Dr. Patrick Grohar, MD, PhD

Russell G. Adderley Professor of Pediatric Oncology

Dr. Grohar received his BS in chemistry at Villanova University. He subsequently earned both a PhD in chemistry and a MD at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He completed residency training in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University and fellowship training in pediatric hematology-oncology in the joint program of Johns Hopkins and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where he was chief fellow. 

After a brief period as junior faculty in the pediatric oncology branch at the NCI, he joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University as an assistant professor of pediatrics. He was recruited to the Van Andel Research Institute as an associate professor; ultimately becoming a program leader in skeletal diseases and cancer therapeutics. He was subsequently recruited to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as the Director of Translational Research in the Center for Childhood Cancer Research. At CHOP, Dr. Grohar was awarded the inaugural Kelly and Chad Punchard Endowed Chair for Translational Sarcoma Research. Most recently, Dr. Grohar was recruited to the University of Michigan Medical School in the Department of Pediatrics as the Russell G. Adderley Professor of Pediatric Oncology and a Professor of Pediatrics. He is a member of the Cancer Genetics/Signaling and Tumor Microenvironment Group in the Rogel Cancer Center and a member of the Cancer Biology Graduate Training Program.

Dr. Grohar is internationally recognized for his work on Ewing sarcoma. His lab has primarily focused on the therapeutic targeting of the EWS::FLI1 transcription factor; the oncogenic driver of this disease. The work spans the continuum from discovery science and molecular pharmacology to clinical trials. Most recently, this research resulted in a positive phase II study in the disease. He has received numerous grant awards including federal and foundation support and currently holds a R01, U01, NCI-NEXT award, Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C), St. Baldrick’s foundation, and a Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Award from the V-foundation. He was awarded a prestigious Support for Outstanding Research (SOAR) Award from the University of Michigan Medical School. In addition, he has been generously supported by philanthropy. He holds national leadership positions in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), specifically as the vice-chair for biology for bone tumors and co-chair of combined sarcoma biology. He serves on a number of advisory boards and is an ad hoc reviewer for numerous journals and funding agencies. Dr. Grohar has had the honor of being invited to give lectures across the United States and in Europe.