Firas M. Sakaan, MD is a global health advocate and clinical researcher dedicated to improving outcomes for children with cancer in resource-limited settings. Originally from Aleppo, Syria, he currently serves as a Clinical Research Associate supporting the SJCARES Registry within the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. His work focuses on pediatric oncology, cancer registries, and systems-level strategies to improve care delivery and health equity worldwide.
After earning his medical degree from the University of Kalamoon, Sakaan migrated to the United States and became deeply involved in humanitarian efforts, including supporting the Syrian crisis response in Türkiye and contributing as a clinical interpreter and Arabic translator for Together by St. Jude™. His multilingual abilities and international experience uniquely position him to collaborate across cultures and contexts.
Sakaan has contributed to numerous high-impact publications in The Lancet Oncology, Pediatric Blood & Cancer, Frontiers in Pediatrics, and Cancer Medicine, with research spanning pediatric onco-critical care, interdisciplinary communication, and emergency response coordination for children affected by war. He has played a key role in global initiatives to evacuate and treat children with cancer displaced by the war in Ukraine and continues to lead efforts that advance research and care in low- and middle-income countries.
Motivated by a desire to build sustainable infrastructure for pediatric cancer research and care in underserved regions, Sakaan joined the Master’s in Clinical Investigations program at the St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences to strengthen his skills in research methodology and trial design. His long-term vision includes establishing a center of excellence for clinical research that empowers healthcare systems in the Middle East and beyond.
Hometown: Aleppo, Syria
Education:
2015 - Doctor of Medicine – University of Kalamoon, Syria
Publications:
Development of a centralized triage center for children with cancer and blood disorders in response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Coauthor. The Lancet Oncology. Published Dec 2023. DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00456-4
CritCom: assessment of quality of interdisciplinary communication around deterioration in pediatric oncologic patients. Coauthor. Frontiers in Oncology. Published Oct 2023. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1207578
Improving quality of pediatric onco-critical care: A 2-year experience using PROACTIVE at a cancer center in Jordan. Coauthor. Pediatric Blood & Cancer. Published Aug 2023. DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30637
Treatment-related mortality in children with cancer in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Coauthor. The Lancet Oncology. Published Jul 2023. DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00318-2
A new measure for multi-professional medical team communication: design and methodology for multilingual measurement development. Coauthor. Frontiers in Pediatrics. Published Jun 2023. DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1127633
Development and pilot testing of PROACTIVE: A pediatric onco‐critical care capacity and quality assessment tool for resource‐limited settings. Coauthor. Cancer Medicine. Published Nov 2022. DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5395
Global effort to evacuate Ukrainian children with cancer and blood disorders who have been affected by war. Coauthor. The Lancet Hematology. Published Sep 2022. DOI: 10.1016/S2352-3026(22)00259-9
Global PARITY: Study Design for a Multi-Centered, International Point Prevalence Study to Estimate the Burden of Pediatric Acute Critical Illness in Resource-Limited Settings. Coauthor. Frontiers in Pediatrics. Published Jan 2022. DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.793326
Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Caring for Muslims. Coauthor. Journal of Palliative Medicine. Published in Dec 2021. DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2021.0575