Sarah K. Tasian, MD

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Sarah K. Tasian, MD, is an Attending Physician in the Division of Oncology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Areas of Expertise: Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Targeted cancer therapies, Immunotherapy, Clinical trials
Locations: Main Campus

Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)

Background

Sarah K Tasian, MD, is a pediatric oncologist and physician-scientist who specializes in the care of children with leukemia and lymphoma. She is a graduate of Baylor College of Medicine (MD) and trained in Pediatrics at Seattle Children’s Hospital and in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Her translational laboratory research program focuses upon development of targeted therapies for high-risk pediatric leukemias, including signal transduction inhibition and chimeric antigen receptor T cell immunotherapy. Dr. Tasian has leadership roles in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) ALL and AML committees and is involved in testing of targeted therapeutics in children with relapsed ALL and AML via early phase clinical trials through the COG and other consortia. Successful integration of these bench-based and clinical research studies will continue to facilitate her goals of developing better therapies, improving cure rates, and minimizing toxicities for children with high-risk leukemias.

Dr. Tasian is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research, the Société Internationale D’Oncologie Pédiatrique, and the Children’s Oncology Group. She serves as a peer reviewer for multiple biomedical journals and on the medical advisory boards of several childhood cancer funding organizations. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and written a book.

Dr. Tasian believes in comprehensive, compassionate care of her patients and their families, recognizing that a diagnosis of childhood cancer and its associated intensive therapies are life-changing experiences that impact the entire family.

Dr. Tasian's profile on the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania website.

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Residency

Pediatrics - Seattle Children’s Hospital and University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Fellowship

Pediatric Hematology-Oncology - University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA

Additional Training

National Institutes of Health-Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Scholars Program - National Cancer Institute/Pediatric Oncology Branch, Bethesda, MD (Tumor Immunology)

Board Certification

Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Pediatrics

Titles and Academic Titles

Attending Physician, Division of Oncology

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Conditions Treated

Departments and Services

Publications

Papers

2015

Qin H, Cho M, Haso W, Zhang L, Tasian SK, Zarni Oo H, Neri G, Lin Y, Zhou Z, Mallon BS, Maude S, Teachey DT, Barrett DM, Orentas RJ, Daugaard M, Sorensen PHB, Grupp SA, Fry TJ.  Eradication of pre B cell ALL Using Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing T cells Targeting the TSLPR Oncoprotein. Blood. 2015, 126(5): 629-39. PMID 26041741.

Pietzak EJ, Tasian GE, Tasian SK, Brinster RL, Carlson C, Ginsberg JP, Kolon TF.  Histology of Testicular Biopsies Obtained for an Experimental Fertility Preservation Protocol in Boys with Cancer. J Urol, 2015, accepted for publication. PMID: 26032139.

Maude SL, Dolai S, Delgado-Martin C, Vincent TL, Robbins A, Selvanathan A, Ryan T, Hall J, Wood AC, Tasian SK, Hunger SP, Loh ML, Mullighan CG, Wood BL, Hermiston ML, Grupp SA, Lock RB, Teachey DT. Efficacy of JAK/STAT Inhibition in Murine Xenograft Models of Early T-cell Precursor (ETP) Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Blood. 2015 Mar 12;125(11):1759-67.

Loh ML, Tasian SK, Rabin KR, Brown PA, Magoon D, Reid JM, Chen X, Ahern CH, Weigel BJ, Blaney SM. A Phase 1 Dosing Study of Ruxolitinib in Children with Relapsed or Refractory Solid tumors, Leukemias, or Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: A Children’s Oncology Group Phase 1 Consortium Study (ADVL1011). Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2015 Oct;62(10):1717-24.

Pietzak EJ, Tasian GE, Tasian SK, Brinster RL, Carlson C, Ginsberg JP, Kolon TF. Histology of Testicular Biopsies Obtained for an Experimental Fertility Preservation Protocol in Boys with Cancer. J Urol. 2015 Nov;194(5):1420-4.

Qin H, Cho M, Haso W, Zhang L, Tasian SK, Zarni Oo H, Neri G, Lin Y, Zhou Z, Mallon BS, Maude S, Teachey DT, Barrett DM, Orentas RJ, Daugaard M, Sorensen PHB, Grupp SA, Fry TJ. Eradication of pre B cell ALL Using Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing T cells Targeting the TSLPR Oncoprotein. Blood. 2015 Jul 30;126(5):629-39.

2014

Roberts KG, Li Y, Payne-Turner D, Harvey RC, Yang Y-L, Pei D, McCastlain, K, Ding L, Lu C, Song G, Ma J, Becksfort J, Rusch M, Chen S-C, Easton J, Cheng J, Boggs K, Santiago-Morales N, Iacobucci I, Fulton RS, Wen J, Valentine M, Cheng C, Paugh SW, Devidas M, Chen I-M, Reshmi S, Smith A, Hedlund E, Gupta P, Nagahawatte P, Wu G, Chen X, Yergeau D, Vadodaria B, Mulder H, Winick N, Larsen EC, Carroll WL, Neerema NA, Carroll AJ, Grayson G, Tasian SK, Moore AS, Keller F, Frei-Jones M, Whitlock J, Raetz EA, White D, Hughes TP, Guidry Auvil JM, Smith MA, Marcucci G, Bloomfield CD, Mrozek K, Kohlschmit J, Stock W, Kornblau SM, Konopleva M, Paietta E, Pui C-H, Jeha S, Relling MV, Evans WE, Gerhard DS, Gastier-Foster JM, Mardis E, Wilson RK, Loh ML, Downing JR, Hunger SP, Willman CL, Zhang J, Mullighan CG. Targetable Kinase Activating Lesions in Ph-like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. N Engl J Med. 371(11):1005-1015, 2014. PMID 25207766. 

Gill S*, Tasian SK*, Ruella M, Shestova O, Li Y, Porter DL, Carroll M, Danet-Desnoyers G, Scholler J, Grupp SA, June CH, Kalos M. Efficacy against Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myeloablation of Normal Hematopoiesis in a Mouse Model Using Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified T Cells. Blood. 2014 Apr 10;123(15):2343-54. Epub 2014 Mar 4. PMID: 24596416 (*co-first authors)

Abstracts

2015

Tasian SK, Kenderian SS, Shen F, Li Y, Ruella M, Fix WC, Kozlowski M, Carroll M, Aplenc R, June CH, Grupp SA, Gill SI. Efficient Termination of CD123-Redirected Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells for Acute Myeloid Leukemia to Mitigate Toxicity. Blood. 126(21): abstract 565, 2015. (Oral presentation at ASH Annual Meeting; Orlando, FL – selected for Best of ASH)

Tasian SK, Li Y, Shen F, Ryan T, Vincent TL, Teachey DT, Maude SL, Harvey RC, Chen I-M, Willman CL, Perl AE, Hunger SP, Loh ML, Carroll M, Grupp SA. Potent Efficacy of Combined PI3K/mTOR and JAK or SRC/ABL Inhibition in Philadelphia Chromosome-like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Blood. 126(21): abstract 798, 2015. (Oral presentation at ASH Annual Meeting; Orlando, FL)

Tasian SK, Shen F, Li Y, Kenderian SS, Aplenc R, Carroll M, Grupp SA, Gill S. Effective Ablation of Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified T Cells for Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Alemtuzumab. Conference on Immunotherapy in Pediatric Oncology Annual Meeting 2015. (Oral presentation at annual meeting; Seattle, WA)

Tasian SK, Shen F, Li Y, Kenderian SS, Aplenc R, Carroll M, Grupp SA, Gill S. Effective Ablation of Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified T Cells for Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Alemtuzumab. FASEB Hematologic Malignancies Scientific Research Conference 2015 (oral presentation at biannual meeting; Saxtons River, VT).

Rheingold SR, Whitlock JA, Tasian SK, Teachey DT, Borowitz MJ, Liu X, Ahern, CH, Minard C, Fox E, Weigel BJ, Blaney SM.  Temsirolimus and intensive re-induction chemotherapy for 2nd or greater relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): A Children’s Oncology Group study. J Clin Oncol. 33 suppl: abstract 10029, 2015. (Pediatric Oncology Poster Highlights Symposium presentation at ASCO Annual Meeting; Chicago, IL)

2014

Shi C, Han L, Tabe Y, Mu H, Wu S-C, Zhou Z, Zeng Z, Fruman DA, Tasian SK, Weinstock DM, Konopleva M. Dual Targeting of JAK2 Signaling with a Type II JAK2 Inhibitor and of mTOR with a TOR Kinase Inhibitor Induces Apoptosis in CRLF2-Rearranged Ph-like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Blood. 124(21): abstract 2672, 2014. (Poster at ASH Annual Meeting; San Francisco, CA)

Books

Tasian, Sarah K.  Swine Flu.  Rosen Publishing, Inc.: New York, New York, 2011. (ISBN-13 978-1448812929)

Posters and Presentations

2015

Tasian SK, Li Y, Ryan T, Maude SL, Teachey DT, Loh ML, Hunger SP, Mullighan CG, Grupp, SA. Preclinical In Vivo Efficacy of PI3K Pathway Inhibition in Philadelphia-Like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Pediatric Blood & Cancer. (Poster at International Society of Paediatric Oncology Annual Meeting; Toronto, ON – best poster award)

2014

Tasian SK, Loh ML, Rabin KR, Brown PA, Ahern CH, Weigel BJ, Blaney SM. A Phase 1 Study of Ruxolitinib in Children with Relapsed/Refractory Solid Tumors, Leukemias, or Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: A Children's Oncology Group Phase 1 Consortium Study (ADVL1011).  J Clin Oncol. Abstract 320, 2014. (Pediatric Oncology Poster Highlights Symposium presentation at ASCO Annual Meeting; Chicago, IL)

Tasian SK, Li Y, Ryan T, Maude SL, Teachey DT, Loh ML, Hunger SP, Mullighan CG, Grupp, SA. Preclinical In Vivo Efficacy of PI3K Pathway Inhibition in Philadelphia-Like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Pediatric Blood & Cancer. Abstract #0039, 2014. (Poster at International Society of Paediatric Oncology Annual Meeting; Toronto, ON – best poster award)

Lectures by Invitation

2016

Tasian SK. Targeted Therapies for High-Risk Pediatric Leukemias [invited lecture]. MD Anderson Cancer Center Pediatric Oncology Grand Rounds; 2016 Apr; Houston, TX

Tasian SK. Targeted Therapies for High-Risk Pediatric Leukemias [invited lecture]. Texas Children’s Hospital Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Grand Rounds; 2016 Apr; Houston, TX.

Tasian SK. T Cell Immunotherapy for Pediatric Leukemias [invited lecture]. Overlook Hospital Pediatric Grand Rounds; 2016 Mar; Morristown, NJ.

Tasian SK. T Cell Immunotherapy for Pediatric Leukemias [invited lecture]. Morristown Medical Center and Goryeb Children’s Hospital Pediatric Grand Rounds; Morristown, NJ.

Tasian SK. Imminent Trials: AALL1521 – Ruxolitinib and Chemotherapy for JAK-Mutant ALL [invited lecture]. Children’s Oncology Group; 2016 Mar; St Louis, MO.

Tasian SK. Preclinical Approaches to Cellular Therapy for AML [invited lecture]. American Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation; 2016 Feb; Honolulu, HI.

2015

Tasian SK. Efficient Termination of CD123-Redirected Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells for Acute Myeloid Leukemia to Mitigate Toxicity [invited lecture]. American Society of Hematology; 2015 Dec; Orlando, FL.

Tasian SK. Potent Efficacy of Combined PI3K/mTOR and JAK or SRC/ABL Inhibition in Philadelphia Chromosome-like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia [invited lecture]. American Society of Hematology; 2015 Dec; Orlando, FL.

Tasian SK. JAK Inhibitors for ALL [invited lecture]. Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer European Consortium, New Agents in Leukemia/Lymphoma meeting; 2015 Oct; Toronto, Canada

Tasian SK. CAR T Cell Immunotherapy for AML [invited lecture]. Children’s Oncology Group; 2015 Oct; Dallas, TX.

Tasian SK. AALL1521: Ruxolitinib and Chemotherapy for JAK-Mutant ALL [invited lecture]. Children’s Oncology Group; 2015 Oct; Dallas, TX.

Tasian SK. Molecularly-Targeted Therapeutics for High-Risk Childhood Leukemias: Two Bench to Bedside ‘Tails' [invited lecture]. UT Southwestern Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Grand Rounds; 2015 Sep; Dallas, TX.

Tasian SK. Effective Ablation of Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified T Cells for Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Alemtuzumab [invited lecture]. Conference on Immunotherapy in Pediatric Oncology annual meeting; 2015 Sep; Seattle, WA.

Tasian SK. Termination of Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified T Cells for Acute Myeloid Leukemia [invited lecture]. Federation of American Sciences for Experimental Biology Hematologic Malignancies biannual meeting; 2015 Jul; Saxtons River, VT.

Tasian SK. Ruxolitinib and Chemotherapy for JAK-Mutant Ph-like ALL [invited lecture]. Children’s Oncology Group; 2015 Apr; Atlanta, GA.

2014

Tasian SK. Targeted Therapeutic Opportunities for Ph-like ALL [invited lecture]. Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer European Consortium, New Agents in Leukemia/Lymphoma meeting; 2014 Nov; Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Tasian SK. Biology of Ph-like ALL [invited lecture]. Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer European Consortium, New Agents in Leukemia/Lymphoma meeting; 2014 Nov; Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Tasian SK. Preclinical In Vivo Efficacy of PI3K Pathway Inhibition in Philadelphia-Like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia [invited lecture]. International Society of Paediatric Oncology; 2014 Oct; Toronto, Ontario.

Tasian SK. JAK Inhibitor Therapy for Newly-Diagnosed ALL [invited lecture]. Children’s Oncology Group; 2014 Sep; Dallas, TX.

Tasian SK. Evaluation of a Child with Lymphadenopathy: Just a Virus or Something More Ominous? [invited lecture]. North Pacific Pediatric Society Annual Meeting; 2014 Aug; Coeur d’Alene, ID.

Tasian SK. Evaluation of a Child with Anemia [invited lecture]. North Pacific Pediatric Society Annual Meeting; 2014 Aug; Coeur d’Alene, ID.

Tasian SK. A Phase I Study of Ruxolitinib in Children with Relapsed/Refractory Solid Tumors, Leukemias, or Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: A Children’s Oncology Group Phase I Consortium Study (ADVL1011) [invited lecture]. American Society of Clinical Oncology; 2014 Jun; Chicago, IL.

Tasian SK. Development of Clinical Trials Using JAK Inhibitors [invited lecture]. Children’s Oncology Group; 2014 Apr; St. Louis, MO.

Awards and Honors

2015, Best of ASH Annual Meeting recognition for oral presentation

2014, Best poster presentation, International Society of Paediatric Oncology annual conference

2013-2014, Canuso Foundation Innovation Award

2013-2014, ALSF Scholar in Developmental Therapeutics

2012-2014, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Young Investigator Award

2011-2012, American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award

2010, American Society of Clinical Oncology Trainee Travel Award

2010, American Society of Hematology Travel Award

2009-2014, National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program (NIH-LRP)

2009, UCSF Pediatric Fellow Teaching Award

2002-2004, Alpha Omega Alpha, cum laude 

2001-2002, HHMI-NIH Research Scholars Program fellowship

1999, Outstanding Senior Student in Notre Dame Honors Program

1999, Honors Program, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

1999, USA Today Academic All-American

1995-1999, University of Notre Dame Honors Program

1995, National Merit Finalist

1995, University of Notre Dame Early Action Scholar

1995, Graduated Salutatorian and Summa Cum Laude - Saint Agnes Academy, Houston, TX

Editorial and Academic Positions

Editorial Positions

2014-present, Frontiers in Oncology, review editor

Ad hoc reviewer

2015 – present, Pediatric Blood and Cancer 

2015-present, PLOS One  

​2015-present, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

2014-present, British Journal of Hematology

2014-present, American Journal of Hematology

2014-present, Blood

2014-present, British Medical Journal

2012-present, Leukemia

2012-present, Haematologica

Review editor

2014-present, American Journal of Hematology

Academic and Institutional Committees

2012-present, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship, committee interviewer

2011-present, Pediatric Protocol Review Committee

2011-present, Hematologic Malignancies Steering Committee

Leadership and Memberships

Memberships in professional organizations

International

2014-present, International Society of Paediatric Oncology/Société Internationale D’Oncologie Pédiatrique  (SIOP)

2008-present, Children’s Oncology Group

 - 2015-present, AALL1521 Study Chair

 - 2014-present, ALL Disease Committee Member

 - 2014-present, AALL1331 Study Committee Member

 - 2013-present, Ph-like ALL Working Group Member

 - 2013-present, AML New Agents Committee Member

 - 2013-present, Myeloid Disease Committee Member

 - 2011-present, ADVL1011 Study Committee Member

National

2010-present, American Society of Clinical Oncology

2009-present, American Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology

2007-present, American Society of Hematology