Description of Services

Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) is used successfully to treat a number of cancers, blood diseases and immune disorders that were once considered incurable. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC provides state-of-the-art care for children undergoing stem cell transplant therapy. Children’s is also committed to clinical investigation with programs for innovative therapies against malignant and non-malignant diseases. The nursing staff, with training in BMT, oncology and pediatric intensive care, is complemented by pharmacists, social workers, child life specialists, nutritionists and physical therapists, all specializing in the care and treatment of children and adolescents.

To provide our patients with access to the most recent innovations in transplantation, we collaborate in many multi-center trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium and the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). For patients with sickle cell disease and other non-malignant conditions, we are doing pioneering clinical research in a form of transplantation called non-myeloablative, meaning the recipient’s bone marrow is not completely destroyed. We work in close collaboration with the Stem Cell Program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI).

The program has expanded considerably since its inception in 1991. It is accredited by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) for unrelated donor transplants in children. Transplants performed here utilize bone marrow, peripheral blood, and cord blood as stem cell sources. For patients requiring transplantation who do not have related donors, we have many years of experience with unrelated bone marrow and cord blood transplantation. We routinely perform transplants for patients with a wide variety of malignant (acute and chronic leukemias, brain tumors) and non-malignant (aplastic anemia, sickle cell disease, immune deficiencies) diseases. Types of transplants performed at Children’s include:

• Autologous Transplant: Self Donor
• Syngeneic Transplant: Identical Twin Donor
• Allogeneic Transplant: Related Donor
• Allogeneic Transplant: Unrelated Donor
• Allogeneic Transplant: "Mismatched" Donor
• Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant

Director
Rakesh K. Goyal, MD

Our Physicians
Sriya Gunawardena, MD
Lakshmanan Krishnamurti, MD
Peter Shaw, MD
Jean Tersak, MD

Clinical Staff
Denise Howrie, PharmD
Pharmacist

Indira Khimji, PharmD
Pharmacist

Sharon Lavallee, MSW
Social Worker

Susan Makoroff, MSW
Social Worker

Laura McCullough, MS, CCLS
Child Life Specialist

Cindy Miller, RD
Nutritionist

Robert B. Noll, PhD
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Child Development Unit

Jackie Rivett, BSN, RN
BMT Nurse Coordinator

Jason Rowan, RN
BMT Nurse Coordinator

Michael Shulock, MS, CCLS
Child Life Specialist

Tammy Spight, PA-C
Physician Assistant

Debra Voller, CRA
Data Management

George “Phil” Zorich, MT(ASCP)
Senior Blood and Marrow Processing Technologist and Search Coordinator