Farzana Pashankar

Dr. Farzana Pashankar is a Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology) at Yale School of Medicine with multiple leadership roles including Chair of the Faculty Mentoring Program, Fellowship Director of the Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Program, Director of the Solid Tumor Program, and Children's Oncology Group Site PI. She serves as Disease Aligned Research Team Leader for Pediatrics at Smilow Cancer Center and directs the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Fellowship Program.

Dr. Pashankar received her MBBS and MD from University of Pune, India, trained in the United Kingdom earning an MRCP, completed residency at the University of Iowa, and fellowship at British Columbia Children's Hospital before joining Yale in 2005.

Her research focuses on three main areas: sickle cell disease, rare tumors, and germ cell tumors. In sickle cell disease, she pioneered studies on pulmonary hypertension in children, demonstrated that hydroxyurea can reverse elevated pulmonary artery pressures, and developed quality improvement projects to reduce emergency department visits and hospitalizations. For rare tumors, she chaired the Infrequent Tumor Subcommittee at COG until 2020, developing guidelines for several rare tumors and completing international clinical trials for adrenocortical carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In germ cell tumors, her research has redefined management of immature teratomas, showing that grade is the most important risk factor for relapse and successfully advocating for observation alone in many cases that previously received chemotherapy.

Her publication record shows strong activity in pediatric hematology-oncology with recent work spanning clinical trials, genomic studies of sickle cell complications, treatment guidelines for germ cell tumors, and quality improvement initiatives. Her research bridges clinical care, translational science, and health services research.

• 2016-2020: Faculty Honor Roll, Yale Pediatric Residency Program
• 2018: Semifinalist, Pediatric Quality Award, Children's Hospital Association
• 2015: Howard A. Pearson Pediatric Faculty Teaching Award
• 2012: Pediatric Residency Program Director's Award
• 2009: Pediatric Faculty Scholar Award, Yale University School of Medicine

Dr. Pashankar actively mentors trainees through multiple roles including Fellowship Director and Chair of the Faculty Mentoring Program. She serves as Principal Investigator for several clinical trials and as Sub Investigator on additional trials. Her work with the Children's Oncology Group spans over 15 years, where she has chaired international trials in germ cell tumors. She collaborates extensively with colleagues at Yale, through the New York Connecticut Consortium, and the New England Pediatric Sickle Cell consortium.

Dr. Pashankar's clinical work centers on providing comprehensive care for children with blood disorders and cancer, with particular expertise in sickle cell disease and solid tumors. She emphasizes building long-lasting relationships with families and states that watching advancements in the field that improve cure rates (now 80-85% for childhood cancer) has been a rewarding journey of her career.