Cancer Predisposition Family Conference on Li-Fraumeni Syndrome

Christian Kratz, MD

Dr. Kratz is full professor in Pediatrics and Director of the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School. After obtaining his medical degree in 1996 from the University of Düsseldorf, Germany, he completed his training to become a pediatrician and pediatric hematologist/oncologist in Düsseldorf, San Francisco, and Freiburg. From 2009-2012, he worked as an investigator in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute (Director: J. Fraumeni).

Dr. Kratz's research focuses on the genetic causes of childhood cancer. He chairs the German Fanconi Registry, the Genetic Cancer Predisposition Working Group of the German Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and an International Genetic Variation Task Force. Together with Stefan Pfister, he has launched a Registry for patients with LFS and other cancer predisposition syndromes. One of his most important discoveries was the identification of KRAS germline mutations in patients with Noonan syndrome. Dr. Kratz chairs the German branch of the Li Fraumeni Syndrome Association (LFSA).

Joshua Schiffman, MD

Dr. Schiffman is Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah and serves as the Medical Director of the Family Cancer Assessment Clinic (FCAC) at Huntsman Cancer Institute. His specific clinical interests are cancer susceptibility in families, with a focus on the genomic changes necessary for cancer development.

Dr. Schiffman contributed to a landmark study in the field of cancer genetics demonstrating that early cancer surveillance in families with LFS significantly improves overall survival. He continues to work with children and families at high risk for cancer development to discover genes that may be targeted for both prevention and treatment of childhood cancer. Dr. Schiffman recently has teamed up with collaborators from around the world to compare the genomics of cancer resistance throughout the animal kingdom – like in elephants – and use this information to guide experimental design in cancer research. 

Niki Jurbergs, PhD

Dr. Jurbergs is a pediatric psychologist who serves as Assistant Director of the Psychology Clinic at St. Jude, where she works to improve clinical practice and processes to allow for the most efficient and effective delivery of psychological services possible. Dr. Jurbergs knows that good mental health promotes positive medical outcomes and quality of life in pediatric patients with chronic illnesses and conditions. In addition to providing assessment, consultation, intervention, and psychotherapy services for St. Jude patients in the Psychology Clinic, she actively supports Departmental and Institutional training and research programs.

Dr. Jurbergs holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Louisiana State University. She completed her predoctoral internship at the University of Miami’s Leonard Miller School of Medicine and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She has been licensed as a Psychologist for 11 years.

Jennifer Perry

Perry is a Co-founder and President of the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association (LFSA), an organization dedicated to improving the lives of families with LFS by providing information, advocacy and support services. Through these approaches, the LFSA aims to educate, raise awareness and find better screening programs and treatments for individuals and families with LFS. By forming relationships with and supporting the variety of researchers and medical staff who can help achieve this, the LFSA wishes to help provide a better understanding of a complex syndrome to those who need it.