Researcher Directory

Academic Appointment

Professor
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Department of Pediatrics
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Links

• Physician Profile

Research Interests

• My research efforts remain focused on developing new treatments to improve the lives of children and adolescents with blood disorders and cancer. My laboratory, funded by the National Institutes of Health, investigates why some patients suffer side effects of cancer treatment, while others do not. We have identified common genetic variants and specific dietary factors that increase the risk of experiencing side effects of anticancer therapies. In addition, we are working to develop interventions to reduce specific side effects, such as the loss of short-term memory or attention span (symptoms of “chemo brain”)
• Clinically, I have been actively involved on a global level, in designing and conducting clinical trials for children diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma, through my leadership or advisory roles in a number of cooperative groups, including the Dana Farber Cancer Institute Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Consortium, The Consorcio Latinoamericano de Enfermedades Hemato-Oncológicas Pediátricas, the Indian Pediatric Oncology Group, and the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). I am the vice-chair for COG’s Hodgkin lymphoma committee, and have led multiple COG clinical trials testing innovative, targeted combination therapy for adolescents and young adults with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma.