Dr. David Poplack, director of Global Hematology Oncology Pediatric Excellence (HOPE) at Texas Children’s Cancer Center, was recently honored with the first-ever Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) Childhood Cancer Lifetime Achievement Award.
The ALSF is a non-profit pediatric cancer charitable organization that funds research to bring better treatments and cures to children with cancer, and provides emotional, financial and logistical support to childhood cancer families that makes their challenges more manageable.
“I am very honored to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award,” Poplack said. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation has raised funds to advance innovative research, leading toward cures and improved quality of life for children with cancer.”
Since joining Texas Children’s in 1993, Poplack served as the Director of Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers for 25 years, growing the program from seven faculty members to nearly 200. As a world recognized leader and mentor in the field, Poplack has made a profound impact on the education of pediatric oncologists. He is Co-Editor of a textbook, The Principles and Practice of Pediatric Oncology, currently in its 7th edition, which has graced the desks of nearly every pediatric oncologist ever trained, and is the leading textbook in the field of pediatric oncology.
In July 2018, Poplack transitioned his role to serve as the Director of Global HOPE at Texas Children’s. The program is a comprehensive capacity-building program that works to improve pediatric cancer treatment in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that has a nearly 90 percent mortality rate for the over 100,000 children who develop cancer each year. Global HOPE has a presence in seven African countries, has trained more than 1,800 local health care professionals and has treated over 8,000 patients since its inception.
In addition to his leadership roles at Texas Children’s, Poplack has been a guiding force for the ALSF research grant program, having served as a longtime member of ALSF’s Scientific Advisory Board.
Click here for more information about Texas Children’s Global HOPE program.