Medical Advisory Board - Synovial Sarcoma Foundation

Dr. Theodore Laetsch, MD

Leader of the Board

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Dr. Theodore Laetsch, MD

Leader of the Board

Dr. Theodore Laetsch is a pediatric oncologist and leads both the Developmental Therapeutics Program (DVL) and the Very Rare Malignant Tumors Program (VRMTP) at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, as well as holding national leadership roles in each of these areas within the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). In the DVL program, Dr. Laetsch conducts early phase clinical trials of new treatments for children with difficult to treat cancers. Dr. Laetsch leads the pediatric development of TRK inhibitors for children with NTRK gene fusions, and now leads a COG nationwide clinical trial studying the ability to use TRK inhibitors instead of chemotherapy for children with one of these gene fusions. As the chair of the Rare Tumors Committee for the Children’s Oncology Group. Dr. Laetsch is a member of the cellular therapy / chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell team at the Children’s Hospital. Prior to joining the Children’s Hospital in 2020, Dr. Laetsch led the pediatric CAR T-cell program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Email:Laetscht@chop.edu

Dr. Lee Hartner, MD

Board Member

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Dr. Lee Hartner, MD

Board Member

A senior sarcoma and gastrointestinal oncologist with deep clinical and academic expertise at Penn Medicine. He serves as Clinical Director of Sarcoma Medical Oncology at Pennsylvania Hospital while leading the GI-CREP Program and teaching at the Perelman School of Medicine.

Dr. William D. Tap, MD

Board Member

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Dr. William D. Tap, MD

Board Member

An internationally recognized sarcoma medical oncologist and one of the world's leading investigators in soft tissue and bone sarcoma clinical research. As Chief of the Sarcoma Medical Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering, he has led landmark trials that have established new standards of care for sarcoma patients.

Dr. Suzanne George, MD

Board Member

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Dr. Suzanne George, MD

Board Member

A nationally recognized expert in soft tissue sarcoma, bone sarcoma, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) who has played a major role in the development of targeted therapies. She leads clinical research at Dana-Farber's Sarcoma Center and serves as an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Seth Pollack, MD

Board Member

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Dr. Seth Pollack, MD

Board Member

A physician-scientist widely recognized for advancing immune-based approaches to sarcoma treatment, with a research focus on tumor microenvironment biology and novel therapeutic development. He directs the Sarcoma Program at Northwestern University's Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Torsten Nielsen, MD, PhD

Board Member

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Dr. Torsten Nielsen, MD, PhD

Board Member

An internationally renowned sarcoma pathologist and molecular diagnostics expert whose work has significantly advanced the understanding of sarcoma biology and biomarker discovery. He serves as a Professor at the University of British Columbia and practices at Vancouver General Hospital.

Dr. Katie Albert, MD

Board Member

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Dr. Katie Albert, MD

Board Member

A pediatric oncologist specializing in sarcomas and solid tumors in children, adolescents, and young adults, with a focus on improving outcomes through collaborative clinical trials and translational research. She practices at Seattle Children's Hospital and holds a faculty appointment at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. Richard Gorlick, MD

Board Member

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Dr. Richard Gorlick, MD

Board Member

An internationally recognized leader in sarcoma and osteosarcoma research who has led numerous national and international studies aimed at improving treatment options for pediatric and adolescent patients. He serves as the Division Head and Chairman of Pediatrics at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. David Liebner, MD

Board Member

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Dr. David Liebner, MD

Board Member

A sarcoma specialist who uniquely combines clinical oncology with biomedical informatics expertise to advance precision medicine approaches in rare cancer care. He conducts research focused on clinical trials and novel therapies at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Aaron Weiss, MD

Board Member

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Dr. Aaron Weiss, MD

Board Member

A pediatric sarcoma specialist and national leader in clinical research for childhood soft tissue sarcomas, guiding the development of cooperative group trials through his leadership in the Children's Oncology Group. He practices at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center and holds a faculty appointment at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Dr. Patrick Schöffski, MD, MPH

Board Member

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Dr. Patrick Schöffski, MD, MPH

Board Member

One of Europe's foremost sarcoma experts and a leading investigator in early-phase and translational cancer research, with a focus on developing innovative therapies for sarcomas and rare cancers. He leads both the Department of General Medical Oncology at UZ Leuven and the Laboratory of Experimental Oncology at KU Leuven.

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