I am a dual-trained pediatric critical care physician and pediatric oncologist with a specialized focus on onco-critical care. My expertise lies in the intersection of these two disciplines, particularly in the management of critically ill pediatric cancer patients, including those undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and advanced cellular therapies. This uniquely vulnerable patient population faces significant illness and risk of death and has historically experienced poor outcomes. These children require tailored, multidisciplinary care that addresses both their oncologic and critical care needs, taking into account their unique physiology. My clinical work is centered on improving our understanding of these patients and enhancing the care we provide, aiming to increase their survival and quality of life.
In addition to direct patient care, I am deeply committed to fostering collaboration between the oncology and critical care departments. Through my dual training and experience, I serve as a liaison between these fields and work to bridge the gap between them. As a team, we work together to provide specialized, compassionate care, improving patient outcomes and family experiences during some of the most challenging times in a child’s life.
My passion for pediatrics began early while my interest in pediatric onco-critical care was shaped during my training, where I recognized the urgent need to address the complex challenges critically ill oncology patients face. As a researcher, my primary focus is on improving outcomes for critically ill pediatric oncology patients, especially those with life-threatening malignancies and those undergoing HSCT and cellular therapies.
I am dedicated to understanding the factors that lead to treatment-related toxicities and developing strategies to decrease these risks. My work aims to make cancer-directed therapies safer for children with underlying organ dysfunction or chronic medical conditions, ultimately improving survival rates and reducing long-term illness. Much of my research also centers on managing oncologic emergencies, including hyperleukocytosis, anterior mediastinal masses and sepsis. I am an active member of the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) network, where I collaborate on multi-institutional studies. Active areas of research include evaluating outcomes of pediatric oncology patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and refining the definition of organ failure in pediatric oncology patients.
Throughout my career, I have been honored to receive various teaching awards, including multiple awards and commendations in residency, the Inpatient Fellow Teaching Award during my hematology/oncology fellowship, and the Critical Care Medicine Fellow Teacher of the Year award during my critical care fellowship. These accolades reflect my commitment to mentoring the next generation of clinicians and fostering a collaborative, patient-centered approach to care.
BS: Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 2011.
MD: University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 2015.
Residency: Pediatrics, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT, 2018.
Fellowship: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, CA, 2021.
Fellowship: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, CA, 2024.
Critical Care
Cincinnati Children's strives to accept a wide variety of health plans. Please contact your health insurance carrier to verify coverage for your specific benefit plan.
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Outcomes in a Multicenter, Retrospective Cohort, 2009-2021. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. 2024; 25:1026-1034.
Clinical and biological landscape of constitutional mismatch-repair deficiency syndrome: an International Replication Repair Deficiency Consortium cohort study. The Lancet Oncology. 2024; 25:668-682.
Genomic Microsatellite Signatures Identify Germline Mismatch Repair Deficiency and Risk of Cancer Onset. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2023; 41:766-777.
Development of clinical pathways to improve multidisciplinary care of high-risk pediatric oncology patients. Frontiers in Oncology. 2022; 12:1033993.
GD2-CAR T cell therapy for H3K27M-mutated diffuse midline gliomas. Nature. 2022; 603:934-941.