Samuel Cheshier
About
Director of Pediatric Surgical Neuro-Oncology
Huntsman Cancer Institute at University of Utah
Samuel H. Cheshier, MD, PhD, stands at the forefront of Pediatric Surgical Neuro-Oncology as the Director within the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine and Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital.
As an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and holder of the prestigious Kathryn S.R. Endowed Chair in the Department of Neurosurgery, he is deeply committed to enhancing the care and research surrounding pediatric central nervous system malignancies.
Leading a groundbreaking translational biomedical laboratory, Dr. Cheshier is pioneering efforts to amplify macrophage phagocytosis of pediatric brain tumors while developing innovative preclinical models that will lead to the creation of advanced precision medicine algorithms for these devastating conditions. He also plays a crucial role as the site surgical principal investigator for the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium, furthering collaborative research and treatment strategies.
Dr. Cheshier is passionate about transforming fundamental scientific discoveries into real-world therapies for children facing central nervous system tumors. His partnership with the Children’s Brain Tumor Network exemplifies his commitment to not only advancing medical knowledge but also significantly enhancing the caregiving experience for patients and their families.
Expertise
Neuro-oncology, Neurosurgery
Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital
research
Interests
Medulloblastoma
Medulloblastomas comprises the vast majority of pediatric embryonal tumors and by definition arise in the posterior fossa, where they constitute approximately 40% of all posterior fossa tumors. Other forms of embryonal tumors each make up 2% or less of all childhood brain tumors.The clinical feature
High-Grade Glioma
High-grade Gliomas (HGG) or astrocytomas in children nearly always result in a dismal prognosis. Although novel therapeutic approaches are currently in development, preclinical testing has been limited, due to a lack of pediatric-specific HGG preclinical models. These models are needed to help test
Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor
Central nervous system (CNS) atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) is a very rare, fast-growing tumor of the brain and spinal cord. It usually occurs in children aged three years and younger, although it can occur in older children and adults. About half of these tumors form in the cerebellum or
Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumor
Septal DNET generally presents with symptoms related to obstructive hydrocephalus.[69,70] Septal DNET has an indolent clinical behavior, with most tumors not requiring treatment other than surgery. In a single-institution series that incorporated other literature-reported cases, the median age at pr
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma
A presumptive diagnosis of DIPG based on classic imaging features, in the absence of a histologic diagnosis, has been routinely employed. Increasingly however, histologic confirmation is obtained for both entry into research studies and molecular characterization of the tumor.[5] New approaches with
Embryonal Tumor with Multilayered Rosettes
Nonmedulloblastoma embryonal tumors are fast-growing tumors that usually form in brain cells in the cerebrum, and most commonly occur in young children. The cerebrum is at the top of the head and is the largest part of the brain. The cerebrum controls thinking, learning, problem-solving, emotions, s