NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award

Project Summary/Abstract My overarching goal is to expand my role as a leader, nationally and internationally, in the design and conduct of NCI-funded clinical trials for children, adolescents and young adults with cancer – particularly those with hematologic malignancies. Within the Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center (TXCH) and Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center (DLDCCC), I will work within my leadership roles to close gaps between disease teams. This will partially be done by continuing to lead a bimonthly High-Risk Hematologic Malignancies Conference which will bring together leaders and faculty from the currently siloed Leukemia, Lymphoma, IEC (CAGT), HSCT and hematopathology teams to provide a singular forum for clinical decision-making including opportunities to participate in clinical trials. The ultimate goal of this endeavor would be the creation of a shared clinic for the Pediatric Cancer Program (PCP) of the DLDCCC. This forum should not only be of benefit to patients, but should greatly increase enrollments to clinical trials run by each group. I will facilitate translation of TXCH laboratory work into successful implementation of NCI consortium clinical trials. I will also facilitate TXCH’s interactions with industry partners to identify new agents of interest to bring into the NCI-funded cooperative groups. Within the NCTN, I will continue to co-lead the development of COG study AALL2331 through the final steps of full concept CTEP approval, case report form (CRF) design, IRB submission and activation and lead AALL2331 through study completion. I will also continue my role as Co-Lead of the COG T-cell Task Force. In this role, I hope to help develop additional studies for T-cell ALL/LL and expand our collaboration with adult NCTN groups such as SWOG and Alliance. Finally, I hope to continue and expand my leadership role within TACL and serve as a liaison between TACL, COG and other NCI-sponsored trialists and consortia. Overall, I have a clear and demonstrated expertise in pediatric acute leukemias, novel therapeutics, interventional trial design and clinical research operations. In the next career phase, which would largely encompass the life of this grant, I am prepared to lead my first large international trial (AALL2331) and continue growth in my leadership positions as the DLDCCC Associate Leukemia Team Lead, DLDCCC COG PI, COG T-cell Task Force Lead, DLDCCC TACL Institutional PI and TACL SPC member. These positions will result in both the successful completion of and the development of novel clinical studies which, will either be directly NCI-sponsored or benefit the NCTN trial portfolio. The funding provided in this grant mechanism will be critical to provide the dedicated time needed to best fulfill these missions.