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Pediatric Oncology and Hematology
at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center

Your Pediatric Care Team

Physicians

AZIZA T. SHAD, MD
Chief, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Dr. Shad graduated with honors from Dow Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan, in 1977. After completing a residency in Pediatrics, she obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Child Health (DCH) from The University of Karachi, Pakistan, in 1980. After additional training in Pediatrics and Oncology in London, UK, she completed another Pediatric Residency at the Children's Hospital, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, (1986-89), followed by a Fellowship in Pediatric Hematology Oncology at the National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD (1989-92). She stayed on as a Visiting Scientist in the Lymphoma Biology Section at the NCI for an additional three years to work on pediatric lymphomas. Dr. Shad joined the Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Georgetown University, as an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics in November 1995. Dr. Shad is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology Oncology. She is currently the Director of the Leukemia Lymphoma Program, Chair of the Pediatric Tumor Board, and Director of the Late Effects Program for cancer survivors. Dr. Shad is an Associate Member of the Governing Council for the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research and is acting Coordinator of Education. She has spoken at numerous scientific meetings both nationally and internationally and is widely published in pediatric lymphomas and pediatric oncology in developing countries. She also has been honored with the Georgetown University School of Medicine Teacher of the Year Award, 1997, 1999 as well as the Georgetown University School of Medicine Humanitarian Award, 2001. Her research interests include: leukemias, lymphomas, late effects in long-term survivors, supportive care and international pediatric oncology.

AMAL M. ABU-GHOSH, MD
Dr. Abu-Ghosh received her MBBS in 1985 and an advanced degree in Pediatrics in 1989, from the Jordan University School of Medicine in Aman, Jordon. She completed a Rotating Internship (1986) and a Pediatric Residency (1990) in Jordan before coming to the United States. Dr. Abu-Ghosh underwent another Pediatric Internship and Residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston between 1993 and 1995. She then joined the Children's Hospital of Orange County in California as a Hematology/Oncology Fellow, before arriving at Georgetown University in the same capacity in 1998. Dr. Abu-Ghosh has been working most closely with Lombardi's pediatric bone marrow transplantation program. She has spoken at numerous scientific meetings, and is widely published in various areas relating to pediatric oncology, hematology and bone marrow transplantation.

FRANCISCO BRACHO, MD
Dr. Bracho graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine in 1993. He was nationally honored as the 1993 McLean Scholar for outstanding minority medical students. He completed his pediatric training at Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center. Dr. Bracho began his fellowship training in 1996 at Children's Hospital of Orange County in California, and completed training in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and Georgetown University. He was awarded a training grant to study immune cells in cord blood and cancer patients. During his fellowship, Dr. Bracho presented his scientific work at numerous scientific meetings. He joined the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology division at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in YEAR.

CORINA GONZALEZ, MD
Dr. Gonzalez received her MD from the University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine in Argentina in 1987. After training at the National Cancer Institute Pediatric Oncology Branch and the Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Pediatric Hematology, she completed her residency in pediatrics at the Children's National Medical Center in 2001. Dr. Gonzalez joined Lombardi's pediatric team in 2002, where she focuses treating children with hematologic disorders. Her research focuses on the development of new therapies to treat fungal infections in immunocompromised patients.

JEFFREY TORETSKY, MD
Dr. Toretsky received his MD in 1998 from the University of Minnesota. He completed his pediatric residency at the Medical College of Virginia in 1991, and his pediatric oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute Pediatric Branch in 1994. He came to Lombardi in 2002 from the Departments of Pediatrics and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Maryland. Dr. Toretsky divides his time between the Children's Cancer Foundation Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinic and his research laboratory. His research interests include pediatric sarcomas, particularly Ewing's Sarcoma.

Nurse Practitioners

SUZANNE M. KNUBEL, RN, MSN, CPNP, received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 1989 from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She started her nursing career with a Cancer Nursing Fellowship at NIH for nine months, after which she worked on the Pediatric Oncology/HIV unit for four years. In 1992 and 1994, Suzanne traveled to Uganda and Ghana to participate in a medical mission. She received a Master's in Community Health and a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner degree at the University of Virginia in 1997. She joined the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center's pediatric Hematology/Oncology team in August of 1998, and is the primary nurse practitioner for Solid Tumor, Brain Tumor and (added) Bone Marrow Transplants.

KATHERINE MYINT-HPU, MSN, MPH, CPNP, received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Vassar College in May 1993. In May 1998 she received a joint Master of Nursing and Master of Public Heath degree from Yale University. Her thesis focused on health care utilization patterns of immigrant families. She began working with the Division of Pediatric Oncology as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in September 1998. She is the primary nurse practitioner for the Leukemia/Lymphoma specialty clinic.

ANNA C. COUVILLON, RN, BSN, received her Bachelors of Science of Nursing from the School of Nursing at Georgetown University in 1994. In 1994, she started her nursing career as a Pediatric Inpatient Nurse and developed an interest in Pediatric Oncology. After specializing in Pediatric Oncology, she joined the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center's Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Outpatient Clinic in 1996, and is currently the Clinic Coordinator and Nurse Specialist. Anna also specializes in the care of Pediatric Hematology patients and coordinates the Pediatric Hematology Program. In September 1999, Anna started a Master's Program at the University of Maryland at Baltimore for a double major that will result in a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner degree and a Masters in Business Administration/Managed Care.

Case Manager

JADA TSCHRITTER KRALL, RN, received her Bachelor of Science degree from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1992. She went on to complete her nursing degree from Watts School of Nursing in 1995. Being our newest member, Jada has extensive experience with the pediatric population. She began her work in nursing at Duke University Medical Center in the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit and traveled as a cross-country nurse for several facilities. She has most recently been a part of the inpatient pediatric nursing team here at Georgetown Hospital.

Clinical Research Associate

ANJUM ZAKI, graduated from Dow Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan in 1977. She then went on to work in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ziauddin Hospital in Pakistan until 1981. Anjum received further training in Diagnostic Ultrasound at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland in 1985 and then returned to Pakistan to set up her own private practice. Anjum joined the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology team in May 2000 as Clinical Research Associate.

Art Therapists

TRACY COUNCILL, MA, ATR-BC, Director of our Art Therapy Program, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University with honors in 1978. After working in various jobs to support her artistic pursuits, she became Arts Coordinator for Watauga County, North Carolina, in August 1980. A Board Certified Art Therapist, she received her Master of Art in Art Therapy from The George Washington University in 1988. Ms. Councill is an Adjunct Faculty Member of the Graduate Training Program in Art Therapy at The George Washington University. She has written about Medical Art Therapy for professional publications, and presented at conferences on Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the NIH and for Hospice of Northern Virginia. An active studio artist, Ms. Councill exhibits her paintings and woodblock prints at local venues.

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