The Medical Advisory Board is an integral part of our organization, providing guidance and support in our efforts to improve the lives of those affected by Ewing’s Sarcoma. Comprised of experts in the field of pediatric oncology, this esteemed group helps us allocate research dollars to treatments and studies that have the greatest potential to positively impact sarcoma patients.
Through their knowledge and expertise, they ensure that our organization stays at the forefront of research and treatment developments, while also providing valuable insights into the needs and experiences of patients and families affected by Ewing’s Sarcoma.
Our medical advisors are internationally recognized for their groundbreaking research, clinical expertise, contributions and dedication to improving the lives of pediatric cancer patients.
Each advisor is a leading expert in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of Ewing's Sarcoma, offering invaluable knowledge and support to our organization and the families we serve.
Paul Meyers is a pediatric oncologist focusing his career on studying and treating pediatric and adolescent patients with various sarcomas. He currently is the chief of the pediatric sarcoma clinic and vice chairman of clinical affairs at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He has authored and co-authored over 200 publications about sarcomas, served as president of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society and is an active member of the National Cancer Institute’s Physician Data Query Pediatric Board.
In addition he is the founding medical director for Happiness Is Camping, a summer camp for children with Cancer. Dr. Meyers has been listed in New York Magazine’s Top Doctors from (2002-2018). He received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Michael Kinnaman received his MD from Stony Brook University School of Medicine, completed his pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, and his fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at the joint Memorial Sloan Kettering/Weill Cornell Medical Center program.
He is current a member of the Pediatric Sarcoma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) where he specializes in taking care of children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with pediatric sarcomas. He is a member of the Iacobuzio-Donahue Lab Group, with research efforts focused on describing and detailing the clonal evolution of cancer cells in pediatric sarcomas.
Dr. Kinnaman has been the recipient of a number of young investigator awards to fund his research, with support from Hyundai Hope on Wheels, the Rally Foundation, ASCO/Conquer Cancer Foundation, and the QuadW Foundation. He has also been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH)/MSKCC K12 Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology.
Damon is the Chair of the Department of Individualized Cancer Management and Clinical Co-Leader of the Evolutionary Therapy Center of Excellence at Moffitt. He is a Senior Member at Moffitt Cancer Center, and a Professor of Oncologic Sciences at the University of South Florida. He lead and helped build the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s pediatric phase I consortium, the Sunshine Project.
A graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH, Damon served a combined pediatric residency program at Boston Children’s Hospital-Harvard Medical School and Boston Medical Center-Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his fellowship training in pediatric hematology/oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and in Dr. Mike Dyer’s lab. Dr. Reed is the Vice Chair of the COG Bone Tumor Committee and the Vice President of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society.
Dr. Grohar received his BS in chemistry at Villanova University. He subsequently earned both a PhD in chemistry and a MD at Wayne State University. He completed residency training in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University and fellowship training in pediatric hematology-oncology in the joint program of Johns Hopkins and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where he was chief fellow.
He joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University as an assistant professor of pediatrics before being recruited to the Van Andel Research Institute as an associate professor. He was subsequently recruited to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as the Director of Translational Research in the Center for Childhood Cancer Research.
He holds the Kelly and Chad Punchard Endowed Chair for Translational Sarcoma Research. Dr. Grohar is internationally recognized for his work on Ewing sarcoma. His lab has primarily focused on the therapeutic targeting of the EWS-FLI1 transcription factor for Ewing sarcoma. His work is truly bench to bedside and he is currently the PI of a clinical trial targeting EWS-FLI1 that is open and recruiting patients. He has received numerous grant awards including federal and foundation support. In addition, he has been generously supported by philanthropy.
He holds national leadership positions in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), specifically as the vice-chair for biology for bone tumors, chair of the Ewing sarcoma biology committee and co-chair of combined sarcoma biology. He serves on a number of advisory boards and is an ad hoc reviewer for numerous journals and funding agencies. Dr. Grohar has had the honor of being invited to give lectures across the United States and in Europe.
Jessie Hillsberg is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner who received her bachelors degree in arts from University of Wisconsin – Madison.
She went on to receive a bachelors of science in nursing and masters of science in nursing at New York University, focusing her studies on pediatrics. She began work in 2014 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on the Pediatric Sarcoma Service where she continues to work today.
Join us in the fight against Ewing’s Sarcoma by exploring the many ways you can get involved and make a difference. Whether you donate, sponsor a comfort kit, or participate in an event, your support helps us improve the lives of those affected by this rare and devastating pediatric cancer.
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Our success is ultimately measured by our ability to empower patients to strike out Ewing’s Sarcoma. In our first year we allocated over $350k to four high impact grants in the ongoing search of a cure. Our next fundraising target is to raise $400,000 for our 2024 grant cycle.
Join us in our mission to raise awareness, provide critical support to pediatric and young adult patients, and fund research to find a cure for this devastating disease by making a donation today.
