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. Dvorak CC, Cho S, Salinas Cisneros G, Higham CS, Chu J, Winestone LE, Temple WC, Kharbanda S, Shimano KA, Avagyan S, Pauerstein PT, Huang JN, Cheng G, Lalefar N, Aguayo-Hiraldo P, Keizer RJ, Pulsipher MA, Long-Boyle JR. High Melphalan Exposure Increases the Risk of Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Alpha-Beta T-Cell Depleted Haploidentical Transplantation. Transplant Cell Ther. 2025 Apr 02.  View on PubMed
  2. Dvorak CC, Temple WC, Cisneros GS, Chu J, Winestone LE, Higham CS, Shimano KA, Kharbanda S, Avagyan S, Pauerstein P, Huang JN, Cheng G, Waters E, Winger BA, Cowan MJ, Long-Boyle JR. Younger children with nonmalignant disease have increased incidence of mixed myeloid chimerism after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation with busulfan-based conditioning. Transplant Cell Ther. 2025 Apr; 31(4):259.e1-259.e15.  View on PubMed
  3. Dvorak CC, Long-Boyle JR, Holbrook-Brown L, Abdel-Azim H, Bertaina A, Vatsayan A, Talano JA, Bunin N, Anderson E, Flower A, Lalefar N, Higham CS, Kapoor N, Klein O, Odinakachukwu MC, Cho S, Jacobsohn DA, Collier W, Pulsipher MA. Effect of rabbit ATG PK on outcomes after TCR-αβ/CD19-depleted pediatric haploidentical HCT for hematologic malignancy. Blood Adv. 2024 Dec 10; 8(23):6003-6014.  View on PubMed
  4. Cheng G, Smith MA, Phelan R, Brazauskas R, Strom J, Ahn KW, Hamilton B, Peterson A, Savani B, Schoemans H, Schoettler M, Sorror M, Higham C, Kharbanda S, Dvorak CC, Zinter MS. Epidemiology of Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage in Pediatric Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Recipients. Transplant Cell Ther. 2024 Oct; 30(10):1017.e1-1017.e12.  View on PubMed
  5. Higham CS, Shimano KA, Kharbanda S, Chu J, Cisneros GS, Winestone LE, Dara J, Huang JN, Hermiston ML, Long-Boyle JR, Dvorak CC. Cyclophosphamide and Thiotepa Increases Risk of Transplant-Associated Thrombotic Microangiopathy. Transplant Cell Ther. 2024 Sep; 30(9):931.e1-931.e10.  View on PubMed
  6. Smith MA, Cheng G, Phelan R, Brazauskas R, Strom J, Ahn KW, Hamilton BK, Peterson A, Savani B, Schoemans H, Schoettler ML, Sorror M, Keller RL, Higham CS, Dvorak CC, Fineman JR, Zinter MS. Pulmonary hypertension in the intensive care unit after pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant: incidence, risk factors, and outcomes. Front Oncol. 2024; 14:1415984.  View on PubMed
  7. Salinas Cisneros G, Dvorak CC, Long-Boyle J, Kharbanda S, Shimano KA, Melton A, Chu J, Winestone LE, Dara J, Huang JN, Hermiston ML, Zinter M, Higham CS. Diagnosing and Grading of Sinusoidal Obstructive Syndrome after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant of Children, Adolescent and Young Adults treated in a Pediatric Institution with Pediatric Protocols. Transplant Cell Ther. 2024 Jul; 30(7):690.e1-690.e16.  View on PubMed
  8. Shumock SS, Temple WC, Marinoff A, Aaronson K, Southworth E, Xirenayi S, Lee AG, Leung SG, Sweet-Cordero EA, Hermiston M, Higham C, Stieglitz E. Pre-and post-HSCT use of TKI therapy for fusion-driven B-ALL: A case series of five pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients. Cancer Rep (Hoboken). 2023 12; 6(12):e1901.  View on PubMed
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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

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