Community Bulletin Board
Division Of Pediatric Hematology And Oncology
Saint Louis University's Division of Hematology and Oncology provides a full range of clinical services to children and adolescents with blood disorders and cancer.
The division is committed to advancing the care of children through collaboration with basic science research as well as numerous clinical research programs. We are an active participant in the Children's Oncology Group, the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium, and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, and are one of the founding institutions of the Beat Childhood Cancer Consortium, which is actively investigating innovative approaches to the treatment of childhood cancer. We also participate in several national and pharmaceutical company-sponsored studies in hemostasis and sickle cell disease.
Our referral area extends throughout Missouri and southern Illinois. Inpatient services include a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation unit. Outpatient services are provided within SSM Health Cardinal Glennon's Costas Center and include consultations for new patients, ongoing clinical care for patients with blood disorders or cancer, chemotherapy infusions and blood component transfusions.
Clinical ProgramsThere are currently seven clinical programs within the division. Our clinical programs include regular multidisciplinary clinics in neuro-oncology, hemostasis, sarcomas, and late effects; the latter also includes specific neuro-oncology and hematopoietic stem cell late effects clinics.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell TransplantationDeepika Bhatla, M.D., serves as our lead transplant physician. The program is accredited by the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy. It is a designated transplant center for the Children's Oncology Group and a participant in the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium.
Neuro-Oncology ProgramThis multidisciplinary group encompasses all of the disciplines engaged in caring for these complex patients, including pediatric oncology, pediatric neurology, neurosurgery, and radiation oncology. It also includes a Neuro-Oncology Long-Term Follow-up Clinic. Pournima Navalkele, M.D. Is director of the Neuro-Oncology Program.
Hemostasis ProgramOurs was the first federally-designated pediatric Comprehensive Hemophilia Treatment Center in the St. Louis area. Christopher Hugge, M.D. Is administrative director of this program; John Puetz, M.D. Serves as the clinical director.
Sickle Cell Anemia/Hemoglobinopathies ProgramDr. Dolatshahi is director of this program. SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital is a designated sickle cell center for both Missouri and Illinois.
Sarcoma ProgramDavid Greenberg, M.D., (orthopedic oncology), William Ferguson, M.D., (pediatric oncology), and John Dombrowski, M.D., (radiation oncology) are the principal participants in this program, which provides state-of-the-art treatment for children with bone and soft tissue sarcomas.
Apheresis ProgramAlex Babic, M.D., serves as the medical director of this program.
Late EffectsJohn Puetz, M.D., is the physician director of this program.
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology TrainingMembers of the division take an active role in the education of residents and medical students, both by providing didactic lectures as well as serving as attending physician supervision for subspecialty and general pediatric patients and supervising residents and students doing electives in hematology-oncology. The Division's Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellowship is under the leadership of Dr. Hugge.
Research Aleksandar Babic, M.D.The research interests of Aleksandar Babic, M.D., are focused on the evaluation of outcomes of umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation. Dr. Babic was recruited as Medical Director at St. Louis Cord Blood Bank and subsequently became medical director the con combined Saint Louis University Cellular Therapy Laboratory.
Deepika Bhatla, M.D.The research interests of Deepika Bhatla, M.D., include the treatment of acute leukemias and lymphomas (with particular reference to the influence of host polymorphisms on disease incidence and response to treatment) and stem cell transplantation with a special interest in umbilical cord blood transplantation. She serves as institutional co-principal investigator for the Primary Immune Deficiencies Treatment Consortium (PIDTC), including Protocol #6901 ("A Prospective Natural History Study of Diagnosis, Treatment and Outcomes of Children with SCID Disorders") and as institutional Principal Investigator for the National Marrow Donor Program protocol 10-CBA ("A multicenter access and distribution protocol for unlicensed and cryopreserved cord blood units (CBUs) for transplantation in pediatric and adult patients with hematological malignancies and other indications"). She is also the institutional PI for the multicenter trial entitled "A Study of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) in Pediatric Non-Malignant Disease Using a Reduced-Intensity Preparatory Regimen."
Leili Dolatshahi, M.D.Leili Dolatshahi, M.D.,'s major clinical research interests include participation in a clinical trial designed to improve the outcome of sickle cell disease. She is co-investigator for an ongoing clinical trial, "Adjuvant low dose rituximab for the patients with severe TTP."
William S. Ferguson, M.D.William S. Ferguson, M.D.,'s research interests include participation in front-line Children's Oncology Group studies treating newly diagnosed osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and other soft tissue sarcomas; clinical trials evaluating new antineoplastic agents in the treatment of solid tumors, in particular neuroblastoma; personalized medicine utilizing new technologies for evaluating genetic profiles of tumors; and new drug therapies to prevent and treat complications of sickle cell disease. He is the institutional Principal Investigator for the Children's Oncology Group and the Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma Translational Research Consortium.
Christopher Hugge, M.D.Major clinical research interests include continued participation in clinical trials designed to improve drug treatment of children with bleeding disorders and participation in clinical trials conducted through the Children's Oncology Group.
Shermini Saini, M.D.Clinical research interests include stem cell transplantation and improving the utilization of palliative and end-of-life care in children with chronic, complex, and life-limiting illnesses. She is Medical Director for CGCH's palliative care program, Footprints.
Publications, Abstracts and Presentations AbstractsSholler G, Ferguson W, Bergendahl G, Bond J, Roberts W, Eslin D, Bredlau A, Oesterheld J, Mitchell D, Foley J, Parikh N, Neville K, Wada R, Brown V, Zage P, Eshun F, Rawwas J, Sencer D, Pankiewicz D, Quinn M, Kraveka J. A Phase II Prevention Trial Of DFMO in Patients with High Risk Neuroblastoma in Remission Prevents Relapse and Increases Event Free and Overall Survival. Presented at the American Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology meeting, May 2016
Sholler G, Ferguson W, Bergandahl G, Bond J, Neville K, Eslin D, Robertgs W, Wada R, Oesterheld J, Mitchell D, Foley J, Brown V, Parikh N, Ashun F, Zage P, Rawwas J, Sencer S, Pankiewicz D, Quinn M, Rich M, Junewick J, Wicha M, Kraveka J. DFMO maintains remission and increases overall survival in high risk neuroblastoma: results of a phase II prevention trial (#88). Advances in Neuroblastoma Research Congress 2016.
Wilson JZ, Marin D, Maxwell K, Cumming J, Berger R, Saini S, Ferguson W, Chibnall JT. Associations of patient, family and healthcare team psychosocial factors with posttraumatic growth and illness-related burden in child and adolescent cancer survivors. Presented at the Children's Oncology Group meeting, September 2016.
Wilson JZ, Marin D, Maxwell K, Cumming J, Berger R, Saini S, Ferguson W, Chibnall JT. Associations of patient, family and healthcare team psychosocial factors with posttraumatic growth and illness-related burden. Presented at the Washington University Institute for Public Health 9th Annual conference, November 2016.
Saulnier-Sholler GL, Ferguson W, Bergendahl G, Bond JP, Neville K, Eslin D, Brown V, Roberts W, Wada RK, Oesterheld J, Mitchell D, Foley J, Parikh NS, Eshun F, Zage P, Rawwas J, Sencer S, Pankiewicz D, Rich M, Kraveka JM. DFMO Maintains Remission in Relapsed/Refractory High Risk Neuroblastoma. Accepted for the American Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology meeting, April, 2017
Stramer SL, Nguyen M, Smith S, Ferguson W, Regan D, Duncan J, Tang S, Stanley J, Galel S. Feasibility of using umbilical cord blood plasma for detection of HEV RNA. 27th Regional Conference of the International Society of Blood Transfusion, June 2017.
Cornelius A, Kraveka J, Ferguson B, Mitchell D, Roberts W, Oesterheld J, Bond J, Nagulapally A, Hendricks W, Byron S6 Trent J, Sholler G. Genomic analysis and precision therapy for recurrent and resistant Ewing's sarcoma. 2nd Pediatric Precision Oncology Conference, March 2018.
Ferguson W, Cornelius A, Kraveka J, Roberts W, Oesterheld J, Bond J, Nagulapally AB, Hendricks W, Byron S, Trent J, Saulnier Sholler G. Genomic analysis and precision therapy for recurrent and resistant osteosarcoma. 2nd Pediatric Precision Oncology Conference, March 2018.
Kraveka JM, Ferguson W, Cornelius A, Mitchell D, Roberts W, Oesterheld J, Bond J, Nagulapally AB, Hendricks W, Byron S, Trent J, Saulnier Sholler G. Genomic analysis and precision therapy for high risk neuroblastoma at diagnosis and relapse. 2nd Pediatric Precision Oncology Conference, March 2018.
Kraveka J, Brown V, Ferguson W, Bergendahl G, Roberts W, Foley J, Mitchell D, Oesterheld J, Isakoff M, Neville K, Wada R, Rawwas J, Hanna G, Nagulapally AB, Bond J, Trent J, Hendricks W, Byron S, Saulnier Sholler GL. Peds-PLAN, pediatric precision laboratory advanced neuroblastoma therapy: Molecular guided therapy for high risk neuroblastoma at diagnosis. Advances in Neuroblastoma Research, May, 2018.
Heather Relyea Ashley, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Medical SchoolUniversity of Texas Medical Branch
InternshipUniversity of Cincinnati
ResidencyCombined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics-University of Kentucky
InterestsClinical InterestsPrimary care of adults and children across the lifespan, and HIV care
Department Of Pediatrics
The Department of Pediatrics of Saint Louis University School of Medicine is based at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis, adjacent to Saint Louis University's campus.
The Department of Pediatrics has approximately 150 full-time faculty and another 20 part-time faculty. We have outstanding educational programs for residents and medical students. Forty-four of our faculty were also recognized in the most recent publication of "Best Doctors in America."
Our physicians are proud to be inclusive and to host the region's widest range of payors accepted. Our faculty aggressively innovate in, and support, the primary care setting, but also individualize for the chronic, complex care patients and for those with rare diseases. Basic science research, new drug trials, translational research and educational research are all valued and highly sought after at this institution.
The educational activities of the department include medical students of all levels, 52 resident physicians based at Cardinal Glennon, 20 pediatric sub-specialty fellows, many resident physicians who rotate from partner institutions for pediatric exposure and numerous allied health students. Family-centered rounding, patient education initiatives, music therapy, and links to schools are integrated into this complicated and fast moving health care environment.
Our Leadership
Our Mission We strive to improve children's health by providing patient care, education and research in a unique shared environment of inquisitive minds, compassion and respect for human dignity, embodied and fostered by Saint Louis University and SSM Health.
Academic SupportWe have a functional relationship with Saint Louis University's Department for Health and Clinical Outcomes Research in the Saint Louis University School of Medicine to facilitate academic projects for trainees and faculty.
Department for Health and Clinical Outcomes Research
Andrew J. White, M.D., is the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He holds the Robert W. Wilmott Endowed Chair and is a Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology. He serves as the Pediatrician-in-Chief of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri.
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