The Histiocytosis Association is pleased to present a collection of educational videos highlighting common questions about histiocytic disorders, their symptoms and treatment. The videos feature 13 physicians and scientists from around the world who are leaders in the field of histiocytosis.
Videos are available for online viewing below. Learn more about the presenters by clicking on each name below.
Dr. Johannes Visser MD.
Dr. Visser discusses an overview of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, as well as a description of the BRAF mutation and the importance of the relationship between the Histiocytosis Association and the Histiocyte Society.
Johannes Visser was a Pediatric Oncologist based in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. He trained at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa and the British Columbia Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. His main research and clinical interest was histiocytic disorders, with a specific focus on LCH and malignant histiocytosis. He led the UK Children’s Histiocytosis Special Interest Group and was the UK chief investigator for the LCH IV trial. Johannes has previously served on the Histiocyte Society Scientific Committee and the LCH Steering Committee.
Sadly, Dr. Visser passed away on December 20th, 2020.
Dr. Kimo Stine, MD
Dr. Stine discusses the difference between the degrees of risk with LCH (low, high, and multi-system involvement). Dr. Stine also outlines what determines the length of treatment for LCH.
University of Arkansas
Little Rock, AR USA
Dr. Stine discusses the difference between the degrees of risk with LCH (low, high, and multi-system involvement). Dr. Stine also outlines what determines the length of treatment for LCH.
Dr. Kenneth McClain, MD, PhD
Dr. McClain outlines what it means to have Central Nervous System involvement (CNS) as well as the symptoms and treatment. Dr. McClain also covers the relationship between LCH and CNS, long-term effects and what patients can expect with this diagnosis.
Texas Children’s Hospital
Houston, TX USA
Kenneth McClain, MD, PhD is a Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. He graduated from the University of Chicago School of Medicine in 1973 as a trainee in the Pediatric Medical Scientist program. From 1973-76 he did a pediatric residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore followed by post-doctoral research at the National Institutes of Health in the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of the Child Health Institute from 1976-1979. He completed his pediatric oncology fellowship at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine (1979-81) and was then on the faculty for 5 years. Since 1986 he has been an attending physician in the Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center and a Professor of Pediatrics since 2003. Dr. McClain is a member of the Histiocytic Diseases/Lymphoma clinic team. In 2001 he developed a Histiocytosis Center which now sees over 135 new patients a year including children and adults with Langerhans cell histiocytosis, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, juvenile xanthogranuloma, Rosai Dorfman Disease, Multifocal Reticulohistiocytosis, and Erdheim Chester Disease. He and Dr. Carl Allen have done ground-breaking work on the biology of Langerhans cell histiocytosis, clinical prognostic factors in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and improved treatments for adult patients with histiocytic diseases.
Dr. K. Scott Baker, MD
Dr. Baker discusses the late effects/long term side effects of LCH and its treatment as well as any learning or behavioral issues that may arise.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center
Seattle, WA USA
Dr. Baker is a Member in the Clinical Research and Public Health Sciences Divisions at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle Washington. He holds the Gloria and Gerald Swanson Endowed Chair for Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and is the Director of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cancer Survivorship Programs. He is a nationally recognized expert in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and in cancer survivorship and late effects.
He received his M.D. degree at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1988, completed his internship and residency in Pediatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1991 and subsequently did his post-doctoral fellowship in Hematology-Oncology at The Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati OH, 1991-1994. Dr, Baker then returned to the University of Nebraska as faculty in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant where he remained until joining the faculty at the University of Minnesota in 1997. In 2009 he joined the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington in Seattle Washington. He is board certified in Pediatrics Hematology/Oncology.
Dr. Baker’s research interests are in the acute and long term-effects of hematopoietic cell transplantation and are focused on the use of epidemiologic methods to study treatment related acute and long-term complications in survivors after hematopoietic stem cell transplant. This research forms the basis for his current grant support in which the incidence, risk factors, and characteristics of cardiac, pulmonary, renal, endocrine, reproductive late effects and quality of life outcomes in survivors are being studied. Additional studies are examining the “metabolic syndrome” and the early development of cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes in transplant survivors. Dr. Baker also serves as the principal investigator for several hematopoietic stem cell transplant clinical trials, particularly for treatment of children with hemophagoytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), Langerhan’s Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) and other primary immune deficiencies. For these patients, a novel type of transplantation that is designed to make transplantation for patients with these disorders safer by utilizing a reduced intensity transplant preparative regimen is being investigated. He has authored over 125 research papers and book chapters, and is a member of numerous professional societies including the Histiocyte Society since 1995 where he has been involved with both the LCH and HLH committees and served on the scientific Review Committee from 2005-2011.
Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD
¿Qué es la Histiocitosis de Célula de Langerhans (HCL) (en niños)?
¿Cuáles son los síntomas de la HCL?
¿Existe una curacón para la HCL?
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Memphis, TN USA
Dr. Carlos Rodríguez-Galindo, a Spanish native, graduated from Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain. Dr. Rodriguez-Galindo did his training in Pediatrics at the “Vall d’Hebron’s Children’s Hospital”, in Barcelona, and completed his training in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. After 10 years as clinical researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in August 2009 he moved to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital in Boston, where he was the Director of the Pediatric Solid Tumor Program, Medical Director of the Clinical and Translational Investigations Program, and Director of the Global Health Initiative in Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders. He was Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Rodriguez-Galindo’s clinical research has been focused in retinoblastoma, bone sarcomas, histiocytic disorders and rare childhood cancers. He actively participates in the development of new therapeutic strategies in those areas, and also has a special interest in the study and development of new drugs. Dr. Rodriguez-Galindo has been the primary investigator of several studies at St. Jude, including the frontline retinoblastoma trial, and several phase I studies. Dr. Rodriguez-Galindo is the Chair of the Retinoblastoma and Rare Tumors Committee at the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) and the primary investigator of COG studies for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, and recurrent malignant germ cell tumors. He was also the President of the Histiocyte Society and co-PI of the frontline LCH-IV study. Dr. Rodriguez-Galindo is also actively involved in the development of pediatric oncology programs in developing countries, particularly Latin-America, Africa, and South East Asia.
Currently, Dr. Rodriguez-Galindo is and Executive Vice President at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He also is a member of St. Jude Faculty, Chair of the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, Director of St. Jude Global, and Co-Associate Director of Outreach of the Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dr. Michael Girschikofsky, MD
Dr. Girschikofsky discusses an overview of LCH in Adults, current treatments, and what patients can expect moving forward after diagnosis.
Elisabethinen Hospital
Linz, Austria
Michael Girschikofsky, MD, is the Deputy Head of the Division Medicine I (Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hemostasis and Medical Oncology) and Deputy Medical Director at the Elisabethinen Hospital Linz, Austria.
Dr. Girschikofsky graduated from the Leopold-Franzens University at Innsbruck, Austria in 1990 and completed his internal medicine residency and hematology and oncology fellowship at Elisabethinen Hospital Linz in 2000.
Dr. Girschikofsky`s research interests focus on the biology and treatment of adult acute leukemias, prevention and therapy of fungal infections, and the biology and clinical management of Langerhans cell histiocytosis and other histiocytic disorders. He is a member of the scientific board of the Austrian Society of Hematology and Medical Oncology and member of the AGMT-study group board.
For many years Dr. Girschikofsky has worked on the Austrian Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis Registry and consults worldwide physicians of patients with histiocytic disorders. He is a member of the scientific board of the German Patient Association HistiozytoseHilfe e.V., a Project Partner of Euro Histio Net, and since 2012 member of the LCH Steering Committee and chair of the Adult Histiocytosis Study Group of the Histiocyte Society. In 2013 he published in cooperation with other recognized experts the first available recommendations for the management of adult patients with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis.
Dr. Robert Vassallo, MD
Dr. Vassallo gives an overview of Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) as well as the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and long-term effects.
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN USA
Dr. Vassallo obtained his medical degree from the University of Malta. Following completion of medical school training, he moved to the United States in 1995 to pursue residency training in internal medicine and subsequently pulmonary and critical care sub-specialty training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. After additional training in Immunology as a Mayo Scholar, he joined the staff at the Mayo Clinic and currently practices as a pulmonary specialist with efforts committed to clinical outpatient consultative care, inpatient pulmonary hospital care, and research. His research is focused on understanding mechanisms by which cigarette smoking impairs host immunity and promotes lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Another major focus of his research is with certain interstitial lung diseases that cigarette smokers are prone to develop, including pulmonary Langerhans cell Histiocytosis and rheumatoid arthritis associated diffuse lung disease.
Dr. Michael Jordan, MD
Dr. Jordan gives an overview of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Cincinnati, OH USA
Dr. Michael Jordan graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 1993. After completing a pediatrics residency at the Children’s Hospital of Dallas in 1996, he began a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology fellowship at The Children’s Hospital, Denver, Colorado. After completing clinical training, Dr Jordan joined the laboratory of Drs. Philippa Marrack and John Kappler in 1997, where he studied basic T cell biology. In 2002, Dr Jordan became an Instructor of Pediatrics and in 2003 was named Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Medical School. In 2004 he moved to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital/ University of Cincinnati, where he is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the divisions of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation and Immunodeficiency. Dr. Jordan’s research interests include defining the pathophysiology of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and discovery/ translation of improved therapies for this disorder.
Dr. Oussama Abla, MD
Dr. Abla gives an overview of Rosai-Dorfman disease, its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
The Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, ON Canada
Dr Oussama Abla, a Lebanese native, graduated from the University of Genoa, Italy in 1989 and completed his training in Pediatrics at the Gaslini Children’s Hospital of Genoa in 1994. During those years, his research was mainly focused on stem cell transplantation in pediatric solid tumors and acute myeloid leukemia. He completed his fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto in 1997. He joined the division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Hospital for Sick Children in year 2000 as an Assistant Professor. In 2010, he was appointed Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto. Dr Abla’s research is focused on rare diseases in children. His research has been dedicated to rare pediatric non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas especially Primary CNS lymphomas, acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), supportive care and pediatric Histiocytic disorders. He authored and co-authored 58 manuscripts and chapters in international scientific journals, and was the Editor of a book on “Supportive Care in Pediatric Oncology” in 2009. Since 2007, he has served as a member of the Histiocyte Society Working Group for the LCH-IV trial and currently acts as the Canadian Coordinator for this trial, and was chair of the Rare Histiocytic Disorders Working group since 2009. Dr Abla is also a member of the Histiocyte Society Education Committee, the International Primary CNS Lymphoma group, the American Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology (ASPHO) Program Committee, the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) – APL Subcommittee as well as the International-BFM Study Group- NHL and AML Committees.
In 2013, he was elected chair of the Histiocyte Society Rare Histiocytoses Steering Committee where his primary goal is to launch an international registry to better understand the biology and treatment of the rare histiocytoses.
Dr. Oussama Abla, MD
Dr. Abla gives an overview of Juvenile Xanthogranuloma, its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
The Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, ON Canada
Dr Oussama Abla, a Lebanese native, graduated from the University of Genoa, Italy in 1989 and completed his training in Pediatrics at the Gaslini Children’s Hospital of Genoa in 1994. During those years, his research was mainly focused on stem cell transplantation in pediatric solid tumors and acute myeloid leukemia. He completed his fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto in 1997. He joined the division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Hospital for Sick Children in year 2000 as an Assistant Professor. In 2010, he was appointed Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto. Dr Abla’s research is focused on rare diseases in children. His research has been dedicated to rare pediatric non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas especially Primary CNS lymphomas, acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), supportive care and pediatric Histiocytic disorders. He authored and co-authored 58 manuscripts and chapters in international scientific journals, and was the Editor of a book on “Supportive Care in Pediatric Oncology” in 2009. Since 2007, he has served as a member of the Histiocyte Society Working Group for the LCH-IV trial and currently acts as the Canadian Coordinator for this trial, and was chair of the Rare Histiocytic Disorders Working group since 2009. Dr Abla is also a member of the Histiocyte Society Education Committee, the International Primary CNS Lymphoma group, the American Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology (ASPHO) Program Committee, the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) – APL Subcommittee as well as the International-BFM Study Group- NHL and AML Committees.
In 2013, he was elected chair of the Histiocyte Society Rare Histiocytoses Steering Committee where his primary goal is to launch an international registry to better understand the biology and treatment of the rare histiocytoses.
Dr. Eli Diamond, MD
Dr. Diamond gives an overview of ECD, its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Eli Diamond is a neurologist and neuro-oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His training is in treating brain tumors and neurologic complications of cancer. He has been treating histiocytosis since he was in training in 2011 and this area is now his primary clinical and research focus. Eli has conducted several research studies and clinical trials for adult patients with histiocytosis, including the trial that led to FDA approval of vemurafenib for BRAF-mutated Erdheim-Chester disease. He has implemented many other new treatments for patients with histiocytosis. Eli has lead several research studies about gene mutations in histiocytosis, as well as related to symptoms, quality of life, and caregiver needs.
Dr. James Whitlock, MD
Dr. Whitlock gives an overview of Diabetes Insipidus, its diagnosis and treatment.
The Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, ON Canada
James Whitlock, MD, is the Division Head of Hematology/Oncology and the Women’s Auxiliary Millennium Chair in Hematology/Oncology at The Hospital for Sick Children, and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Whitlock graduated cum laude from Southwestern University at Memphis with a degree in Biology, earned his medical degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and completed his Pediatrics residency and fellowship in the Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at Vanderbilt under the mentorship of Dr. John N. Lukens, Jr. In 1990, Dr. Whitlock joined the Vanderbilt faculty, where he held the position of Craig-Weaver Professor of Pediatrics. After 30 years at Vanderbilt, he relocated to Canada to join the Hospital for Sick Children.
Dr. Whitlock’s honors and awards include membership in Phi Beta Kappa and the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, the David T. Karzon Award for outstanding research during residency, and the Gilda’s Club Spirit of Gilda Award. He has been recognized by America’s Top Doctors and The Best Doctors in America, and has authored or co-authored more than 80 journal articles and book chapters.
Dr. Whitlock’s research interests include the biology and treatment of childhood acute leukemias, the development of new drugs for the treatment of childhood cancers, and the biology and treatment of Langerhans cell histiocytosis and other histiocytic disorders. He is a member of the Children’s Oncology Group Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Executive Committee and Vice Chair for New Agents and Relapse, and has served as Chair or Vice-Chair of several additional national clinical trials and strategic committees. He also has served as a committee member for a number of other national and international organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. In addition to being a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Histiocytosis Association, Dr. Whitlock served as President of the Executive Board of the Histiocyte Society from 2010-2013.
Dr. Whitlock’s interests in histiocytosis stem from his involvement with several challenging patients, including identical twins with refractory infantile Langerhans cell histiocytosis (both of whom are now thriving teenagers), and a child with an atypical presentation of HLH (who is now doing well several years after an unrelated bone marrow transplant). The challenges in managing these difficult cases led to interactions with other physicians who share his interest in histiocytosis, and to his current involvement with both the Histiocytosis Association and the Histiocyte Society. Dr. Whitlock says the opportunity to provide assistance to children and adults with these difficult diseases, and his involvement with the Association and the Society, have been among the most rewarding aspects of his career.
Dr. Thomas Gross, MD, PhD
Dr. Gross reviews the importance of clinical trials for patients as well as for the future of histiocytic research, the challenges associated with trials and how you or your physician can learn more about ongoing clinical trials.
National Cancer Institute
Rockville, MD USA
Thomas G. Gross, MD, PhD, is the Deputy Director of Science for the Center for Global Health at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, MD.
Dr. Gross graduated with a BS degree with honors in Biochemistry from the University of Nebraska. He earned a combined MD-PhD degree, from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). After completing a Pediatric residency at the UNMC, he received fellowship training in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the University of Minnesota. He then went back to become a faculty member in the Departments of Pediatrics and Pathology at UNMC from 1993-1998. He subsequently, became the Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center from 1998-2002. From 2002 until the summer of 2013, he was the Division Chief and Gordon Teter Chair for Cancer Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus Ohio.
Dr. Gross’s honors include membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society; several endowed visiting professorships, an NIH Merit Award and America’s Top Doctors and The Best Doctors in America.
Dr. Gross has authored over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and textbook chapters. His areas of research interests include lymphomas and cancers associated with immune deficiency. He has chaired several national/international clinical trials funded by the NIH. He has served as a leader in Children’s Oncology Group including Chair of the Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Disease Committee, the Scientific Chairs Committee, and the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), as well as serving on the Scientific Council and the Executive Committee. Dr. Gross has chaired or served on numerous DSMBs, including the current Chair of the Histiocyte Society DSMB. He has also served on numerous advisory committees for pharmaceutical companies and the FDA, for the development of new agents in the treatment of cancer. In his new position in the Center for Global Health at the US NCI, he is responsible for facilitating international research and clinical trials for cancer and other rare disease, such as the histiocytic diseases.
Dr. Gross’s involvement in the histiocytosis began with his research and care for patients with HLH caused by Epstein-Barr virus. He values the camaraderie and intellectual exchange of the Histiocyte Society and understands the necessity and is committed to international collaboration for the advancement in the treatment of rare diseases like histiocytosis.
Dr. Carl Allen, MD, PhD
Dr. Allen discusses the role of the Histiocyte Society Scientific Committee in the Histiocytosis Association’s competitive grant application process. Dr. Allen also discusses the grading criteria and the importance of this type of funding process.
Texas Children’s Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX USA
Dr. Carl Allen is Principal Investigator of the Histiocytosis Lab and Co-Director of the Lymphoma Program at the Texas Children’s Hospital Cancer Center, as well as Chair of the Histiocyte Society Scientific Committee. His primary research is focused on the clinical and biologic aspects of Histiocytic Disorders including Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), Juvenile Xanthogranuloma (JXG), Rosai-Dorfman Disease, Erdheim-Chester Disease, and Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis. Along with Dr. Kenneth McClain, Dr. Carl Allen has developed a dedicated Histiocytosis Program that sees over 150 new patients with Histiocytic Disorders annually, and all of their patients are invited to participate in research studies. Dr. Allen has developed gene expression and proteomic strategies to analyze the identity and function of the cells that cause Histiocytic Disorders. The ultimate goal of these experiments is to identify genes, proteins, and pathways that may be used to diagnose and cure patients. These experiments may also provide insight into dendritic cell biology and tumor immunology.
The below video gallery contains our archive of educational videos recorded by histiocytosis experts, however newer versions of this information are now available above.
HLH Overview (filmed in 2014)
Late Effects of LCH (filmed in 2014)
Overview of ECD (filmed in 2014)
Overview of LCH in Children (filmed in 2014)
