Cancer Predisposition Family Conference on DICER1

Kim E. Nichols, MD
Conference Chair

Dr. Nichols is the Director of the Cancer Predisposition Division at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. As a pediatric oncologist, her research interests are in the molecular mechanisms that provide protection against viral infections and cancer. Her overarching goals are to understand how defects in these mechanisms contribute to disease and use this information to develop more effective treatments for children with increased genetic risk for infection and/or malignancy.

Towards this end, Dr. Nichols' research focuses on identifying novel genetic causes of childhood cancer, optimizing methods of tumor surveillance for children with increased cancer risk, evaluating the factors that influence parent and adolescent decision making and communication around genetic testing for heritable cancer risk, understanding the behavioral and psychological impacts of cancer genetic testing on children and their families, and increasing understanding and developing new therapies for malignant and non-malignant hematologic disorders, including B-cell leukemias and lymphomas, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferations.

D. Ashley Hill, MD

Ashley Hill is a pediatric pathologist with clinical and research interests in pediatric solid tumors. She obtained a BS in Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University and then completed her MD at Washington University in St. Louis. After a very long year of internal medicine internship, she trained in anatomic pathology and pediatric pathology with Pepper Dehner at Washington University. Her first job as a surgical pathologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where she ultimately spent three years. It was a wonderful experience working with the oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and tremendous support staff for those three years. She returned to Washington University to work with Pepper in pediatric pathology and in collaboration with the International Pleuropulmonary Blastoma/DICER1 Registry (IPPBR), performed a family study that linked pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) to germline DICER1 mutations. She moved to Washington DC in 2008 to became Chief of Anatomic Pathology at Children’s National Hospital, where she worked with another great team of oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and support staff. Her laboratory at Children’s continues to work with the IPPBR and is now focused on identifying safer and more effective therapies in patient-derived xenograft mouse models. In 2013, she started ResourcePath, a clinical laboratory company devoted to improving the care of children with cancer. ResourcePath’s first development is a test that detects PPB tumor DNA in the blood which we hope will help us determine if PPB tumor cells remain after surgery and if so, are they being eradicated by chemotherapy. Ashley wants to thank all the children and families that have participated in PPB and DICER1 research and inspire us every day to make a difference for children with cancer. 

Anthony Liu, MD

Anthony P.Y. Liu, MBBS, MS, received his medical degree with honors from the University of Hong Kong in 2009. He completed a residency in pediatrics and training in pediatric hematology/oncology at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, and obtained a Master's degree in genetic counseling. A keen clinician-scientist with interest in pediatric central nervous system tumors, Dr Liu joined St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Fellow in 2017. His ongoing research is focused on clinical-molecular characterization of rare pediatric brain tumors, including pineoblastoma and other central nervous system embryonal tumors, as well as on the utility of liquid biopsy for children with brain tumors.

Kris Ann P. Schultz, MD

Kris Ann P. Schultz, MD, is a pediatric oncologist at Children's Minnesota. She graduated summa cum laude from Drake University (BA) and summa cum laude from Loyola University (MD). She completed her pediatric residency and pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at the University of Minnesota and received a Master of Science degree in clinical research during the course of her fellowship. Dr. Schultz is the Principal Investigator for the International Pleuropulmonary Blastoma (PPB) and DICER1 Registry and the Principal Investigator and founder of the International Ovarian and Testicular Stromal Tumor Registry. Her current research focuses on development of novel treatments for DICER1-related tumors. She is also active in the development of guidelines and surveillance strategies for individuals with DICER1 variation. She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and serves as Co-Director for Cancer and Blood Disorders Research at Children's Minnesota. Dr. Schultz joined the Hematology Oncology program at Children's of Minnesota in 2008 and has particular interest and expertise in the care of children with pleuropulmonary blastoma, ovarian tumors and other rare childhood cancers.

Katianne Sharp, PhD

Katianne Howard Sharp, PhD, is an Instructor in the Department of Psychology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a focus on children and families at The University of Memphis. She completed clinical internship at The University of Mississippi Medical Center Consortium and a research fellowship in pediatric psychology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Sharp joined the Department of Psychology at St. Jude in 2018 as a Clinician-Scientist, with research and clinical interests in cancer predisposition. Her research is focused on parent and child adjustment and communication in the context of cancer predisposition disclosed during childhood.