Research Summary

Dr. Christine Higham is a specialist in blood and bone marrow transplantation for pediatric patients. She studies thrombotic microangiopathy, a serious condition that can develop after a bone marrow transplant. Her research aims to discover why this damage to blood vessels may occur and how to prevent it.

Dr. Higham earned her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. She completed a residency in pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She then completed a fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology at Children's National Hospital and a fellowship in pediatric bone marrow transplantation at UCSF.

Dr. Higham is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Education

  • College of the Holy Cross, BA, 2006, Chemistry
  • Boston University School of Medicine, MD, 2010, Medicine
  • Northwestern-Feinberg: Lurie Children’s, Residency, 2013, Pediatrics
  • Children’s National Medical Center, 2017, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Selected Publications

  1. Schoettler ML, Dandoy CE, Harris A, Chan M, Tarquinio KM, Jodele S, Qayed M, Watkins B, Kamat P, Petrillo T, Obordo J, Higham CS, Dvorak CC, Westbrook A, Zinter MS, Williams KM. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage after hematopoietic cell transplantation- response to treatments and risk factors for mortality. Front Oncol. 2023; 13:1232621.  View on PubMed
  2. Svec P, Elfeky R, Galimard JE, Higham CS, Dalissier A, Quigg TC, Bueno Sanchez D, Han Lum S, Faraci M, Cole T, Pichler H, Benítez-Carabante MI, Horakova J, Gonzalez-Vicent M, Yanir A, Fagioli F, Wölfl M, von der Weid N, Protheroe R, Krivan G, Speckmann C, James B, Avcin SL, Bertrand Y, Verna M, Riha P, Patrick K, Cesaro S, Kalwak K, Bierings M, Büchner J, Mellgren K, Prohászka Z, Neven B, Lankester A, Corbacioglu S. Use of eculizumab in children with allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation associated thrombotic microangiopathy - a multicentre retrospective PDWP and IEWP EBMT study. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2023 02; 58(2):129-141.  View on PubMed
  3. Higham CS, Shimano KA, Melton A, Kharbanda S, Chu J, Dara J, Winestone LE, Hermiston ML, Huang JN, Dvorak CC. A pilot trial of prophylactic defibrotide to prevent serious thrombotic microangiopathy in high-risk pediatric patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2022 05; 69(5):e29641.  View on PubMed
  4. Forlanini F, Zinter MS, Dvorak CC, Bailey-Olson M, Winestone LE, Shimano KA, Higham CS, Melton A, Chu J, Kharbanda S. Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Comorbidity Index Score Is Correlated with Treatment-Related Mortality and Overall Survival following Second Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Children. Transplant Cell Ther. 2022 03; 28(3):155.e1-155.e8.  View on PubMed
  5. Higham CS, Collins G, Shimano KA, Melton A, Kharbanda S, Winestone LE, Huang JN, Dara J, Long-Boyle JR, Dvorak CC. Transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy in pediatric patients: pre-HSCT risk stratification and prophylaxis. Blood Adv. 2021 04 27; 5(8):2106-2114.  View on PubMed
  6. Dandoy CE, Rotz S, Alonso PB, Klunk A, Desmond C, Huber J, Ingraham H, Higham C, Dvorak CC, Duncan C, Schoettler M, Lehmann L, Cancio M, Killinger J, Davila B, Phelan R, Mahadeo KM, Khazal S, Lalefar N, Vissa M, Myers K, Wallace G, Nelson A, Khandelwal P, Bhatla D, Gloude N, Anderson E, Huo J, Roehrs P, Auletta JJ, Chima R, Lane A, Davies SM, Jodele S. A pragmatic multi-institutional approach to understanding transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy after stem cell transplant. Blood Adv. 2021 01 12; 5(1):1-11.  View on PubMed
  7. Contreras CF, Higham CS, Behnert A, Kim K, Stieglitz E, Tasian SK. Clinical utilization of blinatumomab and inotuzumab immunotherapy in children with relapsed or refractory B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021 01; 68(1):e28718.  View on PubMed
  8. Contreras CF, Long-Boyle JR, Shimano KA, Melton A, Kharbanda S, Dara J, Higham C, Huang JN, Cowan MJ, Dvorak CC. Reduced Toxicity Conditioning for Nonmalignant Hematopoietic Cell Transplants. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2020 09; 26(9):1646-1654.  View on PubMed
  9. Friend BD, Bailey-Olson M, Melton A, Shimano KA, Kharbanda S, Higham C, Winestone LE, Huang J, Stieglitz E, Dvorak CC. The impact of total body irradiation-based regimens on outcomes in children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2020 02; 67(2):e28079.  View on PubMed
  10. Pemov A, Hansen NF, Sindiri S, Patidar R, Higham CS, Dombi E, Miettinen MM, Fetsch P, Brems H, Chandrasekharappa SC, Jones K, Zhu B, Wei JS, National Intramural Sequencing Center (NISC) Comparative Sequencing Program, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) Cancer Genomics , Mullikin JC, Wallace MR, Khan J, Legius E, Widemann BC, Stewart DR. Low mutation burden and frequent loss of CDKN2A/B and SMARCA2, but not PRC2, define premalignant neurofibromatosis type 1-associated atypical neurofibromas. Neuro Oncol. 2019 08 05; 21(8):981-992.  View on PubMed
  11. Dvorak CC, Higham C, Shimano KA. Transplant-Associated Thrombotic Microangiopathy in Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients: A Practical Approach to Diagnosis and Management. Front Pediatr. 2019; 7:133.  View on PubMed
  12. Higham CS, Dombi E, Rogiers A, Bhaumik S, Pans S, Connor SEJ, Miettinen M, Sciot R, Tirabosco R, Brems H, Baldwin A, Legius E, Widemann BC, Ferner RE. The characteristics of 76 atypical neurofibromas as precursors to neurofibromatosis 1 associated malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Neuro Oncol. 2018 05 18; 20(6):818-825.  View on PubMed
  13. Higham CS, Steinberg SM, Dombi E, Perry A, Helman LJ, Schuetze SM, Ludwig JA, Staddon A, Milhem MM, Rushing D, Jones RL, Livingston M, Goldman S, Moertel C, Wagner L, Janhofer D, Annunziata CM, Reinke D, Long L, Viskochil D, Baker L, Widemann BC. SARC006: Phase II Trial of Chemotherapy in Sporadic and Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Associated Chemotherapy-Naive Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors. Sarcoma. 2017; 2017:8685638.  View on PubMed
  14. Lionakis MS, Dunleavy K, Roschewski M, Widemann BC, Butman JA, Schmitz R, Yang Y, Cole DE, Melani C, Higham CS, Desai JV, Ceribelli M, Chen L, Thomas CJ, Little RF, Gea-Banacloche J, Bhaumik S, Stetler-Stevenson M, Pittaluga S, Jaffe ES, Heiss J, Lucas N, Steinberg SM, Staudt LM, Wilson WH. Inhibition of B Cell Receptor Signaling by Ibrutinib in Primary CNS Lymphoma. Cancer Cell. 2017 06 12; 31(6):833-843.e5.  View on PubMed
  15. Farrell JR, Niconchuk JA, Renehan PR, Higham CS, Yoon E, Andrews MV, Shaw JL, Cetin A, Engle J, Ziegler CJ. New diamino-diheterophenol ligands coordinate iron(III) to make structural and functional models of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase. Dalton Trans. 2014 May 14; 43(18):6610-3.  View on PubMed

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