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Jessica A. Pollard, MD

On staff since July 2006

Academic Title: Assistant Professor

Research Center: Center for Clinical and Translational Research

"Last fall, I received a first-day-of-kindergarten photo from a former patient, a survivor of multiply recurrent cancer who we thought was very unlikely to be cured. Her clinical course was not easy, and it is the reward of seeing her return to her “normal” life that makes this job so fulfilling. Snapshots like hers are invaluable and are the motivation behind my research and clinical efforts."

Dr. Jessica Pollard is an attending physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital, an acting assistant professor in pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and a research associate at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC). Dr. Pollard’s clinical interests include pediatric leukemias, in particular acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and related myeloid disorders.

She is an active member of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) consortium and coordinates Seattle Children’s Hospital’s participation in COG and industry sponsored clinical trials for myeloid disorders. Her research interests include the biology of AML and the impact of disease biology on clinical response. She is better defining the maturational states of hematopoietic precursors in which molecular events contributing to leukemogenesis arise, and has demonstrated that pediatric AML patients with evidence of disease relevant mutations in an immature hematopoietic progenitor population do worse than patients in which such abnormalities are restricted to more mature hematopoietic precursors. Her goal is to translate her biologic studies into methodologies that aid clinical prognostication and facilitate further development of risk stratified therapy. She also has interest in the development of novel therapeutic approaches for patients with minimal residual disease after induction chemotherapy, a disease feature that confers a poor outcome.

Recommendations

FawnaGreat Falls, MT01.03.12

Dr. Jess was such a blessing during our daughters cancer battles. Cancer is such a struggle and Dr. Pollard was always there in every way, she went above and beyond. We persevered and she was along side our family with every treatment and answered every hard question. She helped give us hope as well as fought for a cure. Today our daughter has been cancer free for 4 years and the impact that was left by Dr. Jess will never fade.

FredaPuyallup, WA11.01.11

I can't say enough positive words to describe Dr. Pollard. She makes my son and I feel important and heard every time we see her. She takes her time explaining everything and answering all of my nervous "mom" questions. She was never impatient or short with me. I also trully appreciated that she remembered all of my son's interests over a 5 year period and even information about other family members we spoke of, but she had never met. That is true careing!! Thank you Dr. Pollard!!

RenaeGraham, WA08.24.11

We've been going to Children's since April of 2011 when our son was diagnosed with CML at 10 years old. We've interacted with many doctors, but Dr. Pollard has been the doctor we've seen the most and we love her genuine compassion for our son and our family as well. The doctors here are very special people with huge hearts and we thank them for everything! Braydon, Jake, Renae & Kendra

Recommend Dr. Jessica Pollard

Overview
Awards and Honors
Publications
Research Funding

Overview

Board Certification(s): Pediatrics
Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Medical/Professional School: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgery, New York
Residency: Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle
Fellowship: Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle
Research Description: My research interests include the biology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the impact of disease biology on clinical response.

At present, I am better defining the maturational states of hematopoietic precursors in which molecular events contributing to leukemogenesis arise, and have demonstrated that pediatric AML patients with an internal tandem duplication of the FLT3 gene do poorly if the mutation is detected in an immature hematopoietic progenitor population. My ultimate goal is to improve clinical outcomes in AML by enhancing understanding of the biologic events that contribute to leukemogenesis and by determining whether heterogeneity of such events affects clinical response to conventional chemotherapeutics and/or targeted agents like gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO). I am also exploring methods for enhancing GO efficacy in patients with GO-resistant disease.
Research Focus Area: Cancer

Awards and Honors

Award Name	Award Description	Awarded By	Award Date
	Pediatric Research Loan Repayment Program - NIH	NIH - NHLBI	Oct. 1, 2006 - Sept. 30, 2010

Publications

Prevalence and prognostic implications of WT1 mutations in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML): a report from the Children's Oncology Group.
Blood , 2010 Aug 5: 702-10

Prevalence and prognostic significance of KIT mutations in pediatric patients with core binding factor AML enrolled on serial pediatric cooperative trials for de novo AML.
Blood , 2010 Mar 25: 2372-9

FLT3 internal tandem duplication in CD34+/CD33- precursors predicts poor outcome in acute myeloid leukemia.
Blood , 2006 Oct 15: 2764-9

Research Funding

Grant Title	Grantor	Award Date
Heterogeneity of CD33 expression in pediatric AML and its	For JulieFoundation	Jan. 1, 2008
Heterogeneity of CD33 expression in pediatric AML and its	CureSearch Research Fellowship Award	Jan. 1, 2008
Heterogeneity of CD33 expression in pediatric AML and its	St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Career Development	Jan. 1, 2008

Primary Office

Seattle Children's

MB.8.501 - Hematology-Oncology
4800 Sand Point Way NE

Seattle, WA 98105

206-987-2106

Additional Offices

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

FHCRC Box 358080 - MS D2-373
PO Box 19024

Seattle, WA 98109-1024

206-667-4886

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Jessica A. Pollard, MD

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