Bringing Next-Generation ALL Care to Roswell Park’s Youngest Patients
Dr. Lisa Niswander, MD, PhD, a Buffalo native, works in the Department of Pediatric Oncology at Roswell Park with a specialty in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. Her goal has always been simple: to develop safer, more effective therapies for children with certain types of leukemia that can be particularly difficult-to-cure with traditional therapies.
The grant will allow Dr. Niswander to investigate the use of CAR T-cell therapy in combination with other precision medicine treatments to treat our youngest patients with ALL. CAR T-cell therapy enables a child’s own infection-fighting T cells to recognize and attack leukemia cells. It has already shown incredible promise in treating pediatric leukemia but more research needs to be done.
“We have found that combining CAR T cells with other precision medicine treatments that specifically target ‘miswired’ communication pathways in infant leukemia works better than either therapy alone,” said Dr. Niswander. “With this generous support from Hyundai Hope on Wheels, we will be working in the lab over the next year to establish and validate the most optimal combination strategies incorporating these targeted inhibitors with CAR T-cell immunotherapy to treat infant leukemia.”
Building the Foundation for a Long-Term Cure
Niswander expects that these results will provide a strong foundation for new treatment options to help more infants and children with leukemia achieve a long-term cure. This news brings hope to caregivers like Jason Koepsell, the father of a pediatric patient named Hannah. Koepsell spoke at the 2025 Hyundai Hope on Wheels event about their family’s story with cancer.
“Our story starts in June of 2022. At that time, Hannah was 11 years old. She played softball. She cheered. She danced,” said Koepsell. “When she came home with elbow pain one day, we never
thought that would lead to the worst words a parent could hear.”
In February 2025, Hannah received a bone marrow transplant. Her little brother was her donor.
Inspiring Hope for Pediatric Cancer
Throughout the summer and into September — which was National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month — Hyundai Hope On Wheels traveled the nation to award impact grants to doctors who are advancing major progress in pediatric cancer research.
This year’s grant brings the organization’s lifetime donation to Roswell Park to more than $9 million.
“For almost three decades, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has driven hope in hospitals, homes and communities nationwide. But this story isn’t about us. This is about the families who inspire us every day—and the scientific pioneers who are leading innovative and life-saving research,” said Mark Delaney, Eastern Region Merchandising Manager at Hyundai. “More kids have a second chance at life. This is the beating heart of everything we do.”