The Genetic Basis of Cancer: Relearning Past Lessons and New Insights

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"The Genetic Basis of Cancer: Relearning Past Lessons and New Insights"John M. Maris, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Giulio D'Angio Chair in Neuroblastoma Research at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Dr. John Maris is a physician-scientist focused on the pediatric cancer neuroblastoma. His group has discovered the majority of the known neuroblastoma susceptibility genes and has also identified many of the oncogenic drivers of the disease. Dr. Maris has steadfastly sought to translate these discoveries to the clinic using precision medicine approaches and has translated many of his discoveries into clinically useful biomarkers and/or new effective treatment strategies. He is a practicing physician who sees patients from around the world with relapsed neuroblastoma and has developed a program that provides hope through personalized treatment planning. He has trained many emerging leaders in the field, and has actively mentored dozens of students and post-doctoral fellows. He has impacted pediatric oncology beyond neuroblastoma, as exemplified by his leadership of a large multi-institution Stand Up to Cancer-St. Baldrick’s Foundation "Dream Team" grant designed to bring the fields of genomics and immunology together to combat all high-risk childhood cancers. Dr. Maris has received several prestigious awards including election into the American Society of Clinical Investigation, the Oski award for outstanding pediatric oncologists, the Berwick award for melding basic and clinical teaching, and the William Osler Patient Oriented Research Award for outstanding translationally relevant academic productivity.