College of Medicine awarded $4 million grant to advance pediatric oncology research
Dr. Sinisa Dovat, professor and vice chair for basic science research in the Department of Pediatrics and Four Diamonds researcher at the Penn State College of Medicine, has been awarded a $4 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Tobacco Settlement Fund Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement (CURE) program to advance his research in pediatric oncology. Funding for pediatric oncology was established in Pennsylvania’s 2021-22 state budget and championed by PA State Senator Scott Martin (Lancaster), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Dovat’s research focuses on developing precision medicine approaches for the treatment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a common malignancy that affects children, with a particular emphasis on high-risk leukemia subtypes prevalent in the Hispanic and Latino populations. Despite significant advances in cancer treatment, children with high-risk leukemia still face a grim prognosis, especially those with specific genetic mutations.
The grant will support and further Dovat’s innovative work in understanding and overcoming chemotherapy resistance in pediatric leukemia. Through a combination of leading-edge therapies, Dr. Dovat seeks to develop targeted treatments that could effectively reverse resistance to chemotherapy while minimizing toxic effects on young patients.
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His research aims to improve outcomes in Hispanic and Latino children with high-risk leukemia and for all children facing similar challenges. Dovat’s commitment to advancing personalized and precision medicine in pediatric oncology is demonstrated by his efforts to pinpoint the genetic implications of leukemia in diverse patient populations.
By leveraging the power of precision medicine, Dovat and his team aspire to identify genetic pathways that drive leukemia growth and spread, paving the way for tailored treatments that directly target these pathways.
“This grant represents a tremendous opportunity to further our understanding of high-risk pediatric leukemia and develop novel treatment strategies that could transform outcomes for children facing this devastating disease,” said Dovat. “I am grateful for this support and committed to leveraging this funding to accelerate our efforts to bring about positive change for these vulnerable patients.”
Much of Dovat’s work as a long-time researcher and pediatric oncologist at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital and the College of Medicine has been supported by Four Diamonds.
“Thanks to Four Diamonds, we can do both leading-edge research and clinical care,” said Dovat. “Without its generous support to develop technologies and new tools to help us understand, diagnose and treat disease, none of this would be possible.”
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