Our Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT fellows have the amazing opportunity to learn from world leaders in the field of Bone Marrow Transplant. During their training here they will rotate both on the inpatient BMT floor and the outpatient BMT clinic, where they will not only be exposed to a wide variety of diseases but also multiple conditioning regimens and bone marrow sources including double and triple umbilical cord blood transplants.
Our program is the oldest and one of the largest and most respected pediatric blood and marrow transplant (BMT) research programs in the world. Children and adolescents come from around the world to be treated at the University of Minnesota. Caring, dedicated University of Minnesota doctors and nurses, pharmacists, social workers, child life and Care Partners are focused on delivering of state of the art care to patients undergoing BMT.
Driven to finding new treatments and safer transplant therapies for children with life threatening malignant and non malignant diseases, University of Minnesota investigators have received millions of dollars in NIH and industry support to manipulate the immune system to kill cancer cells and harness the power of stem cells to repair diseased or chemotherapy and radiation damaged tissues. Treatments are available for leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma and other solid tumors, aplastic anemia, Fanconi anemia, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, metabolic syndromes and immunodeficiency states.
The world’s first successful bone marrow transplant was performed in 1968 at the Universityof Minnesotain a child with severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome. Since that time, the Blood and Marrow Program at the Universityof Minnesotahas been a leader in the field of blood and marrow transplantation for children with primary immunodeficiencies, such as Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and SCID syndrome, and histiocytic disorders, such as Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and Langerhans’ Cell Histiocytosis (LCH).
Dr. Scott Baker leads the research team and clinical trials in the Immune Deficiency and Histiocytic Disorders Program. Dr. Baker is a member of the Pan American Group for Immunodeficiencies, the Clinical Immunology Society, the Histiocyte Society, and a member of the Immune Deficiencies and Metabolic Disorders working committee of the Center for International Bone Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR).
The Immune Deficiency and Histiocytic Disorders Program continues to explore innovative strategies in transplantation in order to make them safer, with higher success rates, and more widely available.
The principal focus of our current research efforts include:
The first bone marrow transplant for osteopetrosis was performed at the Universityof Minnesota. Currently Dr. Paul Orchard is leading the research and treatment investigations at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Orchard has an interest in the use of transplantation for osteopetrosis, as well as the biology and genetics of this disorder. As the primary organizer of the “International Symposium on Osteopetrosis: Biology and Therapy” at the National Institutes of Health on October 24, 2003, Dr. Orchard brought researchers together in the first meeting of its kind to discuss what is currently known regarding this disorder and what has yet to be done to improve overall chances of long term survival.
At the University of Minnesota, Dr. Orchard and his team developed transplant protocols using intense and less toxic therapy to improve overall outcomes. In addition, he developed a research protocol to investigate the function of osteoclasts from individuals with osteopetrosis with collaborators in Pittsburgh and in St. Louis. Dr. Orchard is also a world expert in the genetics of this disorder.
Currently at the University of Minnesota the ability to test for the two most common genes causing osteopetrosis is in development, and should be available for patient testing in early 2007. This testing will allow evaluation of other family members to determine carrier status, and will be invaluable as a research tool to determine the implications of genetic findings in the prognosis and treatment of these patients.
The Fanconi Anemia Comprehensive Care Program at the University of Minnesota Medical Center is the single largest treatment center for patients with Fanconi Anemia (FA) in the United States. The care provided is individually tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient and family. This program uses a team of expert health care providers who specialize in FA, applying leading-edge research developed by University of Minnesota scientists. The University of Minnesota has set the standard for BMT as a treatment for Fanconi Anemia and other diseases since we performed the world's first successful BMT in 1968. University of Minnesota physicians have performed sibling donor transplants for FA since 1976 and unrelated donor transplants for FA since 1987.
In 2000, we broke ground by performing the world's first umbilical cord blood transplant on a Fanconi Anemia patient using pre-implantation genetic testing to ensure a perfect HLA tissue match. As a result of this work, Fanconi Anemia patients have been referred at diagnosis or shortly thereafter to assist in the care of FA patients well in advance of BMT.
Conference Schedules
Monday
7:30 to 8:30am Hematopathology (2nd and 4th Monday)
1 to 2pm Neuro-Oncology Tumor Board
1:15 to 2:15pm BMT Research Conference
Tuesday
7:30 to 8:30am Journal Club (monthly)
Noon to 1pm Cancer Center Seminar
Wednesday
12:15 to 1:15pm Pediatric Grand Rounds
3 to 4pm Fellow’s Core Lecture
4 to 5pm Hem/Onc Tumor Conference
Thursday
7 to 8am Bone & Soft Tissue Sarcoma Tumor Board
Friday
Noon to 1pm Pediatric Morbidity/Mortality/Management
1 to 2pm Hem/Onc/BMT Patient Rounds
In total, the BMT fellow will spend half of his or her year among the BMT inpatient and outpatient services (3 months of each)with the remaining 6 months spent participating in research activities including attendance at the annual ASH and ASBMT meetings where fellows in the past have presented their work in both the poster and/or oral sessions.
Application, Interview, Selection Process
Interested applicants should submit a universal application, current curriculum vitae, personal statement, USMLE Score Reports (Step I and II) and three letters of recommendation (MD/PhD applicants must include a letter from their thesis advisor). Letters should be addressed to Dr. K. Scott Baker at the University of Minnesota and mailed by the letter writer directly to:
Ms. Linda DeVoe
Division of Hematology/Oncology
University of Minnesota
MMC 484, D-557 Mayo Building
420 Delaware Street, SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: (612) 626-2778
Letters may also be faxed to Ms. Linda DeVoe at 612-626-2815 or emailed.