The Region’s Only Center To Offer Early-Phase Trials for Children With Cancer

Young girl in chemotherapy sits on her father's lap wearing headscarf.

Department of Pediatrics Annual Report – 2022

Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation

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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

New Appointments

Honors and Awards

Monica Bhatia, MD

  • Named the Michael Weiner MD Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Gary Brittenham, MD

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)

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-Principal Investigator: Gary Brittenham, MD; Co-Principal Investigator: Michael Zimmermann, MD.
  • Daily vitamin D for sickle-cell respiratory complications. US Food & Drug Administration. R01FD006372-01-04. Co-Principal Investigator: Gary Brittenham, MD; Co-Principal Investigator: 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-Principal Investigator: Gary Brittenham, MD; Co-Principal Investigators: 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. Principal Investigator: 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-Principal Investigator: 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-Principal Investigators: Steven Spitalnik, MD, and Eldad Hod, MD.
  • Evaluating genomic features of response to immunotherapy in pediatric glioma. Hyundai Hope on Wheels Hope Scholar Award. Principal Investigator: Robyn Gartrell, MD.
  • Fund to retain clinical scientists at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Doris Duke Charitable Foundation – American Heart. Director: Anne Taylor, MD; Co-Director: Nancy Green, MD.
  • Biomarkers of brain injury and associated neurocognitive dysfunction in children with sickle cell anemia in New York and Uganda. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University. Co-Investigator: Nancy Green, 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-Principal Investigators: Richard Idro, MD, and 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.
  • Northeast Region Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Regional Collaborative Program (SiNERGE). HRSA. U1EM27864-04 (Stewart, Lanzkron). Site Principal 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.
  • Adolescent/young adult lymphoma correlative studies grant. Lymphoma Research Foundation. Investigator: Justine Kahn, 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. Principal Investigator: Justine Kahn, MD.
  • Probiotics for prevention of acute graft-vs-host disease in children with cancer. NIH/National Cancer Institute. R01CA201788-05. Principal Investigator: Elena Ladas, PhD; Co-Principal Investigator: Monica Bhatia, MD.
  • A Southern European perspective on the role of nutritional status on outcome and quality of life among children and adolescents newly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and favorable biology brain tumors. Fundación Aladina. Principal Investigator: Elena Ladas, MD.
  • Clinical and research integrative medicine program in adult and pediatric oncology. Tamarind Foundation. Principal Investigator: Elena Ladas, MD.
  • Advancing our understanding of the microbiome/metabolome among children with cancer in low and middle income countries: InterNatIonal CHildhood Leukemia Microbiome/MEtabolome Cohort (NICHE). Mullen Foundation. Principal Investigator: Elena Ladas, MD.
  • DISPLACE (Dissemination and Implementation of Stroke Prevention Looking at the Care Environment); national multicenter clinical trial. NIH Subaward (UAB). NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. R01HL133896-04. Co-Investigator: Margaret Lee, MD.
  • Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) common data model for pediatric oncology large-scale clinical and molecular electronic health record data deposition to the NCI National Childhood Cancer Registry (NCCR). NIH/National Cancer Institute. 3P30-CA013696-45S1. Co-Principal Investigators: Jennifer Oberg, EdD; Jovana Pavisic, MD; Co-Investigator: Justine Kahn, MD.
  • Tri-State Precision Medicine Program for children with high-risk cancers. Sohn Conference Foundation. Principal Investigator: Jennifer Oberg, EdD.
  • Columbia University PCF Developmental Therapeutics Program. Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Principal Investigator: Jennifer Oberg, EdD.
  • The COMIDITA Study: Urban Latino toddlers, diet intake and developmental outcomes. NIH/National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. R21MD013622. Principal Investigator: Manuela Orjuela, MD.
  • Methylation and mutations in RB1 and variants of synthetic folic acid metabolism. NIH/NCI. R01CA192662. Principal Investigator: Manuela Orjuela, MD.
  • Targeting master regulator dependencies in pediatric osteosarcoma. St. Baldrick’s Foundation Fellow Award. Recipient: Jovana Pavisic, MD.
  • Training the future front line: A module to teach medical and psychology students teamwork to promote multidisciplinary collaboration in the care of pediatric patients. Provost Innovative Course Module Design. Principal Investigator: Dara Steinberg, PhD.
  • Targeting master regulator dependencies in high risk osteosarcoma. Hyundai Hope on Wheels Quantum Collaboration. Principal Investigator: Darrell Yamashiro, MD; Co-Principal Investigator: Julia Glade Bender, MD.
  • Columbia University Developmental Therapeutics Program: Striving for Excellence. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Principal Investigator: Darrell Yamashiro, MD.
  • Targeting CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins CEBPB and CEBPD in neuroblastoma. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Principal Investigator: Darrell Yamashiro, MD.
  • Inhibition of notch synergizes with checkpoint inhibition and high-dose radiation. CUIMC, HICCC Velocity Cancer Research Awards. Principal Investigator: Eileen Connolly, MD; Co-Principal Investigator: Darrell Yamashiro, MD.
  • New York Consortium for Interdisciplinary Training in Kidney, Urological and Hematological Research. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. U2C DK129502. Co-Principal Investigator: Nancy Green, MD.
  • A pilot and feasibility study evaluating the association of the use of TCAM on nutritional, biological, and lifestyle indicators in children with ALL undergoing treatment in Guatemala. NIH P30 Supplement Grant. Project Lead: Elena Ladas, MD.
  • Discovering biomarkers of outcome: EBV DNA quantification and the relationship of EBV and LINE1 retrotransposon expression in pediatric patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma enrolled in ARAR0331. National Cancer Institute Molecular Profiling to Predict Response to Treatment (MP2PRT) Program Award 1/2022–1/2024. Lead Principal Investigator: Robyn Gartrell, MD
  • Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Award. Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation and Gilead Sciences. Awardee: Olatundun Williams, MD.

Selected Publications

Gartrell RD, Enzler T, Kim PS, Fullerton BT, Fazlollahi L, Chen AX, Minns HE, Perni S, Weisberg SP, Rizk EM, Wang S, Oh EJ, Guo XV, Chiuzan C, Manji GA, Bates SE, Chabot J, Schrope B, Kluger M, Emond J, Rabadán R, Farber D, Remotti HE, Horowitz DP, Saenger YM. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation alters the immune microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Oncoimmunology. 2022;11(1):2066767.

Kahn JM, Pei Q, Friedman DL, Kaplan J, Keller FG, Hodgson D, Wu Y, Appel BE, Bhatia S, Henderson TO, Schwartz CL, Kelly KM, Castellino SM. Survival by age in paediatric and adolescent patients with Hodgkin lymphoma: a retrospective pooled analysis of children's oncology group trials. Lancet Haematol. 2022;9(1):E49–E57.

Miller AM, Szalontay L, Bouvier N, Hill K, Ahmad H, Rafailov J, Lee AJ, Rodriguez-Sanchez MI, Yildirim O, Patel A, Bale TA, Benhamida JK, Benayed R, Arcila ME, Donzelli M, Dunkel IJ, Gilheeney SW, Khakoo Y, Kramer K, Sait SF, Greenfield JP, Souweidane MM, Haque S, Mauguen A, Berger MF, Mellinghoff IK, Karajannis MA. Next-generation sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid for clinical molecular diagnostics in pediatric, adolescent and young adult brain tumor patients. Neuro Oncol. 2022;24(10):1763–1772.

Ford M, Mauro M, Aftandilian C, Sakamoto KM, Hijiya N. Management of chronic myeloid leukemia in children and young adults. Curr Hematol Malig Rep. 2022;17(5):121–126.

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;200(3):297–305.

Van Heerden J, Lisa Christine I, Downing J, Davidson A, Hessissen L, Schoeman J, Ladas EJ, Abdelhafeez H, Georgia Odongo Arao S, Fentie AM, Kamal S, Parkes J, Naiker T, Ludick A, Balagadde-Kambugu J, Geel J. Current status of African pediatric oncology education efforts aligned with the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2022 Sep:1–18. Online ahead of print.

Schneider NM, Steinberg DM, Garcia AM, Guler J, Mudd E, Agoston AM, Schwartzkopf KN, Kullgren KA, Judd-Glossy L. Pediatric consultation-liaison psychology: Insights and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2022 June:1–10. Online ahead of print.

Menolfi D, Zha S. DNA-PKcs kinase activity orchestrates both end-processing and end-ligation. Trends Cell Biol. 2022;32(2):91–93.

Kracht MJ, Stein A, Knoll C, Badia Alonso P, Gomez E, Quarmyne MO, Shah S, Gendreau J. A proposed algorithm for evaluation and management of pediatric hemophilia patients who present to the emergency department with head trauma. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2022;69(9):e29811.

Green NS, Zapfel A, Nnodu OE, Franklin P, Tubman VN, Chirande L, Kiyaga C, Chunda-Liyoka C, Awuonda B, Ohene-Frempong K, Inusa BPD, Ware RE, Odame I, Ambrose EE, Dogara LG, Oron AP, Willett C, Thompson AA, Berliner N, Coetzer TL, Novelli EM. The Consortium on Newborn Screening in Africa for sickle cell disease: Study rationale and methodology. Blood Adv. 2022;6(24):6187–6197.

Neunert C, Chitlur M, van Ommen CH. The changing landscape of anticoagulation in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: Use of the direct thrombin inhibitors. Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:887199.

Dvorak CC, Haddad E, Heimall J, Dunn E, Cowan MJ, Pai SY, Kapoor N, Satter LF, Buckley RH, O'Reilly RJ, Chandra S, Bednarski JJ, Williams O, Rayes A, Moore TB, Ebens CL, Davila Saldana BJ, Petrovic A, Chellapandian D, Cuvelier GDE, Vander Lugt MT, Caywood EH, Chandrakasan S, Eissa H, Goldman FD, Shereck E, Aquino VM, Desantes KB, Madden LM, Miller HK, Yu L, Broglie L, Gillio A, Shah AJ, Knutsen AP, Andolina JP, Joshi AY, Szabolcs P, Kapadia M, Martinez CA, Parrot RE, Sullivan KE, Prockop SE, Abraham RS, Thakar MS, Leiding JW, Kohn DB, Pulsipher MA, Griffith LM, Notarangelo LD, Puck JM. The diagnosis of severe combined immunodeficiency: Implementation of the PIDTC 2022 definitions. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2022 Nov.

 

Shah NC, Bhoopatiraju S, Abraham A, Anderson E, Andreansky M, Bhatia M, Chaudhury S, Cuvelier GDE, Godder K, Grimley M, Hale G, Kamani N, Jacobsohn D, Ngwube A, Gilman AL, Skiles J, Yu LC, Shenoy S. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is safe and well tolerated following allogeneic transplantation in patients with sickle cell disease. Transplant Cell Ther. 2022;28(3):174.e1–174.e5.

Schultz LM, Baggott C, Prabhu S, Pacenta HL, Phillips CL, Rossoff J, Stefanski HE, Talano JA, Moskop A, Margossian SP, Verneris MR, Myers GD, Karras NA, Brown PA, Qayed M, Hermiston M, Satwani P, Krupski C, Keating AK, Wilcox R, Rabik CA, Fabrizio VA, Rouce RH, Chinnabhandar V, Kunicki M, Barsan VV, Goksenin AY, Li Y, Mavroukakis S, Egeler E, Curran KJ, Mackall CL, Laetsch TW. Disease burden affects outcomes in pediatric and young adult B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia after commercial tisagenlecleucel: A pediatric real-world chimeric antigen receptor consortium report. J Clin Oncol. 2022;40(9):945–955.

Carson JL, Brittenham GM. How I treat anemia with red blood cell transfusion and iron. Blood. 2022 Oct. Online ahead of print.

Highlights

At Columbia, Integrative Therapy for Children with Cancer Is Mainstream 

Columbia’s Center for Comprehensive Wellness offers integrative treatments like acupuncture and massage to support cancer patients during their treatment with chemotherapy and radiation.

CUIMC Newsroom

What to Know About Sickle Cell Disease

Dr. Monica Bhatia, director of the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, explains sickle cell and the latest treatment approaches. 

 Health Matters NYP