The CAR T-Cell Therapy Team

A specialized team of caregivers will guide you through the CAR T-cell process. Members of the team will include:

Lewis B. Silverman, MD
Director of Clinical Research and Clinical Care, Department of Pediatric Oncology
Dr. Silverman's major research focus is in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). He is the principal investigator of the DFCI ALL Consortium, a multi-institutional group conducting clinical trials in children with newly diagnosed and relapsed ALL. Dr. Silverman designs and oversees these studies, which have yielded high cure rates for children with newly diagnosed ALL. His research is also focused on reducing short- and long-term effects of treatment in pediatric ALL patients, as well as testing novel therapies in patients with relapsed disease.

Steven P. Margossian, MD, PhD
Senior Physician, Stem Cell Transplant Center
Dr. Margossian is a member of one of the largest pediatric stem cell transplant centers in the country and excels at helping children and families adjust during diagnosis and treatment. His role as a physician and a researcher allows him to be on the leading edge of both clinical research and patient care.

Andrew E. Place, MD, PhD
Clinical Director, Pediatric Hematologic Malignancy Center
Dr. Place is a physician-scientist in the Hematologic Malignancy Center. His clinic expertise focuses on the treatment of children and adolescents with high-risk leukemias and lymphomas. With an intent to improve outcomes for these patients, Dr. Place is pioneering new and effective treatments through high-impact clinical trials.

Kimberly J. Davies, MD
Medical Director, Jimmy Fund Clinic, and Program Leader for Pediatric Oncology Clinical Services, Boston Children’s Hospital
Dr. Davies is an institute physician at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and a member of the Hematologic Malignancy Center in the department of pediatric oncology. She has a clinical specialty interest in non-Hodgkin lymphoma and is the panel chair for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s (NCCN) guidelines committee for Pediatric Aggressive Mature B-Cell Lymphomas. Her professional interests include ambulatory oncology, clinical operations, and treatment of pediatric hematologic malignancies.

Susanne Baumeister, MD
Physician, Stem Cell Transplant Center
Dr. Baumeister is a physician-scientist in our pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Center. She has comprehensive clinical expertise in pediatric stem cell transplantation and the management of immune effector therapies. Her clinical-translational research focuses on the development of novel cell-based immunotherapies and stem cell transplant approaches. In this capacity, she leads innovative CAR T-cell clinical trials to improve outcomes for patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies.

Colleen Dansereau, RN, MSN, CPN
Director of Clinical Operations, Gene Therapy Program
As operations director of the Gene Therapy Program, Colleen administratively manages the CAR T-cell therapy program as well as all administrative responsibility for all of the gene therapy clinical trials that take place at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's, for conditions including sickle cell disease, Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS), and chronic granulomatous disease (CGD).

Nurse Navigators: Robyn Blacken, BSN, RN, CPHON, BMTCN, and Brenda MacKinnon, BSN, RN
Robyn and Brenda are the two nurse navigators that will guide you and your child through the entire treatment process. They both specialize in treating children with cancer and blood disorders. From collecting your child's T-cells through apheresis to infusion of the modified cells, they will be with you each step of the way to support you and make the process as smooth as possible.

Psychosocial support team
Our care team includes physicians, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Each member of this team has special expertise in the social, emotional, and psychological aspects of caring for children with cancer. We know that the whole family is affected by a cancer diagnosis so we provide care and support for each family member throughout each stage of the treatment journey.