Lisa McGregor, M.D., Ph.D.

Research Focus

Dr. Lisa McGregor leads the clinical enterprise within Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, where she serves as both Clinical Director of the clinic and Director of the Pediatric Infusion Center. Her clinical focus is on solid tumors in children, and she actively supports institutional efforts to improve care quality and safety through committee leadership.

As the Principal Investigator for the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) at Penn State, Dr. McGregor guides pivotal clinical trials advancing new therapeutics for childhood cancers. She also contributes to the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators’ Consortium (POETIC) and the Four Diamonds Experimental Therapeutics Research and Clinical Team (ExTRaCT).

Most Recent Publications

Highlighted works from Dr. McGregor’s laboratory include:

• Caru, M., Dandekar, S., Gordon, B., Conroy, D. E., Barb, E. D., Doerksen, S. E., Smink, G. M., McKeone, D. J., Shah, N. B., Greiner, R. J., Schramm, J. W., Rao, P., McGregor, L., & Schmitz, K. H. (2024). Implementing a behavioral physical activity program in children and adolescent survivors of childhood cancer: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 47(5), 792-803. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-024-00497-z
• Caru, M., Alberts, N. M., Freeman, M. C., Dandekar, S. C., Rao, P., McKeone, D. J., Brown, V. I., McGregor, L. M., & Schmitz, K. H. (2023). Chronic pain in children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer: the challenge of mitigating the pain and the potential of integrating exercise into pain management. Supportive Care in Cancer, 31(4), Article 228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-023-07695-6
• Caru, M., Levesque, A., Rao, P., Dandekar, S., Terry, C., Brown, V., McGregor, L., & Schmitz, K. (2022). A scoping review to map the evidence of physical activity interventions in post-treatment adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, 171, Article 103620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.critrevonc.2022.103620
• Santana, V. M., Sahr, N., Tatevossian, R. G., Jia, S., Campagne, O., Sykes, A., Stewart, C. F., Furman, W. L., & McGregor, L. M. (2020). A phase 1 trial of everolimus and bevacizumab in children with recurrent solid tumors. Cancer, 126(8), 1749-1757. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.32722

Impact Statement

Dr. McGregor’s dual role as a clinical leader and investigator strengthens the bridge between innovative research and compassionate, cutting-edge care for children with cancer. With support from Four Diamonds, she ensures access to experimental treatments while advancing the science and quality of care for future pediatric oncology patients.