Pediatric Hematology/Oncology leads Dell Children’s Stem Cell Transplant Program Towards a Future of Hope and Healing
In 2023, Dell Children’s took a significant leap forward in its goal to provide care to all children, regardless of their diagnosis, through the recruitment of Dr. Amir Mian, Division Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Dell Children’s.
Dr. Mian came to Austin to further expand the hematology-oncology program and establish a pediatric stem cell transplant program, which will ensure that every aspect of hematology/oncology care can be delivered at Dell Children’s. This will not only be life-changing for cancer patients, but also for patients with diseases such as sickle cell disease or autoimmune deficiencies.
“Stem cell transplant is one area of hematology/oncology that has the greatest potential in years to come,” said Dr. Mian.
The Children’s Blood and Cancer Center at Dell Children’s has long-provided exceptional hematology/oncology care to the children of Central Texas and building out the robust stem cell transplant program is the next step in the Center’s growth.
Establishing the stem cell transplant program is crucial to keeping families like Gregory’s here throughout a health journey.
“When a patient has to undergo stem cell transplant, they have to relocate for an extended period of time. For many, it is an extreme hardship to have to leave home and be dislocated from family. Our goal is to have the most comprehensive pediatric hematology/oncology program in Central Texas so that every aspect of care can be delivered right here, in Austin and close to home,” said Dr. Mian.
Although it will take time to establish the program and achieve accreditation, Dr. Mian has extensive experience building stem cell transplant programs from the ground up.
“This is something you can only learn how to do first-hand,” Dr. Mian explained while reflecting on his experience building pediatric bone marrow transplant programs at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Children’s Hospital of Georgia.
Under Dr. Mian’s leadership, the Children’s Blood and Cancer Center is taking a strategic, multi-pronged approach to build out three key aspects of the stem cell transplant program:
- Expanding clinical services to include more sub-specialty programs/clinics;
- Education; and
- Research
Dell Children’s partnership with Dell Medical School is essential to the development and expansion of the stem cell transplant program. The partnership of these two institutions has made Austin a very attractive place for both renowned physicians and top-tier medical students. These combined forces are shaping a bright future for the children of Central Texas.
Dr. Mian projects that the stem cell transplant program will be up and running in about a year and will initially treat 10-12 patients annually, with expected year-over-year growth of 8-10%.
“Everyone [at the Children’s Blood and Cancer Center] has been incredibly committed to growing and developing professionally in order to support a stem cell transplant program. I am very proud of the team.”
Dr. Mian’s leadership is a significant advancement toward creating a world-class pediatric cancer program at Dell Children’s, and the growth of this program would not be possible without philanthropic investment from our community. Thanks to the generosity of Shivers Cancer Foundation, Dr. Mian also holds the Arthur H. Dilly Endowed Chair in Pediatric Oncology.
Philanthropy offers Dell Children’s the ability to provide the very best care to every patient, every day, regardless of a family’s ability to pay for services. Thank you to all our partners for their support in our mission to provide world-class care to every child, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.