Program Director: Dr. Mario Otto, MD, PhD (Pediatric Hematology and Oncology)
Dr. Mario Otto is an associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He earned his medical degree from the University of Tuebingen School of Medicine, Germany and completed his residency at Children’s University Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany and Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, OH. Dr. Otto is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric hematology/oncology and completed a fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN.
He focuses his research on pursuing novel, alternative approaches to treat childhood cancer. His research includes areas such as adoptive immunotherapies, nano-oncology, stem cell graft design for haploidentical transplants, and the use of novel targeted radionuclides to treat pediatric malignancies.
https://www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/research/research-groups/otto/
https://www.uwhealth.org/findadoctor/profile/mario-otto-md-phd/8941
Program Co-Lead: Dr. Kenneth DeSantes, MD (Pediatric Hematology and Oncology)
Dr. Kenneth DeSantes is the Division Head of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant where he leads all clinical care and the fellowship program. He earned his medical degree from New York Medical College, completed his general pediatric training at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and his pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA. Prior to joining the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, he was in the division of Bone Marrow Transplantation at the University of California, San Francisco.
His research interests are focused on the utilization of natural killer (NK) cells to treat a wide variety of pediatric malignancies and developing novel stem cell transplant protocols for children with recurrent leukemia and high-risk solid tumors. He also is establishing more effective ways to utilize I-131 MIBG therapy for children with neuroblastoma.
https://www.uwhealth.org/findadoctor/profile/kenneth-b-desantes-md/5838
kbdesantes@pediatrics.wisc.edu
Dr. Steve Cho, MD (Nuclear Medicine)
Dr. Steve Y. Cho is an associate professor (CHS) in the Nuclear Medicine Section of the Department of Radiology. Dr. Cho graduated from the New York University School of Medicine in the Research Honors Program, and received prior medical training through a Pediatrics Residency and a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship from the Johns Hopkins Hospital. After a Clinical Pharmacology Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, inspired by the promise of molecular imaging, he underwent further training with a Nuclear Medicine Residency and PET Fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He stayed on at Johns Hopkins as an Assistant Professor of Radiology and Oncology before moving to UW–Madison in 2014. He is engaged in translational molecular imaging research as Director of the Translational Imaging Research Core at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, Director of the new cGMP Radiopharmaceutical Production Facility, and Associate Director of the UW PET Center.
His research interest involves translational imaging, with a focus on development of novel and existing PET radiopharmaceuticals to improve clinical management and therapy development for cancer and infection. link to lab
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=14014087600
Dr. Bryan Bednarz, PhD (Medical Physics)
Dr.Bryan Bednarz is an assistant professor in the department and holds an affiliate appointment in the Department of Engineering Physics. Dr.Bednarz is the Principal Investigator of the Radiological Engineering and Design (RED) Lab. As an engineer by training, his research naturally gravitates toward problems that require engineering solutions. Prior to arriving in Madison, he received a BSE and MSE from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute all in Nuclear Engineering and Science. Dr.Bednarz’s post-doctoral training was at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Dr.Bednarz’s research focuses on Monte Carlo methods, proton therapy, and radiation protection. dvance the beneficial uses of ionizing radiation for cancer treatment. Together with both clinical and industrial partners, the RED Lab identifies future challenges that will likely impede the quality and effectiveness of cancer care to patients. We aim to introduce disruptive ideas and translational technology that will help address these challenges through the use of computational modeling and simulation and instrumentation design and development. While much of our attention is devoted to the advancement of radiation therapy, the laboratory also addresses problems encountered in imaging, immunotherapy, and surgery.
https://redlab.wiscweb.wisc.edu/
Scott Knishka, RPH, BCNP (Nuclear Pharmacy)
Scott Knishka is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He works in Imaging Sciences as the Facility and Operations Manager at the Radiopharmaceutical production facility.
Other CENTRIC Members
Lisa Keller, PNP
Jon Haas Radiation Safety
Jason Timm Radiation Safety
Jenny Weiland