Jennifer Joi Jaroscak, MD

Dr. Jacqueline Kraveka is an associate professor of pediatrics and a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, South Carolina. She was born in Velasco, Cuba and immigrated to the United States when she was four years of age. Dr. Kraveka received her undergraduate degree from Columbia University in 1989 and her medical degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1994. She completed her residency in pediatrics at Miami Children's Hospital in 1997 and fellowship in pediatric hematology oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina in 2000.Since 2000, she has been on staff at the Medical University of South Carolina Children's Hospital.Dr. Kraveka's clinical practice is focused on pediatric oncology. Her clinical interests include neuroblastoma, pediatric sarcomas, pediatric precision medicine, and clinical trial development. She is actively involved in clinical pediatric research in the Children's Oncology Group (COG) and Beat Childhood Cancer (BCC) consortia and serves as the institutional principal investigator for these consortia. As such,Dr. Kraveka is responsible for the conduct of over 50 Phase I, II, and III clinical trials for pediatric oncology patients at MUSC. She has been involved in the development of over 10 pediatric clinical trials for children with cancer.Dr. Kraveka serves on the COG Neuroblastoma and Diversity and Health Disparities Committees and is a member of the BCC Executive and Scientific Committees. She has been honored as a &"Top Doctor&" and "Exceptional Women in Medicine&" by Castle Connolly. She was selected as a &"Health Care Hero&" by the Charleston Regional Business Journal. Dr. Kraveka is also very involved in translational and bench research and has the only research laboratory in South Carolina dedicated to pediatric cancer.Dr. Kraveka's current research focuses on sphingolipid and retinoid mediated therapies in pediatric cancers and the function and regulation of the enzyme dihydroceramide desaturase (DEGS-1) in pediatric cancer. The long-term goals of her research are to develop more effective treatments for children with cancer.

Dr. Shahryar Chowdhury completed undergraduate and medical school at the University of Florida. He went on to complete his pediatric residency at the University of South Carolina. His pediatric cardiology fellowship and advanced non-invasive imaging training were completed at the Medical University of South Carolina. He joined the staff at MUSC in 2014. Dr. Chowdhury has expertise in echocardiography and cardiac CT. In addition, he sees patients in our pediatric cardiology acute care unit in the Children's Hospital. Dr. Chowdhury currently serves as the associate director of the pediatric cardiology fellowship training program. Dr. Chowdhury’s research interests include determining the accuracy of non-invasive measures of ventricular function, investigating the ability of these measures to predict outcomes in children with heart disease, determining the pathophysiologic mechanisms behind heart failure in patients with single ventricle physiology, and investigating the effects of childhood obesity on the heart. He has presented his work at regional, national, and international meetings; has published numerous articles; and has been the recipient of awards and grants to support his research.

Dr. Aaron Lesher maintains a comprehensive practice in pediatric surgery, treating neonatal, pediatric, and adolescent surgical conditions, including ECMO, anorectal anomalies, thoracic surgery, pectus excavatum, esophageal atresia, and many other congenital and acquired anomalies. Dr. Lesher specializes further in pediatric burn surgery and leads the Children's Hospital Burn Team as the Pediatric Burn Medical Director. Working in concert with the adult burn program, Dr. Lesher and colleagues have created a Comprehensive Burn Center, bringing the full breadth of care to burned children, including innovative regenerative medicine, minimally invasive burn wound debridement, and reconstruction. He runs the burn clinic and performs a wide variety of burn wound care procedures. Dr. Lesher leads an expert burn team, comprised of nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, child life, critical care, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, and many others aimed to improve the lives of burn-injured children. Dr. Lesher also leads the Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program at MUSC. Focusing on the unique needs of this vulnerable teenage population, Dr. Lesher performs advanced minimally-invasive surgery for obese teens and works with a specialized team of adolescent psychologists, obesity medicine doctors, dietitians, and gastroenterologists who provide the full breadth of expertise needed to deliver optimal care for this population. MUSC is one of the only adolescent bariatric programs in the Southeast accredited by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Lesher's research interests are focused on improving access to care for children in SC through telemedicine. He is one of the only pediatric surgeons in the country who has been awarded a K23 from the National Institutes of Health to advance the use of smartphones in the outpatient care of pediatric burns. He has written more than 50 papers and book chapters and has mentored many students and residents throughout his career. When not at the hospital, Dr. Lesher can be found spending time with his wife, two children, a dog, cat, and two rabbits. He is an avid musician and also enjoys gardening, playing golf and tennis, and holds leadership roles in numerous community organizations.