UB Medicine Podcast
Listen to the podcast where transformation meets innovation in health care. Broadcasting from the heart of downtown Buffalo, NY, this exciting series dives deep into the evolving landscape of health and wellness in Western New York.
Episode 15 – Rewriting the Story of Pediatric Cancer: Discovery, Care and Hope
In this episode of the UB Medicine Podcast, Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, explores how pediatric cancer care is being transformed through scientific discovery, collaborative care, and a deep commitment to supporting children and their families at every stage of the journey.
Joined by Kara Kelly, MD, a nationally recognized leader in pediatric hematology/oncology and Chair of Pediatric Oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Andrew Rogers, PhD, a physician-scientist focused on improving quality of life for young cancer patients, the conversation spans the full continuum of care — from breakthroughs in the lab to long-term survivorship.
Together, they reflect on how far the field has come, with dramatically improved survival rates driven by decades of research and collaboration, including partnerships between the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Science at the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. They also examine the complexities that remain, from addressing long-term effects of treatment to ensuring equitable access to cutting-edge therapies.
The episode highlights the importance of caring for the whole child — not just the disease — with multidisciplinary teams supporting physical health, emotional well-being, and family resilience. It also looks ahead to the future of pediatric cancer research, including the promise of precision medicine and innovations that aim to improve both outcomes and quality of life.
At its core, this conversation is about rewriting what a pediatric cancer diagnosis means today — and what it can mean in the future — through science, compassion and hope.
Check Out Past Episodes
Missed an episode? Tune in to powerful past discussions to discover how Western New York is becoming a hub for health transformation.
Each episode of UB Medicine features candid, insightful conversations with the region’s most respected doctors, medical pioneers and wellness advocates who are redefining what it means to be healthy in today’s world.
Covering a range of themes, episodes of the UB Medicine podcast bring you stories that inspire, inform and empower. Whether you’re a health care professional or someone just looking to live better, this podcast offers real talk, expert opinions, a few surprises, and a local lens on the national health conversation.
Visionary leader Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, hosts the UB Medicine podcast. She is an internationally recognized neurologist, accomplished researcher and health science administrator. Brashear was appointed vice president for health sciences at the University at Buffalo and dean of the Jacobs School in December 2021.
She also leads the strategic integration of interprofessional education and practice, health sciences collaborative research, and clinical programs across the university’s health science schools — the Jacobs school, dental medicine, nursing, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, public health and health professions — as well as programs among our hospital and clinical affiliates.
Brashear is an internationally renowned researcher in movement disorders and an expert in ATP1A3-related diseases, a spectrum of rare neurologic disorders. Additionally, she is a powerful advocate for promoting diverse leaders in medicine and a lifelong champion of advancing women’s leadership in medicine.
She is committed to educating the next generation of medical doctors and research scientists, exploring areas of clinically impactful and cutting-edge discovery science, conducting impactful research, and cultivating relationships through community involvement.