Staff and Board of Directors

Children's Cancer Research Fund Leadership

Research Advisory Committee

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Abbie Miller, MD | Chair

UnitedHealthcare

Dr. Miller is Chief Medical Officer at UnitedHealthcare’s commercial operations in the upper Midwest. She serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of St. Thomas, mentoring future healthcare leaders, and chairs both the Board of Directors and Research Advisory Committee at Children’s Cancer Research Fund.
Alix Seif

Alix Seif, MD, MPH
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Dr. Seif is an attending physician specializing in blood and marrow transplantation and hematologic malignancies at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her work focuses on developing and implementing patient- and caregiver-centered interventions to improve outcomes, quality of life, and equity for pediatric patients with leukemia. She serves as the Scientific Lead of the Research Advisory Committee at Children’s Cancer Research Fund.
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Jeffery Auletta, MD
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)

Dr. Auletta is the Senior Vice President, CIBMTR & Clinical Services at NMDP and Chief Scientific Director, Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) NMDP. He co-leads national research efforts, advancing transplant and cell therapies to improve survival and quality of life for patients worldwide. He has also led efforts supporting access to transplant and cell therapies for all patients in need.
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Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Dr. Bhatia is Director of the Institute for Cancer Outcomes & Survivorship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. She is an elected member of American Society for Clinical Investigation and Association of American Physicians. With over 550 peer-reviewed publications and continuous funding from NCI since 2000, she is an internationally renowned leader in cancer outcomes and survivorship.
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Lia Gore, MD
University of Colorado Anschutz

Dr. Gore is a Professor in Pediatrics, Medical Oncology, and Hematology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT-Cellular Therapeutics at Children's Hospital Colorado. She co-directs the Developmental Therapeutics Program at the University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center and is the Group Vice Chair of the Children’s Oncology Group. Her work focuses on developing new treatments for refractory cancers, including pioneering trials of blinatumomab for childhood B-ALL.
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Adam Green, MD
Children’s Hospital Colorado

Dr. Green is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and an attending pediatric neuro-oncologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado. His research focuses on developing new treatments for pediatric high-grade gliomas, including diffuse midline glioma, and he is actively involved in clinical trials. He contributes to national efforts through the Children’s Oncology Group and the DIPG DMG National Tumor Board.
Jonathan Kimmelman

Jonathan Kimmelman, PhD – Ex-Officio
McGill University

Dr. Kimmelman studies the ethical, social, and policy challenges of developing new drugs. His research focuses on improving the safety, validity, and impact of clinical trials, and on developing frameworks to guide ethical decision-making in translational clinical research.
Lucie Turcotte

Lucie Turcotte, MD, MPH, MS
University of Minnesota

Dr. Turcotte is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on improving short and long-term outcomes for children who have received cancer or stem cell transplant therapies. She leads national efforts in survivorship, cancer screening, and subsequent malignancies, aiming to enhance both the quality and length of life for childhood cancer survivors.
Maria Velez

Maria C. Velez, MD
LSU Health Sciences Center /Manning Family Children’s Hospital

Dr. Velez is a Professor in Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology at LSU Health Sciences Center – New Orleans and leads the Neuro-Oncology Program at Manning Family Children’s Hospital. Her work focuses on advancing care, education, and research in pediatric hematology, oncology, and neuro-oncology while promoting equity and inclusion in healthcare. She was recently named the President of The American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
Nick Vitanza

Nick Vitanza, MD
Seattle Children’s Hospital

Dr. Vitanza is a pediatric neuro-oncologist and translational scientist at Seattle Children's Hospital focused on treating aggressive childhood brain tumors, including diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma and diffuse midline glioma. He leads innovative laboratory and clinical trial efforts, including CAR T-cell therapies, to translate scientific discoveries into new treatments and improved outcomes for children with currently incurable brain tumors.

Executive Committee

  • Chair of the Board

    Abbie Miller, MD
    Chief Medical Officer,
    UnitedHealthcare

  • Vice Chair

    Chris Zupfer
    Executive Director,
    Hill Murray School

  • Secretary, Governance Chair

    Ashley Thronson
    Chief Legal Officer,
    Colourfuel, Inc.

  • Chief Executive Officer

    Elizabeth Crippen Allen

  • Treasurer

    Heike Drake-Cavalletti
    Partner,
    KPMG LLP

  • Development Chair

    Megan Goodrich
    Community Volunteer

Board Members

  • Abbie Miller, MD
    Chief Medical Officer, UnitedHealthcare

  • Ashley Thronson
    Chief Legal Officer, Colourfuel, Inc.

  • Barb Farrell
    Community Volunteer

  • Charlie Anderson
    Interim COO/CEO,
    Urban Cricket Farm

  • Chris Toppin
    Audit & Assurance Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP

  • Chris Zupfer
    Vice President,
    Hill Murray School

  • Dawn Lamm
    Chief Financial Officer,
    Novus Media, LLC

  • Heike Drake-Cavalletti
    Partner,
    KPMG LLP

  • Jennifer Vall
    Training and Development Team Lead,
    State of Minnesota

  • Megan Goodrich
    Community Volunteer

  • Patricia Gray
    Community Volunteer

  • Teresa Molinaro
    Attorney,
    Bremer Bank

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

  • Ashley Thronson | Chair
  • Barb Farrell
  • Tricia Gray
  • Teresa Molinaro
  • Rachel Gustad | Staff

DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

  • Megan Goodrich | Chair
  • Charlie Anderson
  • Chris Zupfer
  • Dave Stepanek | Advisor
  • Kenna Dooley | Staff

FINANCE, INVESTMENT AND AUDIT COMMITTEE

  • Heike Drake-Cavalletti | Chair
  • Jen Vall
  • Chris Toppin
  • Dawn Lamm
  • Judy Jablonski
  • Ginny Kremer
  • Eileen Lay | Staff

Chief Medical Advisors Emeritus

  • Mark Nesbit Jr., MD
  • Norma Ramsay, MD

Honorary Directors

  • Diana & Norm Hageboeck

Life Advisors

  • Jan Humphrey
  • Del Johnson
  • Deb Nesbit
  • Jane Ramsland
  • Cal Simmons
  • Sharon Waller
  • Phil McGlave MD
  • Joe Neglia, MD, MPH

National Honorary Chairs

  • Tom & Melissa Lehman