The Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology is part of the Department of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine, which has a rich scientific heritage in basic and clinical science investigation. The School of Medicine historically has placed great emphasis on excellence in the training of investigators in the basic and clinical sciences. Currently, there are several pre-doctoral and postdoctoral educational programs, funded by the NIH, including via the Washington University in St. Louis Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences. Funding for investigation comes from many sources, including the federal government, corporations, nonprofit agencies (American Cancer Society, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the American Heart Association), private foundations, individual donors and the university itself. The recently developed Children’s Discovery Institute provides the opportunity to make further advances in the field of pediatric cancer via the McDonnell Pediatric Cancer Center. Research laboratories for the Department of Pediatrics and the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology occupy more than 7,500 square feet of space with state-of-the-art physical facilities in the McDonnell Pediatric Research Building.
The basic science investigation laboratories include those studying biochemistry and cell and molecular biology. Our laboratories have made major discoveries in the areas of cell growth control, cellular signaling, and cell differentiation and development. Visiting professors from foreign countries (Israel, Japan, Finland) have come to train and work here. Our laboratories serve as training centers for medical and graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows from around the world.
Our program has a long history of leadership in the fields of pediatric cancer and blood-borne diseases indicative of our national stature in clinical investigation. Once the national headquarters of the Pediatric Oncology Group, our faculty members continue to hold prominent positions on the committees of the pediatric cooperative groups. Our program in sickle cell anemia also continues to maintain its stature at a national and international level, leading national clinical trials advancing the treatment for children with this condition. Clinical programs including bone marrow transplantation, neuro-oncology, late effects of cancer therapy, cancer predisposition syndromes, sickle cell anemia, bone marrow failure and new therapeutic agents not only provide the means of advancing biomedical science, they also bring the latest in medical advances to the St. Louis community, keeping our patients on the cutting edge of clinical medicine.