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Dana-Farber/Boston Children's is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
Christina K. Ullrich, MD, MPH, FAAHPM
- Institute Physician
- Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Appointment Phone
- 617-632-3270 (Pediatric Oncology)
- 888-733-4662
- 617-632-5042 (Pediatric Palliative Care)
General
Treatment Centers
Discipline
Clinical Interests
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Palliative care, Symptom management
Location
Background
Board Certifications
Fellowship
Residency
Internships
Medical School
Research
Christina Ullrich, MD, MPH, FAAHPM is an Institute Physician in Pediatric Palliative Care and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital and an Associate Professor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Having completed fellowships in both areas, as well as a health services research fellowship, she is board certified in both the subspecialties of hospice and palliative medicine and pediatric hematology/oncology.
Her main career aim is to optimize the wellbeing of children with serious illness. Through a focus on children who undergo HSCT, she aims to integrate the principles of palliative care into the care of children undergoing intense, cure-oriented treatment such as HSCT through a variety of clinical, educational and research undertakings. For example, she developed the first guidelines prompting palliative care consultation for pediatric HSCT patients. Beyond her local efforts, she is Vice Chair of the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapies (ASTCT) Steering Committee for Palliative Care and Co-chaired the ASBMT/National Marrow Donor Program Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Initiative’s Physical Health and Fatigue Working Group.
She has written some of the first papers on palliative care in HSCT (adult or pediatric), including one demonstrating differences in end of life outcomes associated with palliative care consultation. She is also conducting one of the largest studies of symptoms and QOL as reported by children themselves in this population. Dr. Ullrich’s research in this vein has been supported by a K23 Career Development Award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood institute.
Dr. Ullrich’s research interest in symptom management in children with cancer also includes a focus on determinants of fatigue as well as patient-identified interventions to alleviate fatigue. For these efforts she received two Paper Awards as well as the Young Investigator Award from the AAHPM.