Next week, the 15th Asian Conference of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) will start at the Medical University. See the next group of speakers:
Anna Vinitsky, MD
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Position: Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty, USA
Topic: Quality Improvement and Patient Safety in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Dr. Anna Vinitsky is an Associate Member in the division of Neuro-Oncology, where she focuses on treating patients with CNS tumors. She is a certified QI expert and completed formal training in Quality Improvement from the James M Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence.
She grew up in Ukraine and obtained her MD degree and completed post-graduate training at Minsk State Medical University in Belarus. After moving to the US, she completed her Pediatric Residency at Marshfield Clinic/St. Joseph Hospital and Pediatric Hem/Onc fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she also earned an MS degree in clinical research. In 2016, Dr. Vinitsky completed an additional year of training in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital before joining the faculty.
Dr. Vinitsky has a particular interest in quality improvement and patient safety.
Prof. Alexander Rumyantsev
Dmitry Rogachev National Research Centre of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, Russia
Position: General Director of the Dmitry Rogachev National Research Centre of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology
Topic: Challenges of organization of pediatric oncology and hematology service
Alexander Rumyantsev is a Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor, and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He currently serves as the General Director of the Dmitry Rogachev National Research Centre of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, as well as the chief consulting pediatric hematologist of the Ministry of Health of Russia. He is also the President of the National Society of Pediatric Hematologists and Oncologists, Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Experts in Primary Immunodeficiency, and Vice President of the National Medical Chamber. In addition, he is an Honorary Professor of the Department of Oncology and Hematology at the School of Pediatrics of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.
For twenty-five years, Dr. Rumyantsev has led pediatric hematology/oncology services in Russia, contributing to the preparation and adoption of industry development and financing programs. He has also been successful in treating leukemia, malignant lymphomas, brain tumors, and other neoplasms in children and adolescents. Furthermore, he established a course on pediatric hematology/oncology at the School of Continuing Medical Education in Russian State Medical University (RSMU) and the Department of Oncology and Hematology of the School of Pediatrics of the RSMU, laying the groundwork for academic programs, and training and certifying pediatric hematologists/oncologists in the Russian Federation.
Marilena Theodorou, MD, PhD
Topic: New techniques of radiation in pediatric tumors with VMAT technique (volumetric modulated arc therapy) with less toxicity and improvement of quality of life
Bank of Cyprus Oncology Center, Cyprus
Position։ Consultant in Radiation Oncology
Dr. Marilena Theodorou is a consultant in radiation oncology at Bank of Cyprus Oncology Center. She is a specialist in radiation oncology and radiotherapy, radiosurgery, and stereotactic high-precision radiation, as well as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), VMAT.
Dr. Theodorou is a lecturer in radiotherapy and radiology oncology at the Department of Health Sciences at the School of Sciences of European University Cyprus. She was elected a member of the Executive Board of the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) for 2018-2020.
Her research interests include brain tumors, pediatric tumors, new techniques in radiotherapy, lymphomas, radiosurgery, and stereotactic high-precision radiotherapy (cranial and extracranial stereotactic radiation). She has awarded for research work on brain radiosurgery, stereotactic radiation therapy, and high-precision radiation for brain tumors.
Liliana Vasquez, MD, MSc
Topic: Impact of the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer in Peru and Latin America
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), USA
Position: Pediatric oncologist, international consultant for the childhood cancer Pan American Health Organization
Dr. Vasquez is the childhood cancer consultant for the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and coordinates the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. Additionally, she is a principal investigator at the Precision Medicine Center of the Faculty of Medicine at the Universidad de San Martín de Porres. She currently holds the position of Vice President of the Latin American Society of Pediatric Oncology (SLAOP) and serves as a board member of the SIOP Young Investigators of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP).
Dr. Vasquez graduated from medical school in 2006 from Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima, Peru, and completed her pediatric oncology training in 2012 from Universidad San Martín de Porres in Lima, Peru. She obtained her master’s degree in Global Child Health in 2021 from St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and her Master of Medical Research from Universidad San Martín de Porres and Clinical Research (PPCR) from Harvard Medical School in 2018. She worked as a pediatric oncologist at Rebagliati Hospital – Essalud in Lima, Peru, and as an external collaborator of the Department of Cancer Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health of Peru – MINSA.
Dr. Vasquez has been awarded the Carolina Foundation Award in 2011, SIOP Young Investigator Award in 2015, SLAOP Free Paper Award in 2014, 2015, and 2019, the ASCO-Conquer Cancer Global Oncology Award in 2017, and the My Child Matters Award in 2019. She is the author of papers published in indexed journals on issues of childhood sarcomas, treatment abandonment, diagnostic delays, and global child health.
Marta Salek, MD, MPH
Topic: Decision-Making and Communication Strategies in Pediatric Cancer.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, USA
Position: Faculty member in the department of Global Pediatric Medicine at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Dr. Salek is a faculty member in the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital located in the United States. She completed her fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at St. Jude and, prior to that, completed a fellowship in Palliative and Hospice Medicine at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Salek's research interests revolve around improving outcomes for children diagnosed with cancer by developing and implementing strategies for palliative care integration. Her research is focused on the intersection of oncology, palliative care, and global pediatric medicine. She is currently leading two qualitative studies that seek to understand the factors influencing decision-making for children diagnosed with advanced or incurable cancer at the time of diagnosis. In addition to her research, she dedicates her time to caring for children on the leukemia, lymphoma, and palliative care services at St. Jude.
Dragana Stanic, MD, PhD
Topic: Treating pediatric brain tumors in resource-limited setting: a radiation oncologist perspective
Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia
Position։ Pediatric Radiation Oncologist
Dr. Dragana Stanic is a Pediatric Radiation Oncologist with extensive experience in both clinical and research settings. She is a permanent member of the Pediatric Oncology Department team at the Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, which is the country's national referral center for Pediatric Radiotherapy. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Stanic serves as an Assistant Professor at the Medical School, University of Belgrade, where she teaches Clinical Oncology and Radiotherapy.
Dr. Stanic has published numerous professional and scientific papers, book chapters, and abstracts at domestic and international congresses in the field of Pediatric Oncology. She is a prolific author and co-author, and her research has made significant contributions to the field.
Margaret Shatara, MD
Topic: Pediatric Neuro-Oncology tumor board: two-year experience of international collaboration
St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Position Pediatric neuro-oncologist, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Dr. Margaret Shatara is a pediatric neuro-oncologist and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. She is also a member of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) and the institutional co-Principal Investigator for the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology consortium (PNOC), which conducts early phase clinical research in brain tumors. Dr. Shatara is a co-chair of a current PNOC study (PNOC027) and a member of the scientific committee of the Germ Cell Tumor and Medulloblastoma Working Groups. She studied medicine at Jordan University and completed her residency in general pediatrics in Michigan, followed by fellowship training in pediatric hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplant at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, and another fellowship in pediatric neuro-oncology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio. She then sought her first academic position at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Shatara was awarded the Wolf W. Zuelzer Fellowship Research Award at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in 2019 and is dedicated to clinical and translational research with a focus on the advancement of our understanding into the tumor immunogenicity and microenvironment in pediatric brain cancers. Currently, she is the institutional PI for several early phase clinical trials for the Neuro-Oncology Program and the co-leader of Clinical Trial Task Force at SLCH. Dr. Shatara serves as a member of the Siteman Cancer Center’s Standing Data and Safety Monitoring Board, with an aim to maintain and ensure the quality of research conducted at Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University. Additionally, she is the co-chair of a current PNOC study (PNOC027) that aims to provide a personalized treatment plan for children, adolescents, and young adults with relapsed medulloblastoma. Outside of patient care and research, Dr. Shatara is interested in global collaborations aimed at improving the outcomes and quality of life for children with CNS tumors in low- and middle-income countries. She has co-founded and leads an international neuro-oncology tumor board every month that is attended by neuro-oncologists from more than 23 countries to discuss the care and treatment plans of brain tumor patients. She has also established collaborations with several institutions worldwide and has consulted upon several brain tumor patients globally.
Prof. Dr. med. Stefan Rutkowski
Topic: Medulloblastoma: recommendations for diagnostic assessments and treatment of the HIT-MED study group and overview about European trials.
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
Position: Director of the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Prof. Stefan Rutkowski is the Director of the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany. He is also a co-investigator of HIT-MED, a guidance program for patients with newly diagnosed medulloblastoma, ependymoma, and pineoblastoma.
Previously, Prof. Rutkowski served as the Chair of the SIOP-Europe Pediatric Brain Tumor Group until 2018 and as the spokesperson of the German Pediatric Brain Tumor Study Group until 2022. He currently holds the position of spokesperson of the Phase I/II-Trial Network North-West (Germany).
Prof. Rutkowski is a member of several local and international societies and has authored or co-authored over 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers.
Anna Raciborska, MD
Mother and Child Institute in Warsaw, Poland
Position: Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Children's Hematology and Oncology, Head of the Department of Oncology and Surgical Oncology for Children and Youth.
Dr. Anna Raciborska is the Head of the Department of Oncology and Surgical Oncology for Children and Youth at the Institute of Mother and Child in Mazovia, Poland, and is also affiliated with the Medical University of Warsaw. Her areas of specialization are Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology, and Hematology.
Dr. Raciborska is a member of several Polish and international organizations, including International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP), the Histiocyte Society, the European Consortium of Histiocytosis, the Euro Ewing Consortium, and the Foster Consortium. One of her primary professional goals is to improve the treatment outcomes of primary bone tumors and histiocytosis. She is also heavily involved in the treatment of solid tumors in newborns and premature babies.
Dr. Raciborska has led many scientific projects in the field of histiocytosis and bone sarcoma.
Prof. Eric Bouffet, MD
Topic: The global overview of advances in pediatric brain tumors.
Targeted treatments in neuro-oncology.
The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto, Canada
Position: Director of the Paediatric Neuro-Oncology Program, Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto, Past President of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP)
Dr. Eric Bouffet is a Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto and the Head of the Neuro-Oncology Section in the Department of Haematology and Oncology at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada. He also holds the Garron Family Chair in Childhood Cancer Research at SickKids and is a Senior Associate Scientist at the SickKids Research Institute.
From 2016 to 2019, Dr. Bouffet served as the President of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP), and he currently holds the position of Advocacy Chair of SIOP. He has been the Chair of the Canadian Paediatric Brain Tumor Consortium since 2003 and is a member of the steering committee of the Brain Tumor Committee of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG).
Dr. Bouffet is also an Editorial Board member of prestigious scientific journals such as the European Journal of Cancer, the Journal of Neuro-Oncology, and Pediatric Blood & Cancer. His research interests lie in innovative clinical trials of new drugs, especially in the context of low-grade glioma, high-grade glioma, hypermutated tumors, ependymoma, medulloblastoma, and diffuse pontine gliomas. Additionally, he is interested in the development of pediatric neuro-oncology programs in low- and middle-income countries.
Gabriela Villanueva MD, MS
Topic: Global registries initiatives
Hospital de Clinicas José de San Martín, Argentina
Position: Pediatric hematologist and oncologist
Gabriela Villanueva is a pediatric hematologist and oncologist at the Hematology and Oncology Department at the Hospital Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina and the Director of Academic Programs at Resonance Health. She leads and coordinates the development of multiple registries, including a global neuroblastoma registry, which is currently open in multiple countries throughout Latin America, and a global acute leukemia registry that she is currently developing. Her current research focuses on retinoblastoma survivorship and the occurrence of second malignancies in Argentina and the global initiative on high-dose methotrexate supportive care, in addition to other coordinated projects throughout Latin America. She is part of the Scientific Committee for SLAOP (Society of Latin American Pediatric Oncologists), Young SIOP Network Steering group and the Co-chair for the SIOP AYA Global Health Network.
Sarah Tasian, MD
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Position: Chief of the Hematologic Malignancies Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Sarah Tasian is a pediatric oncologist and physician-scientist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She is interested in developing molecularly targeted therapeutics for children with high-risk leukemias and specializes in the clinical care of children with hematologic malignancies. Dr. Tasian is an internationally recognized expert in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML).
Her translational laboratory research program focuses on testing kinase inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapies in genetic subsets of childhood ALL and AML. Dr. Tasian has leadership roles in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) ALL and Myeloid Diseases committees and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society PedAL/EuPAL consortium. She is also the COG Developmental Therapeutics committee Vice-Chair of Biology for Hematologic Malignancies and leads or co-leads several national or international early-phase clinical trials testing precision medicine therapies in children with high-risk leukemias.
Robert Hasserjian, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
Position: Professor, Pathology, Harvard Medical School Associate Pathologist, Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital Program Director, Hematopathology Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital
Dr. Robert Hasserjian is Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and a Hematopathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is Director of the Hematopathology Fellowship Program. His clinical work and research focus on myeloid neoplasia, particularly myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia. Dr Hasserjian is an author of over 200 peer-reviewed publications, reviews, and chapters and is the editor of the Textbook “Diagnosis of Blood and Bone Marrow Disorders” (Springer, 2018). He was a Senior Reviewer and author of multiple chapters of the Revised 4th Edition WHO Classification of Myeloid Neoplasms published in 2017, is a leader of the 2022 International Consensus Classification of Myeloid Neoplasms, and is an expert panel member for the 2022 European LeukemiaNet recommendations on the diagnosis and management of AML.
Dr. Hasserjian is strongly committed to education in hematopathology, and lectured on diagnosis of leukemias, bone marrow disorders, and lymphomas, at international pathology events worldwide.
Prof. Dr. med. Paul-Gerhardt Schlegel
Topic: ALL-Relapse after SCT – update on prevention and treatment options
University Children's Hospital of Würzburg, Germany
Position: Chief Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology/ Stem Cell Transplantation
Prof. Dr. med. Paul-Gerhardt Schlegel is Chief of the Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program of the University Children’s Hospital. He is a member of The International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) since 1995 and The European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) since 1997. Professor is a Consultant Member of the Munich State Certification Board for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, State Chamber of Physicians, Member of the Board of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken CCCMF, Wuerzburg and Pediatric Board Member, Secretary DAG-KBT, German Working Group for Blood and Bone Marrow Transplantation. He has been awarded several highly regarded international prizes, which include the Nycomed Prize, the Young Investigator Travel Award of the Kind-Philipp Foundation, and the Young Investigator Translational Research Award.
Dinesh Pendharkar, MD, PhD, MBA, FASCO
Topic: The evolving system of childhood cancer delivery – an extrapolation from an adult model
Sarvodaya Hospital, India
Position: Director of the Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone marrow Transplantation
Dr. Dinesh Pendharkar is the chairman of the Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone marrow Transplantation at the Sarvodaya Hospital, India. He is a mentor in the Cancer Program at the Government of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Gujarat. Currently, Dr. Pendharkar is also the chairman of the National Cancer Society and a member of the Asian Cellular Therapy Organization. He is the Past President of the Indian Society of Oncology and the Past Chair of the International Affairs Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Pendharkar’s main clinical interest is the empowerment of peripheral district hospitals in cancer care.
Rejin Kebudi, MD, PhD
Topic: Approach to febrile neutropenia in children and adolescents (Hybrid)
Istanbul University, Oncology Institute, Turkey
Position: Professor of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, and the Chair of the Department of Preventive Oncology
Rejin Kebudi is a Professor of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, and the Chair of the Department of Preventive Oncology at Istanbul University's Oncology Institute. She serves as co-chair of the Supportive Care Network in the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) and is the General Secretary-elect of SIOP. Prof. Kebudi is the past president of the Turkish Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG). She was awarded the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Woman Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award and is a steering group member of the ASCO International Development and Education Award (IDEA) committee. Her research interests include the biology and clinical management of pediatric cancer, including brain tumors, lymphomas, sarcomas, retinoblastoma, rare tumors, supportive care, palliative care, cancer predisposition syndromes, and cancer care in developing countries.
Iyad Sultan
Topic: Artificial intelligence for pediatric oncologist
King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), Jordan
Position: Pediatric hematologist-oncologist, Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics
Dr. Iyad Sultan is a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at the King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan. He is the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, Associate Director of the Cancer Care Informatics Program, and member of the Research Council and Executive Council. His research interests include big data, bioinformatics, and the global burden of cancer. Dr. Sultan is also a member of several journal boards and has authored and co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and several book chapters.