Peter Cole, MD

As Chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, and Director of the New Jersey 
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Research Center of Excellence (NJ PHORCE) at the Rutgers Cancer 
Institute, I am committed to improving outcomes for children with cancer or blood disorders through 
a coordinated program of clinical and laboratory-based research. My current clinical research 
program focuses on improving curative therapy for children and young adults with hematologic 
malignancies. My laboratory and translational research focus on reducing the neurotoxic effects of 
cancer therapy. Our translational studies of children being treated for acute lymphoblastic 
leukemia are identifying biomarkers within cerebrospinal fluid that relate to clinical toxicity and 
genetic variants that confer increased susceptibility. In addition, we developed a rat model of 
chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment to shed light on the underlying pathophysiology and to 
test protective interventions.

I am fully committed to the academic development of the next generation of innovative scientists 
and clinicians and am specifically eager to support trainees from underrepresented backgrounds. In 
addition to mentoring my junior faculty, I have mentored a diverse group of students, residents, 
and fellows in clinical and laboratory research. Previous trainees have continued on to successful 
careers in both industry and academic medicine, indicated by manuscript publication, grant funding, 
and faculty appointments.
 

Undergraduate: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. BS in Neurobiology and Behavior, Aug 1985-May 1989
Medical School: Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY. MD, July 1989-May 1993
Postgraduate Training:
Residency: The Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
Internship and Residency in Pediatrics
July 1993 - June 1996
Fellowship: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center & New York Hospital
Fellowship in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
July 1996 - June 1999
Chief Pediatric Fellow, 1998-1999

My research focuses on improving the lives of children, adolescents and young adults with cancer. I have chaired or co-chaired clinical trials testing novel immunotherapeutic strategies for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma and precision medicine approaches for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). My laboratory and translational research focuses on improving the quality of life for cancer patients and survivors by reducing the long term, deleterious impact of cancer therapy on organ function. By better understanding how cancer treatment causes persistent alterations in normal organ function, we hope to develop strategies to protect against these side effects of curative cancer therapy.

A. Manuscripts (110 total; 24 senior author; 17 first author)
1. Diefenbach CS, Jegede O, Wang V, Ansell SM, Kostakoglu L, Steidl C, Natkunam Y, Scott DW, Ambinder RF,
David KA, Advani RH, Bartlett NL, Robertson MJ, Thomas S, Cohen JB, Ibrahimi S, Goyal G, Mehta-Shah N,
Amengual JE, Forlenza CJ, Cole PD, Duan F, Kelly KM, Kahl BS. A Randomized Phase II Study of Ipilimumab,
Nivolumab and Brentuximab Vedotin in Patients with Relapsed Hodgkin Lymphoma. Blood. 2026; accepted January
16, 2026.
2. O’Dwyer KM, Winestone LE, Cheung MC, Benitez L, Buldini B, Cole PD, Damlaj M, Dholaria B, Dias AL, Dils
A, Fritsch M, Greer JP, Hayes-Lattin B, Henry M, Jaffe A, Jamy O, Kebriaei P, Mehtens I, Shah NN, Wilde L, Young
P, Mai HJ, Kanaan G, Sereda Y, Saldanha IJ, Balk EM, Gupta S. ASH 2026 Guidelines for Management of
Relapsed/Refractory Disease in Adolescents and Young Adults with ALL. Blood Advances 2026;
bloodadvances.2021006479. doi: https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2021006479.
3. Thrope A, Ramjan S, White C, Mauguen A, Silverman LB, Welch JJG, Kahn J, Kelly KM, Tran TH, Michon B,
Gennarini L, Park Y, Cole PD, Sands SA. Trajectory of Neurocognitive Functioning in Children Treated for Acute
Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL): Dana Farber Cancer Institute ALL Consortium Study 16-001. Pediatr Blood
Cancer; 2026: e70118. https://doi.org/10.1002/1545-5017.70118.
4. Willekens J, Ramjan S, Sands SA, Park Y, KC Y, Burns MA, Welch JJG, Kahn K, Kelly KM, Tran TH, Michon B,
Gennarini L, Place A, Silverman LB, Cole PD. CSF metabolomic signature during therapy for childhood acute
lymphoblastic leukemia predicts subsequent working memory impairment. Molecular Medicine ; 2025 Nov
3;34(11):2015-2024. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-25-1058. PMID: 40905823.
5. Patel C, Cole PD. Influence of ApoE genotype on doxorubicin-induced cognitive impairment in juvenile rats.
Scientific Reports 2025;15:44620 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33104-5. PMID: 41436539.
6. Patel C, Glytsou C, Jang MH, Cole PD. The Effects of Doxorubicin on Blood Brain Barrier Integrity in hCMEC/D3.
Neurotoxicology 2025; 111: 103355. PMID: 41265652.
7. Park Y, KC N, Willekens J, Patel C, Savage BA, Lin H, Paneque A, Daly R, Thrope A, Burns MA, Welch JJG, Kahn
JM, Kelly KM, Tran TH, Michon B, Gennarini L, Silverman LB, Sands SA, Cole PD. Treatment-related Changes in
Cerebrospinal Fluid Markers of Oxidative Stress and Neurodegeneration During Therapy for Childhood Acute
Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 2025; 34(11):2015-24.
8. Patel C, Willekens J, Diglio F, Cole PD. Doxorubicin causes cognitive impairment and alters gut microbiota in both
male and female juvenile rats. Scientific Reports. 2025;15:27448. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12352-5.
PMID: 40721627.
9. Ramjan S, Blair-Thies M, Li Y, Thrope A, Silverman LB, Welch JJG, Khn J, Kelly KM, Tran TH, Michon B,
Gennarini L, Bona K, Park Y, Cole PD, Sands S. Baseline Neurocognitive Functioning Among Children Treated for
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL): Dana Farber Cancer Institute ALL Consortium Study 16-001. Pediatr Blood
Cancer. 2025; e31767. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.31767
10. Ladas EJ, Sheng H, Athale UH, Asselin BL, Clavell LA, Cole PD, Flamand, Y, Leclerc JM, Laverdiere C, Michon
B, Sallan SE, Schorin MA, Silverman LB, Welch JJG, Yao S, Kelly KM. Association of Overweight/Obesity with
Toxicity and Survival in Childhood ALL: A Report from the DALLT Cohort. JAMA Open. 2025;8(5):e259952.
doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.9952.
11. Ramjan S, Cole PD, Blair-Thies M, Silverman LB, Frederickson A, Schembri A, Welch JJG, Kahn J, Kelly KM,
Tran TH, Michon B, Gennarini L, Sands SA. Feasibility of Utilizing a Brief Cognitive Battery in Three-Year-Old
Patients During Treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2024; e31469s.
ttps://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.31469 [Note to self: This is my 100th peer-reviewed manuscript]
12. Lee I, Milgrom SA, Im H-J, Pei Q, Hoppe B, McCarten KM, Schwartz CL, Cole PD, Castellino SM, Kelly KM, Cho
SY. Inter-observer Reliability of the 5-point Deauville Score and SUV-Based Quantification of FDG-PET/CT Scans
in High-Risk Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Clinical Nuclear
Medicine Open. 2024; 1(2):e00002.
13. Daw S*, Cole PD*, Hoppe BS, Hodgson D, Beishuizen A, Garnier N, Buffardi S, Mascarin M, Lissat A, Mauz-
Korholz C, Krajewski J, Akyol A, Crowe R, Anderson B, Xu Y, Drachtman RA, Kelly KM, Leblanc T, Harker-
Murray P. Transplant-free approach in relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma in CAYA: nivolumab, brentuximab,
radiotherapy. JAMA Oncology, 2024; doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.5627.

14. Janelsins MC, Van Dyk K, Hartman SJ, Koll TT, Cramer CK, Lesser GJ, Barton DL, Mustian KM, Wagner LI, Ganz
PA, Cole PD, Bakos A, Root JC, Hardy KK, Magnuson A, Ferguson RJ, McDonald BC, Saykin AJ, Gonzalez BD,
Wefel JS, Morilak DA, Dahiya S, Heijnen CJ, Conley YP, Morgans AK, Mabbott DJ, Monje M, Rapp SR, Gondi V,
Bender C, Embry L, Stevens WM, Hopkins JO, St Germain, D, Dorsey, SG, 2024. A Clinical Trials Planning Meeting
to Address Gaps in Trials for Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2025;
117(2), 217-228; PMID: 39250738 PMCID: PMC11807440 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djae209.
15. Aziz-Bose R, Cernic C, Umaretiya PJ, Ilcisin L, Kelly CA, Valenzuela A, Bruce C, Ettinger de Cuba S, Cole PD,
Gennarini LM, Kahn JM, Michon B, Kelly KM, Tran T-H, Welch JJG, Silverman LB, Bona K. Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program participation gaps within a pediatric leukemia clinical trial cohort. Pediatr Blood and
Cancer. 2024; e31274. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.31274
16. Zhu Q, Nambiar R, Schultz E, Gao X, Liang S, Flamand Y, Stevenson K, Cole PD, Gennarini L, Harris MH, Kahn
JM, Ladas EJ, Athale UH, Clavell LA, Tran TH, Michon B, Schorin MA, Welch JJG, Sallan SE, Silverman LB,
Kelly KM, Yao S. Genome-wide study identifies novel genes associated with bone toxicities among children with
acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Br J Haematology 2024; 205(5): 1889-98. http://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.19696
17. Park Y, KC N, Paneque A, Cole PD. Tau, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein, and Neurofilament Light Chain as Brain
Protein Biomarkers in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Blood for Diagnosis of Neurobiological Diseases. Int J Molecular
Sci. 2024; 25:6295. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25126295.
18. Zhang Z, Zhang D, Guo W, Fenton K, Narayanan S, Jain S, Jiang J, Castellino SM, Kelly KM, Cole PD, Keller FG,
Garg A. Exposure-Response and Subgroup Analyses to Support Body Weight-Based Dosing of Brentuximab Vedotin
in Children and Young Adults with Newly Diagnosed High-Risk Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma. Clin Cancer Res.
2024.
19. Driessen J, de Wit F, Herrera AF, Zinzani PL, LaCasce AS, Cole PD, Moskowitz CH, Garcia-Sanz R, Fuchs M,
Mueller H, Borchmann P, Santoro A, Schoder H, Zijlstra JM, Hutten BA, Moskowitz AJ, Kersten MJ. Brentuximab
Vedotin and Chemotherapy in Relapsed/Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma: a Propensity Score Matched Analysis.
Blood Advances 2024; 8(11):2740-52.
20. Rashid MA, Tang JJ, Yoo K-H, Corujo-Ramirez A, Oliveros A, Kim SH, Ullah F, Altawell R, Hawse J, Cole PD,
Jang M-H. The selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor NS398 ameliorates cisplatin-induced impairments in
mitochondrial and cognitive function. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience 2023; 16: 1295991. Published online
2023 Nov 29. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1295991.
21. Karvonen KA, Umaretiya PJ, Koch VB, Flamand Y, Aziz-Bose R, Ilcisin L, Valenzuela A, Cole PD, Gennarini LM,
Kahn, JM, Kelly KM, Tran TH, Michon B, Welch JJG, Wolfe J, Silverman LB, Rosenberg AR, Bona K. Inequitable
poverty exposures: a subspecialty opportunity to address disparities. Hospital Pediatrics 2023; 14 (2): e104–e106.
https://doi.org/10.1542/hpeds.2023-007482
22. Oliveros A, Poleschuk M, Cole PD, Boison D, Jang M-H. Chemobrain: An Accelerated Aging Process Linking
Adenosine A2A Receptor Signaling in Cancer Survivors. Intl Rev Neurobiol 2023; 170: 267-305.
https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.irn.2023.08.003 PMID: 37741694.
23. Umaretiya PJ, Koch VB, Flamand Y, Aziz-Bose R, Ilcisin L, Valenzuela A, Cole PD, Gennarini L, Kahn JM, Kelly
KM, Trn TH, Michon B, Welch JJG, Wolfe J, Silverman LB, Bona K. Disparities in parental distress in a multicenter
clinical trial for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Natl Cancer Inst, 2023: 115(10); 1179-87.
24. Lo AC, Lee I, Pei Q, Yu Yue, McCarten KM, Hoppe BS, Hodgson D, Roberts K, Milgrom S, Kessel S, Cole PD,
Kelly KM, Cho SY. Prognostic Value of Chest X-ray and CT Defined Large Mediastinal Adenopathy in High Risk
Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group Study AHOD0831. Pediatric Blood &
Cancer, Published online May 27, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.30452.
25. Mailhot Vega RB, Harker-Murray PD, Forlenza CJ, Cole P, Kelly KM, Milgrom SA, Parikh RR, Hodgson DC,
Castellino SM, Kahn J, Roberts KB, Constine LS, Hoppe BS. Radiotherapy Use in Refractory and Relapsed Pediatric
Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Report from the Children’s Oncology Group. International Journal of Radiation Oncology,
Biology, Physics. 2022; 114.3: e352..
26. Milgrom SA, Kim J, Pei Q, Hoppe BS, Wu Y, Hodgson D, Kessel S, McCarten KM, Roberts K, Lo A, Cole PD,
Kelly KM, Cho SY. Baseline Metabolic Tumor Burden Improves Risk Stratification in High-Risk Hodgkin
Lymphoma Patients Treated with Response-Adapted Therapy: A Children’s Oncology Group Study. British Journal
of Haematology, 2023; 201(6): 1192–1199. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.18734.

27. Cole PD, Kim SY, Li Y, Schembri A, Kelly KM, Sulis M-L, Vrooman L, Welch JJG, Ramjan S, Silverman LB,
Sands SA. Feasibility of Serial Neurocognitive Assessment Using Cogstate During and After Therapy for Childhood
Leukemia. Supportive Care in Cancer, 2023; 31(2), 109.
28. Savage BA, Cole PD, Lin H. Race, Neighborhood Opportunity, and Life-Threatening Complications in Children
with Cancer: A Moderated Mediation Approach. Cancer Nursing, 2023; 46(6):447-456. DOI:
10.1097/NCC.0000000000001201
29. Harker-Murray P, Mauz Korholz C, Leblanc TM, Mascarin M, Michel G, Cooper S, Beishuizen A, Leger KJ,
Amoroso L, Buffardi S, Rigaud C, Hoppe BS, Lisano JM, Francis S, Saachi M, Cole PD, Drachtman RA, Kelly KM,
Daw S. Nivolumab, Brentuximab Vedotin, +/- Bendamustine For R/R Hodgkin Lymphoma in Children, Adolescents,
and Young Adults Blood 2023, 141(17):2075-85. doi: 10.1182/blood.2022017118
30. Kahn JM, Stevenson K, Beauchemin M, Koch VB, Cole PD, Welch JJG, Gage-Bouchard E, Karsenty C, Silverman
LB, Kelly KM, Bona K. Oral Mercaptopurine Adherence in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Survey
Study From the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Consortium. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol
Nurs. 2023; 40(1), 17-23. PMID: 36221984
31. Aziz-Bose R, Zheng DJ, Umaretiya PJ, Ilcisin L, Stevenson K, Koch V, Valenzuela A, Cole PD, Gennarini LM,
Kahn JM, Kelly KM, Tran TH, Michon B, Welch JJG, Silverman LB, Wolfe J, Bona K. Feasibility of oncology
clinical trial-embedded evaluation of social determinants of health. Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 2022;e29933.
https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.29933.
32. Buhtoiarov IN, Mba N, Sandos CD, McCarten KM, Metzger ML, Pei Q, Bush R, Baker K, Kelly KM, Cole PD.
Durable remission for four pediatric patients with high-risk relapsed classical Hodgkin lymphoma treated with
Brentuximab vedotin plus Gemcitabine but without autologous stem cell transplantation: a report from the Children’s
Oncology Group. Pediatric Blood & Cancer. 2022; 69:e29649. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.29649
33. Athale UH, Flamand Y, Blonquist T, Steveson KE, Spira M, Asselin BL, Clavell LA, Cole PD, Kelly KM, Laverdiere
C, Leclerc J-M, Michon B, Schorin MA, Welch JJG, Harris MH, Neuberg DS, Sallan SE, Silverman LB. Predictors
of thrombosis in children receiving therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): Results from Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute (DFCI) ALL Consortium trial 05-001. Pediatric Blood & Cancer. 2022; 69: 00e29581.
https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.29581.
34. Wen J, Patel C, Diglio F, Baker K, Marshall G, Li S, Cole PD. Cognitive impairment persists at least 1 year after
juvenile rats are treated with methotrexate. Neuropharmacology. 2022 Jan 2:108939. Available online January 2,
2022; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108939
35. Tran TH, Langlois S, Meloche C, Caron, M, Saint-Onge P, Rouette A, Bataille AR, Jiminez-Cortes C, Sontag T,
Bittencourt H, Laverdiere C, Lavallee V-P, Leclerc J-M, Cole PD, Gennarini LM, Kahn JM, Kelly KM, Michon B,
Santiago R, Stevenson KE, Welch JJG, Schroeder KM, Koch V, Cellot S, Silverman LB, Sinnett D. Wholetranscriptome
analysis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a report from the DFCI ALL Consortium Protocol 16-001.
Blood Advances. 2022 Feb 22;6(4):1329-41. https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2021005634
36. Moerdler S, Steinberg DM, Jin Z, Cole PD, Kesselheim J, Levy AS, Roth M, Rosenthal SL Provider and Staff Crisis
Wellbeing Associated with Trust in Leadership and Baseline Burnout. Pediatric Blood and Cancer; 2022; 69:e29497.
https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.29497.
37. Parikh RR, Kelly KM, Hodgson DC, Hoppe BS, McCarten KM, Pei Q, Cho SY, Schwartz C, Cole PD, Roberts K.
Patterns of Initial Relapse from a Phase 3 Study of Response-Based Therapy for High-Risk Hodgkin Lymphoma
(AHOD0831): A Report from the Children’s Oncology Group. International Journal of Radiation Oncology,
Biology, Physics. 2021; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2021.10.152.
38. Vrooman LM, Blonquist TM, Stevenson KE, Supko JG, Hunt SK, Cronholm SM, Koch V, Kay-Green S, Athale UH,
Clavell LA, Cole PD, Harris MH, Kelly KM, Laverdiere C, Leclerc J-M, Michon B, Place AE, Schorin MA, Welch
JJG, Neuberg DS, Sallan SE, Silverman LB. Efficacy and Toxicity of Pegaspargase and Calaspargase Pegol in
Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma: Results of DFCI 11-001. Journal of Clinical Oncology;
2021; PMID: 34228505.
39. Williams AM and Cole PD. Biomarkers of Cognitive Impairment in Pediatric Cancer Survivors. Journal of Clinical
Oncology. 2021; Published online April 22, 2021. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.20.02436. PMID: 33886369.

40. Savage B, Cole PD, Lin H. Racial and Economic Differences in the Risk of Hyperglycemia in Children Hospitalized
with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 2021; published online 5 May 2021;
https://doi.org/10.1177/10434542211011040.
41. Egan-Sherry D, Bhuta R, Cole PD, Gennarini LM, Kahn JM, Sulis ML, DeNardo BD, Welch JJG. Severe vincristinerelated
neurotoxicity in five patients with pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia requiring discontinuation of
vincristine: a description of long-term outcome. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2021.
42. Moerdler S, Steinberg DM, Jin Z, Cole PD, Levy AS, Rosenthal SL. Well-Being of Pediatric Hematology Oncology
Providers and Staff During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the New York and New Jersey Epicenter. JCO Oncology
Practice. 2021; Online ahead of print. DOI: 10.1200/OP.20.00882; PMID: 33596094.
43. Khullar K, Plascak JJ, Drachtman R, Cole, PD, Parikh RR. Associations between Race and Overall Survival in
Pediatric Patients with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma. Cancer Medicine. 2021; 10: 1327-1334.
https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.3736.
44. Pikman Y, Tasian SK, Sulis ML, Stevenson KK, Blonquist T, Winger BA, Cooper TM, Pauly M, Maloney KW,
Burke MJ, Brown PA, Gossai N, McNeer JL, Shukla NN, Cole PD, Kahn JM, Chen J, Barth MJ, Magee J, Gennarini
L, Adhav AA, Clinton CM, Ocasio-Martinez N, et. al. Matched Targeted Therapy for Pediatric Patients with
Relapsed, Refractory or High-risk Leukemias: A Report from the LEAP Consortium. Cancer Discovery, 2021; 11(6):
1424-1439.

Clinical Research Training Program Mentor of the Year, June 2012
Henry L. Moses award for best clinical paper, 2009
Neal Perkell Fellow in Pediatric Oncology, 1997 - 1998
Kurt Hirschorn MD Award for Academic Excellence, May 1996
Clarence C Coryell Prize in Medicine, May 1993
Alpha Omega Alpha, May 1993