John Letterio, MD
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Specialty: Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
View Expertise - Languages Spoken: English
Biography: John Letterio, MD
Expertise
Titles
- Interim Director, UH Seidman Cancer Center
- Director, Angie Fowler Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Institute, University Hospitals
- Division Chief, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital
- Division Chief, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, UH Cleveland Medical Center
- Director, UH Angie Fowler Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Institute, UH Cleveland Medical Center
- Professor, CWRU School of Medicine
- Jane and Lee Seidman Chair in Pediatric Cancer Innovation, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital
Education
Fellowship | Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology - National Cancer Institute (Nci) (1990 - 1993)
Residency | Pediatrics
Pediatrics - University Hospitals Of Cleveland (1988 - 1990)
Internship | Pediatrics
Pediatrics - University Hospitals Of Cleveland (1987 - 1988)
Medical Education
The Ohio State University College Of Medicine (1987)
Undergraduate
Allegheny College (1982)
About
John Letterio, MD, is Chief of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Director of the Angie Fowler Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Institute at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Letterio has been involved in the care of children, teens and young adults with cancer for over 30 years. His areas of expertise include pediatric hematology, pediatric oncology, developmental therapeutics, and adolescent and young adult solid cancer.
Dr. Letterio completed his training in the Pediatric Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where he became a tenured investigator, leading the NCI’s Laboratory of Immunoregulation to advance a highly productive research program focused on basic cancer biology and immunology. His laboratory made seminal discoveries on the role of Transforming Growth Factor-beta in inflammation and cancer.
Since his recruitment to University Hospitals in 2006, Dr. Letterio has led the growth of a highly matrixed division with multiple clinical hematology oncology practice sites and a complementary portfolio of research programs that span basic laboratory, translational and clinical trial investigations. Since his arrival, his laboratory at Case Western Reserve University has made important discoveries regarding the role of Cyclin Dependent Kinase 5 (Cdk5) in immunity and cancer, advanced the development of a novel class of small molecules known as synthetic triterpenoids, and developed a new dendritic cell cancer vaccine platform.
Dr. Letterio is a co-leader of the Developmental Therapeutics Program of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, shepherding it to an exceptional rating by the NCI through two consecutive renewal cycles. As the holder of the Jane and Lee Seidman Chair in Pediatric Cancer Innovation, he focuses on developing new strategies to improve outcomes for children, teens and young adults affected by rare cancers and blood disorders.
Dr. Letterio’s research has been funded by several NIH Institutes, including the NCI, NHLBI and NEI, as well as the Department of Defense. He is the recipient of the Scholar-Innovator Award of the Harrington Discovery Institute (2017) and is the scientific co-founder of two pre-clinical stage companies devoted to the development of therapeutics for cancer and immune disorders. These companies have successfully licensed novel therapeutics to industry partners and advanced novel therapies to clinical trials.
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