New Leaders, New Faculty Members Strengthen Brain Tumor Center

Neuro-oncologists Peter de Blank, MD, MSCE, and Trent Hummel, MD, have been named co-medical directors of The Cure Starts Now Brain Tumor Center at Cincinnati Children’s.

“The Cure Starts Now Brain Tumor Center is a national leader in pediatric neuro-oncology, dedicated to treating the most complex childhood brain tumors through a combination of basic science discovery, cutting-edge clinical trials, clinical expertise and multidisciplinary, family-centered support,” says de Blank. “Our diverse team includes expert clinicians, basic scientists, and patient and family support personnel, all working together to help drive discovery, accelerate therapies and find cures for the most challenging pediatric brain tumors.”

The brain tumor center is a world-renowned destination for children with rare and refractory brain tumors, de Blank adds. Each year, the team sees hundreds of new patients, many of whom travel internationally to Cincinnati.

Meet the Three New Faculty Members

The center recently welcomed three fellowship-trained pediatric neuro-oncologists who have advanced training and expertise in treating high-grade glioma (HGG), diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), medulloblastoma and other rare, lethal brain tumors.

Rich Graham, MD, completed a pediatric neuro-oncology fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and a pediatric hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Before that, he was pediatric chief resident at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center/Children’s Health in Dallas. Graham, who earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, has a particular interest in HGG and DIPG. His previous research focused on the proteomic and molecular characterization of pediatric brain tumors to better predict high-risk features and guide novel therapies.

Aaron Mochizuki, DO, shares Graham’s interests in treating high-risk pediatric brain tumors such as HGG and DIPG. His previous research was in immuno-oncology and the single-cell characterization of immune populations after checkpoint inhibition. His research has helped to uncover how our bodies’ immune systems respond to invasive brain tumors. Mochizuki completed a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles and a pediatric neuro-oncology fellowship at Stanford Health Care’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, California. He earned his medical degree from A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, Arizona, and completed his residency in pediatrics at University of Hawaii in Honolulu and at Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Scott Raskin, DO, completed two fellowships at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. — one in hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant, and the other in neuro-oncology. He earned his medical degree at Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, California, and was chief resident at Miami Children’s Hospital (now Nicklaus Children’s Hospital) in Florida. Raskin’s previous research focused on immuno-oncology and nanoscale chemotherapy delivery.

The three neuro-oncologists join de Blank, Hummel and Natasha Pillay-Smiley, DO, at the brain tumor center. In addition to maintaining a robust clinical practice, the six physician-researchers participate in about 20 brain tumor research studies. Many of these studies are offered in collaboration with national consortiums and pediatric brain tumor clinical trial collaboratives; some are available only at Cincinnati Children’s.

“We are so grateful for the additions of Drs. Graham, Mochizuki and Raskin,” Hummel says. “Their expertise will help us expand what we offer in both patient care and clinical research, and their continued research will help bring new therapies to children with brain and spinal tumors for years to come.”

Hummel adds that the center is now one of the largest pediatric brain tumor groups in the country dedicated to treating malignant and nonmalignant brain and spinal tumors. “Our multidisciplinary team of neuro-oncologists, neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, neurologists and other subspecialists work collaboratively to develop individualized treatment plans, which may include experimental and targeted therapies, novel surgical approaches and advanced radiation techniques,” he says.