December 15, 2023 Applications: Please apply for a seat here. This opportunity is available to SIOP members only.
Meet-the-Expert Roundtable Hosts will be: 
- Prof. Brenda Weigel (USA)
- Dr. Susanne Gatz (UK)
- Dr. Lindsay Jibb (Canada)
- Dr. Paola Friedrich (USA)
- Dr. Rashmi Dalvi (India)
- Dr. Milena Villarroel (Chile)
Prof. Brenda Weigel (USA) is currently the Director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. She is a professor cross-appointed at the University of Minnesota’s Cancer Center and the Department of Pediatrics, and the recipient of the Lehman/Children’s Cancer Research Fund Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cancer. She is also the Co-Director of the Sarcoma Program for the Masonic Cancer Center, and an Associate Director of the Cancer Experimental Therapeutics Initiative for the Masonic Cancer Center. Dr. Weigel received her medical degree from MacMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and did her residency in Pediatrics at the University of Western Ontario. She came to the University of Minnesota in 1996 to do a Fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant. During her four-year fellowship, Dr. Weigel worked in the lab of Dr. Bruce Blazar and developed a murine model of rhabdomyosarcoma.
Dr. Susanne Gatz (UK) is a clinician scientist who aims to combine her clinical expertise in solid tumours with her laboratory interests and expertise into translational research into DNA repair and sarcoma to ultimately identify better treatments for children with cancer, in particular sarcomas. Susanne joined the University of Birmingham as senior lecturer in Paediatric Oncology in October 2018. She is based at the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit within the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences and is involved in the paediatric cancer trial portfolio of the unit with focus on sarcomas (eg the overarching platform trial FaR-RMS for rhabdomyosarcoma patients). She is leading on taking forward novel agents in rhabdomyosarcoma within the trial setting. With regards to research into DNA repair inhibitors Susanne has developed the arm D in the paediatric ESMART (NCT02813135) stratified medicine basket study; this arm is investigating the combination of the PARP inhibitor Olaparib and irinotecan in paediatric patients with either Ewing’s sarcoma or tumours with genomic alterations in the homologous recombination repair pathway and is currently in Phase II (Phase I presented at ASCO 2019 (poster) and SIOP 2019 (oral)). Susanne is further actively involved in the paediatric stratified medicine programme and molecular profiling initiatives for paediatric cancers.
Dr. Lindsay Jibb (Canada) holds the Signy Hildur Eaton Chair in Pediatric Nursing Research at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto and a Certified Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurse. Dr. Jibb’s research program is broadly focused on enhancing quality of life and improving psychosocial care for children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer and their families. Major focuses within this area are: User-centered development and evaluation of digital health technologies for symptom management; Interventions to empower and support the health of family caregivers of children with cancer; Home-based childhood cancer care; and Child with cancer- and caregiver-oriented research priority identification and engagement in research. Dr. Jibb’s studies have been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Rally Foundation, the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, and the Hospital for Sick Children.
Dr. Paola Friedrich, MD MPH is a pediatric oncologist and scholar at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She is the Medical Director of the Latin America Region and the Metric and Performance Unit of the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine. She works clinically in pediatric solid tumors and scholarly in global childhood cancer disparities and health services research with a focus on improvement and implementation science. She has made significant contributions to global pediatric oncology through research, education, and program building activities.
Rashmi Dalvi, MD DCH, is the Chair of the SIOP Advocacy Committee and previously the SIOP Continental President for SAsia (2018-2021). She is presently MUHS Professor & Head, Department of Pediatrics & Pediatric Hematology Oncology at the Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences & Visiting Consultant at NH-SRCC Children’s hospital and PHO-BMT Department of LTMG Medical College Hospital, in Mumbai. An alumna of Seth GS Medical College/KEM Hospital, she trained in PHO In India (1988), and at the Children’s Hospitals of Michigan (1996) & Philadelphia (UICC-ICRETT 2001). She was among the earliest to develop and promote PHO subspecialty in India, and has been involved in academics & clinical practice in PHO & Immunology for over 30 years, as university faculty & previously at BJ Wadia Hospital for Children, with numerous publications & presentations to her credit. She has special interest in Lymphomas, Nutrition & Supportive care, Registries, Histiocytic disorders & HLH. She has been actively involved with SIOP & the Pediatric Oncology in Developing Countries Committee since 1992; including as founder member of the SIOP-India project, “NTP-PPO” addressing Early Diagnosis & Treatment Abandonment in children with cancer. She has held various positions including, Chair of National PHO Society, India (2009-12), Chair, SIOP-PODC Committee on Education & Training(2010-13), Chair-Coordinator NTP-PPO (2007-2012), LOC member for SIOP Asia 2002, Delhi & SIOP 2007, Mumbai, and Chair LOC, for Virtual SIOP Asia 2020.21 Conference, Mumbai. She is presently also a member of the SIOP-PARC Steering Committee, Vice-Chair, SIOP Membership Committee, Founder Member/Executive Council Asian Pediatric Hematology Oncology Group (APHOG), ICON Ethics Committee and Stem Cell Committee, King Edward Memorial Hospital.
As a Pediatric Hemato-oncologist, Dr. Milena Villarroel (Chile) has developed her professional career of nearly 40 years, in a pediatric hospital and a leading pediatric oncology center, part of Public System of Health, and part of the Chilean National Pediatric Cancer Program (PINDA) from the Ministry of Health. She has a strong background in contributing to the development of a cooperative, interdisciplinary and comprehensive cancer program that provides an adequate cancer treatment for 85% of chilean children and adolescents under 15 years; being involved in the creation of guidelines and protocols for cancer treatment, that deliver state-of-the-art therapy to a larger number of children, refine treatment and improve patient outcomes for specific diseases. As National Coordinator for Sarcoma Protocols, and National Coordinator for Neuroblastoma, she has worked on prioritized interventions of proven efficacy that ensure equity, with impact indicators and periodic evaluations, in order to provide high-quality treatment with focus on the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being of children and adolescents. She is the founding member of the Latin American Pediatric Oncology Group (GALOP) that brings together institutions from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay; and has participated in developing and conducting independent regional studies in Latin America. She has recently assumed as Chair position of GALOP. She is committed to enhancing close cooperation within the region in the research and treatment of pediatric cancer, promoting and conducting clinical trials and epidemiological research trials to establish the optimal treatment for our population. She is the Chilean delegate to SLAOP, and President-Elect of this scientific society; She is also a part of the SIOP Advocacy Committee, and particularly of the subcommittee that works with CCI.
