I grew up in the New York City area. As a child, I was something of a science geek. I enjoyed applying what I learned to real life situations. As a pediatric cancer specialist, I always focus on helping kids with cancer and brain tumors enjoy the best possible quality of life.
Why I Treat Children
I have tremendous respect for the children in my care. Although most are very sick, they handle adversity amazingly well. They don’t complain and just want to be done with treatment so they can go on with their lives.
How I Try to Make A Difference
I try to make a difference through hope and healing. The fact that Nemours is so active in cancer research means we have access to experimental treatment options that offer real hope for a cure. Just as important, we do everything we can to make a terrible process less terrible by alleviating any suffering.
Education & Training
Fellowship
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
- University of Michigan,
1992
Internship
Pediatrics - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 1987
Residency
Pediatrics
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia,
1989
Medical/Dental School
MD
- University of Rochester,
1986
Board Certifications
American Board of Pediatrics/Hematology-Oncology
Awards & Recognition
2014
Best Doctors in America
2013
Best Doctors in America
2011
Best Doctors in America
Insurance Accepted
Aetna Better Health PA Kids HMO
Aetna HMO
Aetna PPO/POS/EPO
Amerigroup NJ Medicaid/Healthy Kids
Amerihealth Caritas Delaware
Carefirst MD Community Health Plan Mcaid
Cigna Lifesource Transplant
Cigna/Great West HMO EPO POS
Cigna/Great West PPO
Delaware First Health
Delaware Medicaid/Diamond State
Delaware Medicare
Devon Health Services
First Health/Affordable PPO
Geisinger Health Plan Commercial
Geisinger Health Plan Medicaid
Health Partners Medicaid/Kidz Partner HMO
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware Traditional
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delware HMO PPO POS EPO
Highmark Medicaid Health Options
Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield NJ HMO
Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NJ PPO
Horizon NJ Health
INTEGRA Administrative Group (ClaimsBridge)
Independence Blue Cross/Amerihealth/Keystone HMO PPO
Insurance Administrators of America
Keystone First Medicaid HMO
Lifetrac Transplant
Maryland Medicaid
Multiplan PPO
New Jersey Medicaid
Pennsylvania Medicaid
Plan Vista/NPPN PPO
Preferred Healthcare PPO
Private Health Care Systems (PHCS)
Qualcare HMO/POS/PPO
Star Healthcare Network
Three Rivers Provider Network
Tricare/Humana Military Health Services
UPMC MCAID/CHIP PA DE
United Healthcare of the Mid-Atlantic
Wellcare of NJ Medicaid HMO
Research Activities
In my research I helped describe and measure the learning problems that brain tumor patients can have following radiation therapy.
Medical Interests
Brain stem gliomas
Brain tumors
Chemotherapy
Gorlin syndrome
Low grade gliomas
Malignant gliomas
Medulloblastoma ependymoma
Bowers, D. C., Verbruggen, L. C., Kremer, L. C. M., Hudson, M. M., Skinner, R., Constine, L. S., & Mulder, R. L. (2021). Surveillance for subsequent neoplasms of the CNS for childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer survivors: a systematic review and recommendations from the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group. The Lancet Oncology, 22(5), e196-e206. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30688-4 View Full Publication
Kumar, R., Smith, K. S., Deng, M., Terhune, C., Robinson, G. W., Orr, B. A., & Northcott, P. A. (2021). Clinical Outcomes and Patient-Matched Molecular Composition of Relapsed Medulloblastoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 39(7), 807-821. doi:10.1200/JCO.20.01359 View Full Publication
Liu, A. P. Y., Kelsey, M. M., Sabbaghian, N., Park, S.-H., Deal, C. L., Esbenshade, A. J., & Priest, J. R. (2021). Clinical Outcomes and Complications of Pituitary Blastoma. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 106(2), 351-363. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaa857 View Full Publication
Dhall, G., O'Neil, S. H., Ji, L., Haley, K., Whitaker, A. M., Nelson, & Finlay, J. L. (2020). Excellent outcome of young children with nodular desmoplastic medulloblastoma treated on "head Start" III: A multi-institutional, prospective clinical trial. Neuro-Oncology, 22(12), 1862-1872. doi:10.1093/neuonc/noaa102 View Full Publication
Schultz, K. A. P., Nelson, A., Harris, A. K., Finch, M., Field, A., Jarzembowski, J. A., & Ashley Hill, D. (2020). Pleuropulmonary blastoma-like peritoneal sarcoma: a newly described malignancy associated with biallelic DICER1 pathogenic variation. Modern Pathology, 33(10), 1922-1929. doi:10.1038/s41379-020-0558-4 View Full Publication
Walter, A. W., Kandula, V. V. R., & Shah, N. (2020). Larotrectinib imaging response in low-grade glioma. Pediatric Blood and Cancer, 67(1). doi:10.1002/pbc.28002 View Full Publication
Davidow, K. A., Walter, A. W., & Kolb, E. A. (2019). Bone marrow transplant and pediatric multiple myeloma. Pediatric Blood and Cancer, 66(2). doi:10.1002/pbc.27528 View Full Publication
Davidow, K. A., & Walter, A. W. (2019). Medulloblastoma and secondary acute myeloid leukemia in a patient with Turner syndrome. Pediatric Blood and Cancer, 66(4). doi:10.1002/pbc.27576 View Full Publication
Gripp, K. W., Baker, L., Kandula, V., Piatt, J., Walter, A., Chen, Z., & Messiaen, L. (2017). Constitutional LZTR1 mutation presenting with a unilateral vestibular schwannoma in a teenager. Clinical Genetics, 92(5), 540-543. doi:10.1111/cge.13013 View Full Publication
Fraint, E., Miller, R., & Walter, A. (2017). Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and cerebral sinus thrombosis in a case of pediatric B-Cell ALL. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, 39(2), e71-e73. doi:10.1097/MPH.0000000000000728 View Full Publication
Cohen, J. W., & Walter, A. W. (2016). Hypothalamic glioma in a patient with Sturge-Weber syndrome. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, 38(1), e10-e12. doi:10.1097/MPH.0000000000000438 View Full Publication
Morrissy, A. S., Garzia, L., Shih, D. J. H., Zuyderduyn, S., Huang, X., Skowron, P., & Taylor. (2016). Divergent clonal selection dominates medulloblastoma at recurrence. Nature, 529(7586), 351-357. doi:10.1038/nature16478 View Full Publication
English
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