research.

Clinical research includes the following:

• The division participates as a full member of the Children's Oncology Group and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute leukemia consortium. Through participation in these cutting-edge clinical research programs our oncology patients can receive state-of-the-art cancer care. Barbara L. Asselin, M.D. is the principal investigator for our participation in the cooperative group trials.
  
  
• There is an active program in clinical research in sickle cell disease. Norma B. Lerner, M.D. leads a multi-institution clinical trial investigating the use of aspirin to prevent stroke in patients with sickle cell disease.
  
  
• Drs. Mullen, Milner and Bruckner have developed a clinical research program investigating the use of related haploidentical blood stem cell donors for patients who need a bone marrow transplant but lack a suitable donor.
  
  
• Olle Jane Z. Sahler, M.D. conducts NIH sponsored research in the area of cognitive remediation of childhood cancer survivors.
  
  
• Dr. David Korones and Dr. O. J. Sahler are developing a palliative care research program whose goal is to improve the care of children approaching the end of life.
  
  

Basic science research includes the following:

• Dr. Jim Palis leads a group of investigators investigating basic molecular and cellular events in hematopoiesis.
  
  
• Dr. Craig Mullen has a research program that investigates the interaction between immune system in acute leukemia cells after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. The goal of this research is to define the mechanism of graft versus leukemia effects and to determine if vaccine therapy or other immune therapies can reduce the risk of relapse after transplant.
  
  
• Dr. Lauren Bruckner is developing a research program investigating the interaction of radiation and infection on the development of organ toxicity, specifically lung toxicity. Her research is directly relevant to management of patients undergoing transplant or other types of high-dose chemotherapy.