Department of Pediatric Oncology
The Department of Pediatric Oncology promotes basic research, translational investigation, and clinical studies – to understand and treat childhood cancers.
About the Department of Pediatric Oncology
The research goals of the Department of Pediatric Oncology are to promote basic laboratory research, translational investigation, and clinical studies to better understand and treat childhood cancers. Under the leadership of Scott A. Armstrong, MD, PhD, research across the continuum from laboratory research to clinical trials is contributing to the improvement of care for children with cancer with a particular emphasis on the development of new therapeutic approaches. In this setting, the Department also provides an exceptional training environment for basic and clinical researchers.
Clinical Research
Through our combined program with Boston Children's Hospital — Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center — the Department is developing unique pediatric clinical trials to improve the treatment and care of children with cancer. The Department's clinical trials portfolio includes investigator-initiated, cooperative group, and company-sponsored trials for a variety of cancers at different stages of progression.
Bridging Programs
The Department of Pediatric Oncology has two bridging programs that are specifically designed to increase the pace at which new discoveries lead to new treatments. These programs bring together faculty with deep expertise in cancer genomics, chemical biology, drug discovery, cancer biology, and clinical trials. The overarching goal of the bridging programs is to develop new and more effective therapies for children with cancer. Our bridging programs are as follows:
Precision Medicine
- Using tumor-profiling techniques to genetically define patients' tumors and match them with targeted therapies
- Linking basic discoveries emanating from departmental laboratory research and the Center for Pediatric Cancer Therapeutics to genetically-matched pediatric patients
Center for Pediatric Cancer Therapeutics
- Working closely with colleagues in the Dana-Farber Chemical Biology Program to identify new small molecules that target proteins relevant for childhood cancers
- Developing experimental and computational tools to dissect the genetic and epigenetic determinants of pediatric cancers
- Validating new therapeutic targets and drugs through in vivo pediatric models of disease, including patient-derived xenografts
- Providing the preclinical datasets required for translation into the clinic
Basic and Translational Research
The Department's basic and translational research focus spans hematological malignancies, solid tumors, neuro-oncology, drug discovery and cancer biology, and population sciences. We have 15 independent research laboratories conducting research in the Department.
Scott Armstrong, MD, PhD, in the Lab
Zebrafish in the Look Lab
Research in Pediatric Hematologic Malignancies
Our highly interactive Department of Pediatric Oncology has a history of research and innovation that has resulted in many of the therapeutics currently used internationally to treat hematologic malignancies, including leukemia and lymphoma.
Research in Pediatric Solid Tumors
Laboratories in the Department of Pediatric Oncology are leading the charge to understand pediatric cancers at the molecular level. Through basic, translational, and collaborative research efforts, the Solid Tumor group is focused on identifying new therapeutic targets and biomarkers in pediatric solid tumors.
Research in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology
There are many different pediatric brain tumor types and classifications based on a tumor's cell structure, composition, rate of growth, location, and other characteristics. The goal of the pediatric brain tumor research team is to better understand the cellular and molecular biology of these childhood brain tumors to unearth new therapeutic strategies.
Pediatric Drug Discovery and Cancer Biology
Researchers in the Department of Pediatric Oncology investigate the molecular mechanisms of multiple cancers, focusing on the mechanisms that underlie fundamental processes such as cell differentiation, cell division, genome stability, gene expression, and chromatin modeling. We also integrate multiple disciplines in order to discover and develop novel interventions or drugs to manipulate therapeutic targets.
Pediatric Oncology Population Sciences
The Program in Population Sciences includes faculty members and trainees whose research focuses broadly on aspects of health care delivery, outcomes research, and health care quality. The goal of the Program in Population Sciences is to improve care quality and outcomes for children with cancer and blood disorders through research on health care delivery and its outcomes, and by training the next generation of investigators in the field.