
Overview
"In her first decade as a pediatric oncologist, Dr. Symons already has shown an impressive ability to juggle multiple research projects, in addition to caring for patients. One of Dr. Symons' research pursuits focuses on using a novel immunotherapy approach to treating both solid tumors and hematologic (blood-borne) malignancies. The basis of her work stems from the theory that cancer patients' immune systems should recognize tumor cells as foreign and destroy them. This doesn't happen, theorizes Dr. Symons, because the immune system attacks only those cells it perceives as dangerous—not cancer cells, which it sees simply as foreign. That's where her research comes into play. Evaluating an experimental therapy, Dr. Symons is pairing donor lymphocytes (white blood cells that activate the body's immune system) with chemotherapy to determine if this combination will ""awaken"" patients' immune systems to the danger of existing cancer cells and, in turn, elicit an immune response. In a separate yet equally compelling research endeavor, Dr. Symons is working to increase the availability of donors for children whose cancer requires bone marrow transplants (BMTs) as a potentially lifesaving treatment. ""It can be challenging to find a 'matched' donor,"" says Dr. Symons, who explains that only about 40 percent of patients who require a BMT find a matched donor. ""Sometimes, we don't have the benefit of time, because remissions can be short-lived. But almost all patients have a half-matched donor: a parent, sibling, or child,"" adds Dr. Symons, who is examining ways to reduce BMT-related complications ordinarily associated with half-matched donors after ablative (high dose) chemotherapy. ""Like anything else that's new, it will take some time to prove that this is a feasible option that's safe,"" she says. But she's optimistic. ""It has the potential to revolutionize BMT."" Dr. Symons knows it's worth the wait. ""Seeing the research I do in the lab translate into clinical trials, then seeing patients in these trials survive long term, is incredibly rewarding,"" she says.".
Dr. Symons is highly rated in 3 conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD), Aplastic Anemia, Anemia, Leukemia, and Bone Marrow Transplant.
Dr. Symons is board certified in American Board Of Pediatrics. She is actively involved in clinical research, co-authoring 56 peer reviewed articles and participating in 2 clinical trials. Dr. Symons is currently accepting new patients.
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Locations
Bloomberg 11N, Baltimore, MD 21287
Additional Areas of Focus
Dr. Symons has provided the following conditions as areas of focus. Please note that we may not have enough data to validate their experience in some of these conditions.
Clinical Research
Clinical research consists of overseeing clinical studies of patients undergoing new treatments and therapies, and publishing articles in peer reviewed medical journals. Providers who actively participate in clinical research are generally at the forefront of the fields and aware of the most up-to-date advances in treatments for their patients.
2 Clinical Trials
Telehealth Video Visit
AeRang Kim, MD, PhD, is a member of the solid tumor faculty at Children’s National Hospital and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics. Dr. Kim's specializes in sarcomas and developmental therapeutics. Her research focuses on development of novel therapeutics for pediatric cancer including pre-clinical testing of novel agents, pharmacokinetic analysis, developing innovative methods for toxicity monitoring and clinical trial design. She serves as the principal investigator of multiple early phase trials in pediatric oncology, sarcomas and NF1 associated tumors. Dr. Kim is highly rated in 8 conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), Neurofibromatosis, and Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Dr. Kim is board certified in Pediatrics: American Board Of Pediatrics, 2004 and Pediatric Hematology-Oncology: American Board Of Pediatrics, 2009.
Montgomery County
Jeffrey Dome, MD, PhD, is senior vice president of the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. He is professor of pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Thomas Willson and Lenore Williams McKnew professor of pediatric oncology. Dr. Dome received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and PhD degree in medicine from Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He completed a residency in pediatrics at Yale-New Haven Hospital and completed a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. After fellowship, Dr. Dome was a faculty member at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital before joining Children’s National in 2006. Dr. Dome is an internationally recognized expert on pediatric solid tumors, with an emphasis on kidney tumors and sarcomas. He chaired the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Renal Tumor Committee for more than a decade. He is presently on the Scientific Council of the COG, the editorial board of Pediatric Blood and Cancer, and is past chair of the American Board of Pediatrics Subboard of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Dome serves on numerous medical advisory boards for cancer foundations and currently is the North American Continental President of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP). He has authored more than 200 articles, books, letters and chapters on pediatric cancer. Dr. Dome is highly rated in 17 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Rhabdoid Tumor, Denys-Drash Syndrome (DDS), Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Nephrectomy, and Bone Marrow Aspiration. Dr. Dome is board certified in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology: American Board Of Pediatrics, 1998.
Johns Hopkins Children's Center
Dr. Stacy Cooper is the Director of the Pediatric Hematologic Malignancy Program, Director of the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, and Clinical Director of the Pediatric Oncology Inpatient Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Cooper received her undergraduate degree in Biology and Spanish at the University of Notre Dame. She earned her M.D. at SUNY Upstate Medical University. She completed her general pediatric residency and chief residency at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship with the Johns Hopkins-National Institutes of Health. Dr. Cooper joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2015. Her research focuses on clinical research in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, as well as medical education scholarship related to fellowship training. Dr. Cooper is a member of the American Board of Pediatrics, the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and the Association of Pediatric Program Directors. Dr. Cooper is highly rated in 3 conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma, Hodgkin Lymphoma, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), and Leukemia. Dr. Cooper is board certified in American Board Of Pediatrics. Dr. Cooper is currently accepting new patients.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dr. Heather J. Symons
How do I make an appointment with Dr. Heather J. Symons?
You can book an appointment with Dr. Heather J. Symons by calling their office at 410-955-8751. MediFind provides direct contact information so you can schedule visits, second opinions, or consultations without navigating third-party calendars.
Is Dr. Heather J. Symons a top-rated expert for Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD)?
MediFind is an objective health platform that identifies experts based on real-world data. Dr. Heather J. Symons is classified as an Distinguished expert for Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD), meaning they are among the top experts in the country for this condition. This ranking is based on their volume of patients, published research, and peer connections.
What conditions does Dr. Heather J. Symons specialize in?
While Dr. Heather J. Symons is a Pediatric Hematology Oncology, they have specific expertise in Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD), Bone Marrow Transplant, and Aplastic Anemia. MediFind analyzes a doctor's articles and referral patterns to identify their specific areas of focus within Pediatric Hematology Oncology.
Does Dr. Heather J. Symons participate in research or clinical trials?
Yes. Dr. Heather J. Symons has published 56 articles and abstracts on conditions like Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD). You can view a list of Dr. Heather J. Symons's latest peer-reviewed publications and clinical trial participation on their profile to see if they are active in new treatments.
Does Dr. Heather J. Symons accept my insurance?
Dr. Heather J. Symons accepts most major insurance plans, including Aetna and Capital Blue Cross. We recommend calling the office directly at 410-955-8751 to verify that your specific plan is currently accepted before your visit.
Areas of Expertise
MediFind evaluates expertise by pulling from factors such as number of articles a doctor has published in medical journals, participation in clinical trials, speaking at industry conferences, prescribing and referral patterns, and strength of connections with other experts in their field.
Learn more about MediFind’s expert tiers
- Distinguished
- Bone Marrow TransplantDr. Symons isDistinguished. Learn about Bone Marrow Transplant.
- Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD)Dr. Symons isDistinguished. Learn about Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD).
- Advanced
- Aplastic AnemiaDr. Symons isAdvanced. Learn about Aplastic Anemia.
- Experienced
- Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)Dr. Symons isExperienced. Learn about Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).
- Adult T-Cell LeukemiaDr. Symons isExperienced. Learn about Adult T-Cell Leukemia.
- AnemiaDr. Symons isExperienced. Learn about Anemia.
- Congenital Hemolytic AnemiaDr. Symons isExperienced. Learn about Congenital Hemolytic Anemia.
- HemoglobinopathyDr. Symons isExperienced. Learn about Hemoglobinopathy.
- Hemolytic AnemiaDr. Symons isExperienced. Learn about Hemolytic Anemia.
- LeukemiaDr. Symons isExperienced. Learn about Leukemia.
- Sickle Cell DiseaseDr. Symons isExperienced. Learn about Sickle Cell Disease.


