Sofia’s Hope Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Research Program WINS the 20th Annual Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce NOVO Award
Since 2016 Sofia's Hope has awarded its research grant to Dr. Steven Lipshultz, MD and his team. Dr. Lipshultz is the world’s expert on pediatric cardio-oncology, who was the Chairman of Pediatrics at the University of Miami when Sofia was first diagnosed. Currently Dr. Lipshultz is professor of pediatrics at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences who was recently named an American Heart Association (AHA) Distinguished Scientist for 2025.​​
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Sofia's Hope grant has grown over the years to include funding for the following:
Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Education
Sofia's Hope was instrumental in the creation of an International Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Conference along with Dr. Lipshultz, his team at Buffalo and the folks at Cincinnati Children's. The first conference was held in 2022, followed by the second in 2024, both in Cincinnati, OH. To access videos of conference sessions, please click here.
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We also created a Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Webinar series, sponsored by Sofia's Hope and hosted by Heart University at Cincinnati Children's. These webinars were held leading up to the 1st and 2nd International Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Conferences. Click here for links to webinars.​
To strengthen the identity and elevate the profile of our collective work in a crowded medical landscape, PCOC, the Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Consortium (pronounced “Peacock”), was launched in 2025. This unified identity will help grow our global reach and strengthen our presence in the medical community.
Our goal is to continue offering in-person and virtual conferences to bring together a multidisciplinary group of medical and healthcare professionals, including clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, and researchers to discuss the most up-to-date evidence on the optimal management of pediatric cardio-oncology and to shape the direction of research and clinical care in the field.
The first PCOC Virtual Summit to be offered every other year through Cincinnati Children's Heart University was held on December 4, 2025. Through a combination of interactive presentations, case studies, panel discussions, and debates, the online conference helped identify data gaps and needs, future research directions, new approaches and technologies that will lead to better outcomes, and improved preventive, and surveillance strategies. To access session, please click here.
The 3rd International Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Conference is scheduled for October 22 - 24, 2026 in Cincinnati, OH. Currently the Steering Committee is finalizing the agenda. For latest information, click here
Conference Sponsors - Sofia's Hope Partners
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Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Scholar
In 2025, Sofia's Hope began funding the nation’s first Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Scholar Program at the University at Buffalo. Established to address the critical need for specialized leaders trained at the intersection of pediatric cardiology and oncology. Through this multi-year opportunity, scholar will receive advanced mentorship and hands-on experience focused on strengthening evidence-based clinical care, developing best practices, and improving long-term cardiovascular outcomes for children and survivors facing cancer. Working closely under the mentorship of Dr. Steven Lipshultz, MD, a pioneer in pediatric cardio-oncology, scholar will collaborate with national and international experts to advance education, research, and sustainable program development in this growing field.​
In early 2026 Sofia’s Hope announced that Dr. Hugo Martinez, MD, Medical Co-Director, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation at Dell Children's Medical Center, Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease has been selected as the inaugural Sofia’s Hope Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Scholar, chosen from a strong and highly qualified group of applicants.​
"We are proud to support Dr. Martinez as the first Sofia’s Hope Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Scholar and look forward to the meaningful impact his work will have on children and families for years to come". - Marta Blanco, President of Sofia's Hope
Clinical Research Coordinator
Since 2016, our grant has helped fund a Clinical Research Coordinator at the University of Buffalo, and, to date, has resulted in over a hundred activities (i.e. grants, publications, scientific sessions, presentations, etc.).The coordinator also serves as managing editor of Cardio-Oncology, a Biomed Central journal dedicated to advancing the science and practice of this emerging field with Dr. Lipshultz as Editor-in-Chief.
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The following are some of the articles that Dr. Steven Lipshultz and his team have published with our support. Please click on each title below to read each article in its entirety:
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​​Cardiometabolic Risk in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Report from the Children’s Oncology Group
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Research Program
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