In this episode of Game Over: c*ncer, co-hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Dr. Cassie Kline, attending physician and Director of Clinical Research in the Department of Neuro-Oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Kline has been with Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation (CKc) since the very beginning as one of our first young investigator grant recipients, a trusted voice on our Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), and a partner in driving discovery that delivers change.
Watch Dr. Kline’s episode here:
Game Over: c*ncer EP34: Dr. Cassie Kline
This conversation reflects not only her personal journey into pediatric oncology, but also the challenges and breakthroughs of building a career in childhood cancer research, and how CKc has played a role in supporting that work for the past 10 years.
Key takeaways from the conversation:
1. Personal Loss Inspired Her Path
Dr. Kline’s mother passed away from small-cell lung cancer while she was in medical school. The experience of seeing both deeply engaged and disconnected physicians pushed her to become the kind of doctor who walks beside families throughout their journey.
2. Choosing Pediatrics and Neuro-Oncology
She always knew pediatrics was her path, because kids bring joy even in stressful situations. Later, neurology rotations and emerging discoveries in tumor biology drew her to pediatric brain tumor research, where she saw an opportunity to make an impact.
3. Patients and Families Keep Her Going
Despite the challenges of the field, it’s the children and their families who inspire her daily. Their courage, combined with the hope of developing new clinical trials and novel therapies, keeps her committed.
4. Young Investigator Funding is Crucial
Launching a research career is uniquely difficult because early faculty must often fund their own salaries and research time. CKc’s Young Investigator Awards provide essential “first-step” funding that helps researchers secure larger federal grants later on.
5. Collaboration with the SAB Strengthens Science
As a long-time member of CKc’s Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Kline helps review grants, ensure funding goes to the most innovative projects, and provide feedback that strengthens researchers’ future applications.
6. Women in STEM Face Added Pressures
Dr. Kline reflected on being, for years, the only woman on CKc’s SAB. Beyond gender balance, she highlighted broader challenges for underrepresented groups in medicine, including balancing family responsibilities, career pressures, and the constant pull to say yes to leadership roles for the sake of representation.
7. Diversity Benefits Patients
Representation in research and clinical care matters. Families want providers who understand them, reflect their experiences, and bring diverse perspectives. For Dr. Kline, diversity of gender, race, background, and experience, is not just about fairness but about creating the best science and patient care possible.
Why This Matters
CKc was founded to support researchers like Dr. Kline, those who are pushing boundaries, creating new therapies, and shaping the future of pediatric cancer care. This episode reminds us that the impact of every donor dollar multiplies when it helps early-career researchers launch discoveries that can change lives.
If you’re moved by Dr. Kline’s story and want to be part of the progress that’s helping kids and families facing cancer, visit cannonballkidscancer.org to learn more, donate, or get involved.
Know a survivor or advocate whose story needs to be shared? Email us at info@cannonballkidscancer.org to nominate a guest!
