Career path as a pediatric hematologist–oncologist and research experience in the United States

Abstract

This article outlines the author’s career progress as a pediatric hematologist–oncologist and the experience of undertaking research training in the United States after gaining substantial clinical experience. While practicing pediatric hematology–oncology, the author has been engaged in both basic and clinical research, including studies on hematopoietic and leukemic stem cells and clinical research on tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy for pediatric chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Prior clinical experience with CAR-T cell therapy for relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia conferred a growing interest in tumor immunotherapy research, which subsequently led to an opportunity to join the Verneris Laboratory at the University of Colorado. There, the author’s research on CAR-T cell therapy for pediatric sarcomas focused on improving the tumor-homing capacity of B7-H3–targeted CAR-T cells and investigating tumor-cell responses during CAR-T–mediated tumor killing. In addition to describing these research experiences, this article discusses the significance of pursuing research training after accumulating clinical experience and shares lessons learned from differences in research environments and cultures. The author’s experience of undertaking mid-career research training potentially serves as a reference for early-career physicians pursuing both clinical practice and research.