RILEY CHILDREN'S HEALTH
Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health is a Midwest destination for pediatric and adolescent/young adult cancer care as a top-20 ranked program by U.S. News & World Report. We define pediatrics as children ages 0 to 14 and adolescent/young adult as age 15 to 39. Riley cancer specialists provide comprehensive treatment, including specialized programs for Precision Genomics (the ability to sequence a child’s tumor at the genetic level in order to determine its origin and reveal potential treatments that weren’t previously able to be considered) and CAR T-Cell therapy (often considered a cure for certain types of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and diffuse large-B cell lymphoma). In the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research at the IU School of Medicine, our Riley physicians and scientists work together to rapidly advance and translate basic research findings into the clinical setting. Through the Indiana University School of Medicine, pediatric and adolescent/young adult oncology patients have access to more than 60 open clinical studies at any given time.
Kenneth Cornetta, MD
Clinical Professor, Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine
Dr. Kenneth Cornetta’s lab focuses on improving safety of gene therapy through innovations in vector production and testing. His team’s research focuses on using viral-based gene transfer as a means of introducing genetic sequences that will correct mutations and ameliorate disease. He created the Indiana University Vector Production Facility, established in 1995, with the goal of generating clinical gene therapy vector products. This facility has generated over 50 products for Phase I/II trials. He also serves at the Principal Investigator for the NIH/NHLBI National Gene Vector Biorepository, which assists investigators in meeting FDA requirements associated with preclinical and clinical gene therapy. His research looks at ways to improve vector production and certification testing.
Academic Affiliations
Professor of Clinical Medical & Molecular Genetics, Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine
Associate Director, Brown Center for Immunotherapy, Indiana University School of Medicine
W. Scott Goebel, MD, PhD
Medical Director of the Cellular Therapy Laboratory, IU Health Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant and Immune Cell Therapy Program, Indiana University School of Medicine
Dr. Scott Goebel serves as Medical Director of the Cellular Therapy Laboratory, which processes all autologous and allogeneic blood and marrow stem cell products, cord blood products, and all manufactured cell therapy products including genetically modified cells. Dr. Goebel’s clinical expertise includes pediatric stem cell transplantation for children with malignant and non-malignant conditions. His research seeks to develop novel cellular and gene therapies for non-malignant diseases, particularly Fanconi anemia.
Academic Affiliations
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine
Jamie L. Renbarger, MD, MS
Division Chief, Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health
Director, Pediatric Cancer Precision Genomics Program, Riley Hospital for Children
Dr. Jamie Renbarger is the Caroline Symmes Professor in Pediatric Cancer Research, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and Director, Pediatric Cancer Precision Genomics Program. Her clinical interests are precision medicine approaches for aggressive pediatric cancers and improving pediatric cancer survivorship care.
Dr. Renbarger’s research interests are in optimizing approaches for treatment of childhood cancers. Her work involves a major effort to identify biomarkers of drug toxicity and efficacy in the treatment of pediatric cancers. The ultimate goal is to use these biomarkers to develop simple, robust and practical/clinical predictors of response to medications in individual patients that can be used to optimize dosing in the treatment of children.
Academic Affiliations
Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, and adjunct Professor, Department of Medicine, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine
Jodi L. Skiles, MD, MS
Medical Director of the Riley Hospital for Children Pediatric Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant and Immune Cell Therapy Program, Indiana University School of Medicine
Dr. Jodi Skiles’ area of interest is the pharmacogenetics of anticancer drugs in children. This involves the investigation of tumor response in children receiving specific chemotherapeutic agents and the sensitivity of these individuals to the drugs’ toxic side effects.
In addition to Dr. Skiles’ service time for Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant, she is developing an Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology Program at IU Health. Her goal over the next 1-2 years is to develop both a treatment program and a research platform for AYA cancer patients, specifically regarding high-risk leukemias and pharmacogenetic biomarkers of response to treatment. Under this program, she has already launched a comprehensive Fertility Preservation Program for pediatric and young adult patients.
Academic Affiliations
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine