About the Division of Hematology and Oncology
Our mission is to provide the highest level of care to every patient and offer the highest level of education to new generations of doctors by continuous success in laboratory and clinical research. There are approximately thirty faculty members who have established outstanding programs in solid tumors, blood cancers and other non-malignant blood diseases.
The Sickle Cell Program in the Division includes nationally and internationally renowned experts who have developed innovative treatments for over 30 years. A strong portfolio of clinical trials in hematology-oncology is available thanks to specialists in breast, lung, gastro-intestinal, prostate, renal cancers, melanoma, brain tumors, leukemias, lymphomas, myeloma or myeloproliferative neoplasms. The Division includes also a Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) program active in pre-clinical and clinical research including innovative transplant protocols in blood malignancies as well as in sickle cell disease.
The BMT Program has also developed a unique Global initiative collaborating with centers in low-middle income countries, such as Nepal, India, Nigeria and Cuba. The 3 year Fellowship Program in Hematology/Oncology has been successful in training 4 fellows yearly through clinical rotations and research mentoring.
The Division continues to be a leader in research with many investigators supported by federal (NIH/NCI) and private funding.
History
The pioneer for the division of Hematology/Oncology was Paul Heller, MD. Dr. Heller was born in Czechoslovakia, received his medical degree from Charles University in Prague and was a concentration camp survivor. After working with the West Side VA, Dr. Heller became the first professor of medicine for the University of Illinois Chicago.
Previous Chiefs
Paul Heller, MD
Leon Platanias, MD
Ronald Hoffman, MD
Damiano Rondelli, MD (interim)
David J. Peace, MD (interim)
Divyesh Mehta, MD (interim)
Gary Kruh, MD, PhD (interim)
Howard Ozer, MD
Damiano Rondelli, MD (current)