Dr. Caroline Hastings is a senior clinician-scientist and educator. She is one of the leaders of the Hematology/Oncology Division. She is the Director of the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, and the Chair of the hospital-wide fellowship education program. On a national level, she is a leader in ASPHO and an elected trustee to the board. She is actively involved in oversight of the career domains including the Professional Development Training Program and Practice committees.

Dr. Hastings is the Director of our Outreach Program, including Shadelands-Walnut Creek, Nevada, and Napa. Dr. Hastings was the co-founder of our multidisciplinary Pediatric Neuro- Oncology Program in 2004. Her skill set in program building has led to her selection in 2015 as the Associate Medical Director for the pediatric network development for both UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.

Dr. Hastings has several academic interests, including relapsed extramedullary acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Niemann-Pick Type C disease. She has been an active member of many COG committees, and has been co-chair of an extramedullary relapse study, and was the principal author for the recent report from the Children’s Oncology Group, Hastings et al. Increased post induction intensification improves outcome in children and adolescents with T- cell ALL; Brit J Haematol, 2015.

After developing a clinical program for Niemann-Pick Type C Disease, she developed a research program for this disease. She is the principal investigator for FDA-approved new treatment for Niemann-Pick Type C, and has with colleagues been studying amyloid-beta metabolism, iron hemostasis and biomarkers in Niemann-Pick. She will serve as the international PI in a Phase I/II trial to open the summer of 2016.

Dr. Hastings is a tireless volunteer with many national organizations advocating for children with cancer, including the American Cancer Society's childhood cancer survivors college scholarship (served as the chair for 12 years), local and national St. Baldrick’s Foundation activities, and several non-profits aimed at improving quality of life for cancer patients and their families. She is also involved with philanthropic programs to raise awareness and funds to support research and care in childhood cancer.

Selected books and publications:

1. Feusner JH, Hastings CA, Agrawal AK, eds. Supportive Care in Pediatric Oncology: A Practical Evidence-Based Approach. Berlin Springer; 2015.
2. Hastings C, Torkildson J, Anurag A. Handbook of Pediatric Hematology Oncology: The Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland, 2nd edition, Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
3. Chu J, Guo H, Raphael R, Torkildson J, Vichinsky E, Garrett C, Hastings C. Disseminated juvenile xanthogranuloma culminating in bone marrow necrosis and death. 2016 (submitted).
4. Hastings C, Gaynon PS, Nachman JB, Sather HN, Lu X, Devidas M, Seibel NL. Increased post-induction intensification improves outcome in children and adolescents with a markedly elevated white blood cell count (>/=200 x 10 /l) with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia but not B cell disease: a report from the Children's Oncology Group. Br J Haematol 2014.
5. Te Vruchte D, Speak AO, Wallom KL, Al Eisa N, Smith DA, Hendriksz CJ, Simmons L, Lachmann RH, Cousins A, Hartung R, Mengel E, Runz H, Beck M, Amraoui Y, Imrie J, Jacklin E, Riddick K, Yanjanin NM, Wassif CA, Rolfs A, Rimmele F, Wright N, Taylor C, Ramaswami U, Cox TM, Hastings C, Jiang X, Sidhu R, Ory DS, Arias B, Jeyakumar M, Sillence DJ, Wraith JE, Porter FD, Cortina-Borja M, Platt FM. Relative acidic compartment volume as a lysosomal storage disorder-associated biomarker. J Clin Invest 2014.
6. Zweideler-McKay P, Hogan MJ, Jubran RF, Black V, Casillas J, Harper J, Malempati S, Margolin J, Felgenhauer J, Sakamoto K, Franklin J, Shah M, Seibel N, Buchanan G, Vaiselbuh S, Hastings C, Hilden J, Stork L. Navigating your career path in pediatric hematology/oncology (PHO): On and off the beaten path. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2016;00:1-10.
7. Hung YH, Faux NG, Killilea DW, Yanjanin N, Firnkes S, Volitakis I, Ganio G, Walterfang M, Hastings C, Porter FD, Ory DS, Bush AI. Altered transition metal homeostasis in Niemann-Pick disease, type C1. Metallomics, 2013. DOI:10.1039/c3mt00308f. PMID: 24343124
8. Mattson N, Olsson M, Gustavsson MK, Kosicek M, Malnar M, Månsson, JE, Blomqvist M, Gobom J, Andreasson U, Brinkmalm G, Vite C, Hecimovic S, Hastings C, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Portelius E. Amyloid-β metabolism in Niemann-Pick C disease models and patients. Metabolic Brain Disease, e-pub Sept 1, 2012. PMID: 22935999
9. Hastings C, Torkildson J, Raphael R. Intrathecal Hydroxy-Propyl-Beta-Cyclodextrin Reverses Hearing Loss in Identical Twin Girls with Niemann-Pick Type C Disease. Mol Gen Metabolism. 2012;105(2):S34.
10. Nachman JB, La MK, Hunger SP, Heerema NA, Gaynon PS, Hastings C, Mattano LA, Sather H, Devidas M, Fryer DR, Steinhertz PG, Seibel NL. Young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia have an excellent outcome with chemotherapy alone and benefit from intensive post induction treatment: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group. J Clin Oncol. 2009 Nov 1;27(31):5189-94. Epub 2009 Oct 5.
11. Seibel NL, Steinhertz PG, Sather HN, Nachman JB, DeLaat C, Ettinger LJ, Freyer DR, Mattano LA, Hastings C, Rubin CM, Bertolone K, Franklin JL, Heerema NA, Mitchell TL, Pyesmany AF, La, MK, Edens C, Gaynon PS. Early post-intensification therapy improves survival for children and adolescents with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Blood. 2008;111(5):2548.
12. Hastings C, Wechsler DS, Stine KC, Graham DK, Abshire T. Consensus on a core curriculum in American training programs in Pediatric hematology-oncology: A report from the ASPHO training committee. Pediatr Hematology and Oncology, 24:503-512, 2007.