Lillian Sung

Paediatric Oncologist, Division of Haematology/Oncology

Dr. Lillian Sung is a Professor, Senior Scientist and Chief Clinical Data Scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is certified in the specialties of paediatrics, infectious diseases, hematology and clinical investigation.

She completed a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Toronto. She has a clinical research program focused on improving supportive care for children with cancer. Her methodological focus is on randomized and observational trials, meta-analysis, and patient-reported outcomes. She holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Paediatric Oncology Supportive Care, and she is the principal investigator on multiple operating grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.  

Research

Dr. Sung is a Paediatric Oncologist and Clinician Scientist with an independent research program focused on supportive care for children with cancer. Her overall goal is to optimize supportive care for children with cancer, with an aim to maximize quality of life, survival and cost-effectiveness.  

She is the immediate past Chair of Cancer Control and Supportive Care for the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). This group oversees all studies of supportive care including studies related to symptom management and patient-reported outcomes. During her eight-year leadership, Dr. Sung created a robust program of research, nurtured the development of several leaders in supportive care, oversaw the procurement of approximately eight million dollars to support COG supportive care trials (including four NIH R01s), and developed and activated 10 randomized controlled trials in paediatric cancer supportive care. Most recently, my program of research has focused on symptom screening and interventions to reduce fatigue in paediatric cancer patients. 

Education

• Sept 1986–May 1989: BA, Queen's University. Kingston, Ontario. Subject: Biology 
• Sept 1989–May 1993: MD, University of Ottawa. Ottawa, Ontario 
• Sept 2000–May 2004: PhD, University of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario. Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. Supervisor(s):  Dr. Brian M. Feldman. Subject:  Series of N-of-1 trials of topical vitamin E as prophylaxis for chemotherapy induced oral mucositis in pediatric patients with cancer with Bayesian meta-analysis 

Specialty Training 

• Jul 1993–Jun 1997: Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Ottawa, Ontario. Certification in Pediatrics (FRCPC) obtained May 1997; Board Certification by the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) in June 1997 
• Jul 1996–Jun 1998: Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Ottawa, Ontario. Certification in Pediatric Infectious Disease (FRCPC) obtained October 1998 
• Nov 1998–Oct 2000: The Hospital for Sick Children. Toronto, Ontario. Certification in Pediatric Hematology (FRCPC) obtained October 2000; Board Certified by the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology obtained in November 2000 
• Sept 2000–Sept 2004: University of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario. Clinician Investigator Program at Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Certification in Clinical Investigation (FRCPC) obtained May 2004 

University Appointments

• Sept 2004–Jun 2009: Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario 
• Jul 2009–Jun 2015: Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario 
• Jul 2015–Present: Full Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario 

Hospital Appointments 

• Sept 2004–Jun 2007: Scientist Track, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario 
• Sept 2004–Present: Paediatric Oncology, Division of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario 
• Jul 2007–Jun 2014: Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario 
• Jul 2014–Present: Senior Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario
• Sept 2023–Present: Chief Clinical Data Scientist, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario

Cross Appointments 

• Apr 2005–Aug 2010: University of Toronto, Department of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, School of Graduate Studies, Associate Member 
• Sept 2010–Present: University of Toronto, Department of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, School of Graduate Studies, Full Member 

Achievements

• 2016: The Wendy Lack Memorial Scientific Achievement Award – The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) 
• 2015 and 2010: POWER Teaching Award, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children 
• 2014: Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute Impact Grant “Development and validation of a pediatric cancer-specific symptom assessment screening tool” 
• 2011: Frank Oski Lectureship - for outstanding clinical or laboratory investigator in paediatric hematology/oncology, American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology 
• 2009–2014: New Investigator Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research 
• 2009: Canadian Cancer Society Award for Excellence in Cancer Research – William E. Rawls Award in Cancer Control 
• 2008: Junior Researcher Award – Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children 
• 2006: Early Researcher Award – Ministry of Research and Innovation, Canada   
• 2004: Andrew Sass-Korsak Clinician Scientist Award – The Hospital for Sick Children 

1. Alexander S, Fisher BT, Gaur AH, Dvorak CC, Villaluna D, Dang H, Chen L, Green M, Nieder ML, Fisher B, Bailey LC, Wiernikowski, Sung L: Effect of levofloxacin prophylaxis on bacteremia in children with acute leukemia or undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of the American Medical Association in press. SRI 
2. Fisher BT, Zaoutis T, Dvorak CC, Nieder M, Zerr D, Wingard JR, Callahan C, Villaluna D, Chen L, Dang H, Esbenshade, Alexander S, Wiley JM, Sung L: Effect of caspofungin vs fluconazole prophylaxis on invasive fungal disease among children and young adults with acute myeloid leukemia: a randomized clinical trial.. Journal of American Medical Association 2019: 322(17):1673-1681. SRI 
3. Diorio C, Robinson PD, Ammann RA, Castagnola E, Erickson K, Esbenshade A, Fisher BT, Haeusler GM, Kuczynski S, Lehrnbecher T, Phillips R, Cabral S, Dupuis LL, Sung L: Guideline for the management of Clostridium difficile infection in children and adolescents with cancer and pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients. Journal of Clinical Oncology in press. SRI 
4. Alexander S, Pole JD, Gibson P, Lee M, Hesser T, Chi S, Dvorak CC, Fisher B, Hasle H, Kanerva J, Möricke A, Phillips B, Raetz E, Rodriguez-Galindo C, Samarasinghe S, Schmiegelow K, Tissing W, Lehrnbecher T, Sung L: Classification of treatment-related mortality in children with cancer: a systematic assessment. Lancet Oncology 2015:16(16):e604-10. SRI 
5. Lehrnbecher T, Fisher B, Phillips B, Beauchemin M, Carlesse F, Castagnola E, Duong N, Dupuis L,  Fioravantti V, Groll A, Haeusler G, Roilides E, Science M, Steinbach W, Tissing W, Warris A, Patel P, Robinson P, Sung L: Clinical practice guideline for systemic antifungal prophylaxis in pediatric cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2020: in press. SRI