Dr. Samuel Louis Volchenboum, MD

Samuel L. Volchenboum, MD, PhD, MS, is an expert in pediatric cancers and blood disorders. He has a special interest in treating children with neuroblastoma, a tumor of the sympathetic nervous system.In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Volchenboum is studying neuroblastoma in the laboratory, using sophisticated tools to measure the amounts of proteins found in these tumors. He is also pursuing several research projects in biomedical informatics, a field that harnesses tools from the world of computer science to solve complex problems in biology. Dr. Volchenboum has applied informatics techniques to study the genetics of both pediatric and adult cancers.In 2009, Dr. Volchenboum was named a St. Baldrick's Foundation Scholar. St. Baldrick's awarded him $330,000 in support of his research into using real-time proteomics to distinguish types of neuroblastoma. While current tests can take weeks, it's hoped that a real-time diagnosis is possible, which could lead to faster, more tailored …treatment for each child. St. Baldrick's is an organization that raises funds for pediatric cancer research and encourages volunteers and award recipients to shave their heads in solidarity with children who have lost their hair to chemotherapy. Dr. Volchenboum accepted the head-shaving challenge in the fall of 2009.