The Region’s Only Center To Offer Early-Phase Trials for Children With Cancer
Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation
The Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation’s more than 30 faculty members and 75 staff provide compassionate state-of-the-art care, perform cutting-edge, extramurally supported research, and train the next generation of leaders in our field.
Clinical Services
We are home to the largest and most comprehensive pediatric oncology program in the tristate area, and one of the largest centers in the nation for stem cell and bone marrow transplantation. Our clinical programs include:
- Pediatric Cancer Foundation Developmental Therapeutics Program: The only National Cancer Institute-sponsored Children’s Oncology Group Phase 1 Consortium site in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut area, and one of the founding members of the Therapeutic Approaches to Childhood Leukemia (TACL) consortium.
- Pediatric Liver Cancer Program: With four board-certified pediatric gastrointestinal transplant specialists, we have performed more than twice as many pediatric liver transplants as any other program in the region.
- Precision in Pediatric Sequencing (PIPseq) Program: Our PIPseq program is one of a few in the U.S. and the only one in New York to prospectively sequence cancers, create personalized avatars, and use the results to make clinical decisions.
- Sickle Cell Disease: We are a site for the national collaborative study of gene therapy for SCA, CLIMB: SCD-121, and CLIMB: THAL-111 for patients with severe b-Thalassemia.
- Stem Cell Transplantation Program
- Center for Comprehensive Wellness (CCW): The CCW assimilates integrative treatments into each patient’s care and conducts research on the patterns of use and overall effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine and nutrition throughout the world.
- Center for Survivor Wellness: We provide continuity of care to address the ongoing impact of cancer treatment on the family, relationships, body image, school, and employment.
Research
With NIH funding, faculty members in the division conduct basic research on the causes of leukemia and brain tumors and have identified new genetic changes resulting in cancer formation. We are also investigating the mechanisms that enable leukemia cells to evade the immune system in the bone marrow.
Members of our translational research division have advanced several new therapeutic approaches for pediatric leukemia, brain tumors, sarcomas, and neuroblastoma. We also have active studies aimed at improving the treatment of childhood blood disorders, including bleeding disorders, iron deficiency anemia, and sickle cell disease.
We maintain a large number of clinical trials that provide bone marrow transplantation for children with cancer and blood disorders. We are studying approaches that may help improve control of symptoms in children with sickle cell disease as well as define methods to cure the disease. Our clinical research program brings the latest therapies to every child that we treat, and our precision medicine program allows us to tailor therapies based on state-of-the-art technologies.
Education
We provide clinical training and research opportunities to medical students and residents. Our three-year Oncology, Hematology, and Stem Cell Transplantation Fellowship Program has both a clinical and research focus.
Promotions
- Monica Bhatia, MD
- Inaugural appointment to the Michael Weiner, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics
- Elena Ladas, PhD
- Professor for Global Integrative Medicine (in the Division of Hematology, Oncology, & Stem Cell Transplantation in the Department of Pediatrics
- Prakash Satwani, MD
- Professor of Pediatrics at CUIMC
New Appointments
- Olatundun Williams, MD - Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at CUMC
- Joanna Gendreau, DO, FAAP - Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at CUMC
- Nicolas Moore, MD - Instructor (Hospitalist)
Honors and Awards
- Monica Bhatia, MD
- Named the Michael Weiner MD Associate Professor of Pediatrics
- Nancy Green, MD
- Member (invited), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH) (NHLBI) Sickle Cell Disease Advisory Committee
- Member (invited), National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NIH), Data Safety and Monitoring Board for “Prevention in Nigeria: SPRING 2”
- Study section member (invited), Grant review committee, NHLBI (NIH) RFA-HL-23-018 “Maximizing the Scientific Value of the NHLBI Biorepository: Scientific Opportunities for Exploratory Research”
- Nobuko Hijiya, MD
- Gave keynote lecture at 54th Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP)
- Justine Kahn, MD
- Received the Gold Certificate of Excellence for exceptional achievement in patient enrollments in National Cancer Institute Treatment and Cancer Control, Prevention and Screening Trials from the Columbia University Minority Underserved NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP)
- Prakash Satwani, MD
- Received the George R. Buchanan Lectureship Award from the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
- Dara Steinberg, PhD
- Nominated for the Society of Pediatric Psychology’s Michael C. Roberts Award for Outstanding Mentorship
- Accepted as an Associate Member of the HICCC Cancer Population Science Program
- Shan Zha, MD, PhD
- Elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation
Major Grants
- MN - iron requirement in LMIC via stable isotope. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. INV-036845. Co-PIs: Gary Brittenham, MD, Michael Zimmermann, MD.
- Daily vitamin D for sickle-cell respiratory complications. US Food & Drug Administration. R01FD006372-01-04. Co-PIs: Gary Brittenham, MD, Margaret Lee, MD.
- QSM to guide iron chelating therapy in transfusional iron overload. NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK116126-02). Co-PIs: Gary Brittenham, MD, Yi Wang, MD, and Sujit Sheth, MD.
- Prebiotic GOS and lactoferrin for beneficial gut microbiota with iron supplements. NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK115449-03). PI: Gary Brittenham, MD.
- Neurocognitive effects of iron deficiency in blood donors. NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL139489-03). Co-Investigator: Gary Brittenham, MD; Co-PI: Eldad Hod, MD.
- Red blood cells from iron-deficient donors: Recovery and storage quality. NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL133049-05). Co-Investigator: Gary Brittenham, MD; Co-PI: Steven Spitalnik, MD, Eldad Hod, MD.
- Burden and risk of neurological and cognitive impairment in pediatric sickle cell anemia in Uganda (BRAIN SAFE II). NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (R21HD089791-02S1). Co-PIs: Richard Idro, MD, Nancy Green, MD.
- Hydroxyurea adherence for personal best in sickle cell treatment (HABIT). NIH/National Institute of Nursing Research. R01NR017206-04. MPI: Nancy Green, MD, and Arlene Smaldone, PhD, MA, BS.
- Center for ELSI Research on Psychiatric Neurologic and Behavioral Genetics. 5RM1HG007257-06 (Appelbaum). Co-Investigator: Nancy Green, MD.
- Clinical and Translational Science Award. NIH (2UL1TR001873-06) (Reilly). Co-Investigator: (Co-Director of the Regulatory and Ethics core) Nancy Green, MD.
- Barriers to clinical trial participation in minority and low-income children and AYAs with cancer. National Science Foundation and Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation: Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program. PI: Justine Kahn, MD.
- Probiotics for prevention of acute graft-vs-host disease in children with cancer. NIH/National Cancer Institute. R01CA201788-05. PI: Elena Ladas, PhD; Co-PI: Monica Bhatia, MD.
Selected Publications
- Afify Z, Orjuela-Grimm M, Smith CM, Dalal M, Ford JB, Pillai P, Robles JM, Reddy S, McCormack S, Ehrhardt MJ, Ureda T, Alperstein W, Edington H, Miller TP, Rubinstein JD, Kavanaugh M, Bukowinski AJ, Friehling E, Rivers JM, Chisholm KM, Marks LJ, Mason CC. Burkitt lymphoma after solid-organ transplant: Treatment and outcomes in the paediatric PTLD collaborative. Br J Haematol. 2023
- Banerjee D, Boboila S, Okochi S, Angelastro JM, Kadenhe-Chiweshe AV, Lopez G, Califano A, Connolly EP, Greene LA, Yamashiro DJ. Activating Transcription Factor 5 Promotes Neuroblastoma Metastasis by Inducing Anoikis Resistance. Cancer Res Commun. 2023
- Carson JL, Brittenham GM. How I treat anemia with red blood cell transfusion and iron. Blood. 2023
- Damasco-Avila E, Zelaya Sagastizado S, Carrillo M, Blanco J, Fu L, Espinoza D, Ladas EJ. Improving the Quality of the Delivery of Nutritional Care Among Children Undergoing Treatment for Cancer in a Low- and Middle-Income Country. JCO Glob Oncol. 2023
- De A, Williams S, Yao Y, Jin Z, Brittenham GM, Kattan M, Lovinsky-Desir S, Lee MT. Acute chest syndrome, airway inflammation and lung function in sickle cell disease. PLoS One. 2023
- Green NS, Rosano C, Bangirana P, Opoka R, Munube D, Kasirye P, Kawooya M, Lubowa SK, Mupere E, Conroy A, Minja FJ, Boehme AK, Kang MS, Honig LS, Idro R. Neurofilament light chain: A potential biomarker for cerebrovascular disease in children with sickle cell anaemia. Br J Haematol. 2023
- Hijiya N, Maschan A, Rizzari C, Shimada H, Dufour C, Goto H, Kang HJ, Guinipero T, Karakas Z, Bautista F, Ducassou S, Yoo KH, Zwaan CM, Millot F, Patterson BC, Samis J, Izquierdo M, Titorenko K, Li S, Sosothikul D. The long-term efficacy and safety of nilotinib in pediatric patients with CML: a 5-year update of the DIALOG study. Blood Adv. 2023
- Kinoshita H, Mandava M, Jensen-Wachspress M, Lang H, Joy E, Tanna J, McCann CD, O'Brien S, Burnett S, Shibli A, Hoq F, Bhatia M, Hanley PJ, Dávila Saldaña B, Mahadeo KM, Bollard CM, Keller MD, Abraham A. Outcomes following posttransplant virus-specific T-cell therapy in patients with sickle cell disease. Blood Adv. 2023
- Neunert C, Heitink-Polle KMJ, Lambert MP. A proposal for new definition (s) and management approach to paediatric refractory ITP: Reflections from the Intercontinental ITP Study Group. Br J Haematol. 2023
- Schultz LM, Eaton A, Baggott C, Rossoff J, Prabhu S, Keating AK, Krupski C, Pacenta H, Philips CL, Talano JA, Moskop A, Baumeister SHC, Myers GD, Karras NA, Brown PA, Qayed M, Hermiston M, Satwani P, Wilcox R, Rabik CA, Fabrizio VA, Chinnabhandar V, Kunicki M, Mavroukakis S, Egeler E, Li Y, Mackall CL, Curran KJ, Verneris MR, Laetsch TW, Stefanski H. Outcomes After Nonresponse and Relapse Post-Tisagenlecleucel in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults With B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2023
Highlights
Developmental Therapeutics: Providing Hope for Children with Refractory Cancer
The Pediatric Cancer Foundation Developmental Therapeutics Program at Columbia was established in 2006 with the singular goal of offering care to patients whose cancer recurs or does not respond to treatment.
A Concerted Approach to Targeted Care for Pediatric Cancers
The Precision in Pediatric Sequencing (PIPseq) program at NewYork-Presbyterian/