Physician-Scientist Dedicates Time and Expertise to Conquer Kids' Cancer

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Dec 03, 2021, 08:30 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- It is one thing to love the work you do in your day job. However, it says so much more when you also dedicate your "off hours" to the very same mission. Take Jeffrey M. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, for example. He has served intermittently on the St. Baldrick's Foundation Board of Directors since first joining in 2005 and will be rotating off the board this year.

Dr. Lipton's journey on the board has been uniquely impactful. During his time, he recruited and led the St. Baldrick's Scientific Advisory Committee and created the strategy for the Foundation's internationally respected and highly competitive grant funding program. Thanks to Dr. Lipton's leadership and vision, the Foundation has played a role in virtually every advancement in the field of pediatric cancer since its inception.

Dr. Lipton served as a board member for a total of 13 years and recruited the world-renowned Robert (Bob) J. Arceci, MD, PhD to replace him. However, when Dr. Arceci died in a motorcycle accident in 2015, just a week before a substantial number of research grant decisions needed to be made, Dr. Lipton stepped back in to fill Bob's shoes, ensuring the continuity of the research funding program.

"It has been one of the greatest privileges of my professional career to work closely with this man," says Becky Chapman Weaver, Chief Mission Officer. "Shortly after the St. Baldrick's Foundation was formed, a board member introduced me to Jeff as someone who might be able to work with us to set up our new program to fund childhood cancer research grants. From that first conversation right up until today, he's been a constant source of wisdom, scientific expertise, practical advice, and great humor. Our program would not be as widely respected as it is today if not for Jeff's guiding hand."

Dr. Lipton also led the initiative to create the St. Baldrick's Robert J. Arceci Innovation Award, a new type of grant that reflects Dr. Arceci's legacy, valuing and fueling out-of-the-box thinking and high-risk, high-reward research.

Later, Dr. Lipton also recruited Susan L. Cohn, M.D., now the St. Baldrick's Scientific Advisory Committee Chair, and Jason T. Yustein, M.D., Ph.D., a former St. Baldrick's Scholar. Together with other members of the Scientific Advisory Committee, these physician-scientists guide the St. Baldrick's Foundation's funding program, giving donors the assurance that their support enables the very best research to proceed.

Since Dr. Lipton guided the creation of the St. Baldrick's research program, the Foundation has supported more than $312 million in lifesaving research grants via 1,644 grants to 380 institutions in 30 countries.

In addition to his essential roles at Cohen Children's Medical Center and the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Dr. Lipton is a past President of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (ASPHO). Besides his professional roles, Dr. Lipton has also spoken to students from kindergarten through high school to help them understand cancer and foster their interest in science.

There is no question or call Dr. Lipton does not answer. He once ran the Philadelphia Marathon and shaved his head immediately after, highlighting the St. Baldrick's Foundation's signature fundraising activity. He has also traveled from Kyoto to Dublin to represent St. Baldrick's at scientific meetings - truly going the extra mile for kids with cancer!

"It's been such a pleasure and great experience to work with Dr. Lipton on the Board. He's always a gentleman, respectful of everyone, with a ready sense of humor and unbridled enthusiasm," said Kathleen Ruddy, St. Baldrick's Foundation CEO. "His leadership in a crisis, like when Bob Arceci passed, is extraordinary and he's truly the model pediatric oncologist that young doctors strive to emulate."

As Dr. Lipton's board term ends, St. Baldrick's Ambassadors and Honored Kids conducted a virtual knighting ceremony, bestowing on him the title "Crusader for a Cure," a top rank in the Foundation's League of Legendary Heroes. He is a legend indeed.

To learn more about St. Baldrick's, visit StBaldricks.org, and connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

About St. Baldrick's Foundation
Every 2 minutes a child somewhere in the world is diagnosed with cancer. In the U.S., 1 in 5 will not survive. The St. Baldrick's Foundation, the largest non-government funder of childhood cancer research grants, is on a mission to give kids a lifetime by supporting the most promising research to find cures and better treatments for all childhood cancers. When you give to St. Baldrick's, you don't just give to one hospital – you support virtually every institution with the expertise to treat kids with cancer across the U.S. St. Baldrick's ensures that children fighting cancer now -- and those diagnosed in the future -- will have access to the most cutting-edge treatment, by supporting every stage of research, from new ideas in the lab to the development of new therapies, to life-saving clinical trials. Join us at StBaldricks.org and help #GiveKidsALifetime.

SOURCE St. Baldrick's Foundation