Who we are

The IGNITE Consortium unites expertise of pediatric disparities investigators across the United States with the basic premise that working together, we can rapidly advance the science of health equity research.

Our Consortium includes investigators in every part of the country and with diverse methodological expertise.

IGNITE members

Kira Bona, MD, MPH

• Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
• Attending Physician, Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center

Bona Lab

Paula Aristizabal, MD, MAS

• Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of California San Diego
• Population Sciences, Disparities & Community Engagement, Moores Cancer Center
• Dissemination & Implementation Science Center (DISC), UC San Diego

Bio

Melissa Beauchemin, PhD, RN, CPNP, CPON (she/her)

• Assistant Professor of Nursing, Columbia University School of Nursing
• Scientific Co-Lead for Cancer Care Delivery Research, CUIMC Minority/Underserved NCI Community Oncology Research Program, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Bio

Jessica Sheth Bhutada, MD, MS

• Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine of USC
• Attending Pediatric Oncologist, Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Anurekha Hall, MD, MS

Assistant Professor, Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington

Bio

Justine Kahn, MD, MS

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation; Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Kristine Karvonen, MD, MS

Instructor, University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital

Bio

Meera Kotagal, MD, MPH, FACS, FAAP

• Surgical Equity Director, Michael Fisher Center for Child Health Equity
• Assistant Professor, Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
• Director of Surgical Equity Research Fellowship
• Director of Trauma Services

Bio

Katherine T. Lind, MD, MSc

Clinical Fellow, Bone Marrow Transplant & Cellular Therapeutics, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children’s Hospital Colorado/University of Colorado School of Medicine

Vidya Puthenpura, MD, MHS

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology and Oncology, Yale School of Medicine

Stephanie M. Smith, MD MPH (she/her)

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford

Bio

Lena Winestone, MD, MSHP

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy, Immunology, and BMT, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals

Winestone Lab

Julie Anna Wolfson, MD, MSHS

• Associate Professor, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
• Member, Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship
• Director, AYA Oncology and Oncofertility Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham

UAB-COA-O’Neal AYA Program

Puja Umaretiya, MD, MS

Assistant Professor, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Haley Newman, MD, MSCE

Instructor of Pediatric Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Bio

Colleen Kelly, MD

Rahela Aziz-Bose, MD

• Instructor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
• Attending Pediatric Oncologist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children’s Hospital

Preston Croteau, MPA

IGNITE Program Manager

Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center

Parent/Guardian Advisory Board

Jennifer Belle, MBA

Patient and Family Advocate

Shauna McLaughlin

Patient and Family Advocate

Monica Vinasco-Sandford, CHI-sp

Patient and Family Advocate