Sarcoma represents a diverse and biologically complex group of rare malignancies, marked by heterogeneous behavior, diagnostic challenges, limited therapeutic options, and persistently poor outcomes for many subtypes. Advancing our understanding of sarcoma through rigorous, interdisciplinary research is essential to improving survival and quality of life for affected patients. 

The Sarcoma Research Center unites investigators across scientific and clinical domains to accelerate discovery in this critical area. By fostering deep scientific collaboration, driving the development of innovative clinical trials, and enhancing data integration and sharing, the Center aims to transform the landscape of sarcoma research and care.

Clinical trialsMeet our teamSupport our research

Research focus

Sarcoma poses unique challenges: rare disease status, heterogeneous histologies, complex biology, and competing demands on resources. Our vision is to bring together a dedicated coalition of investigators to accelerate progress in:

  • Understanding sarcoma-specific risk factors, biology, tumor microenvironment and metastasis
  • Developing precision therapeutics, biomarker-driven trials and immune/targeted therapies
  • Addressing health disparities, survivorship and patient-centered outcomes
  • Enabling shared infrastructure: biobanks, multi-omic datasets, statistical/pipeline support, and cross‐discipline collaboration

Roswell Park clinical trials

A Study to Test the Addition of the Drug Cabozantinib to Chemotherapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Osteosarcoma
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A Multi-Institution Study of TGFβ Imprinted, Ex Vivo Expanded Universal Donor NK Cell Infusions as Adoptive Immunotherapy in Combination With Gemcitabine and Docetaxel in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Pediatric Bone and Soft Tissue
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Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Patients With Newly Diagnosed Very Low-Risk and Low Risk Fusion Negative Rhabdomyosarcoma
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External collaborations

Community resources in Western New York

  • Martin, J.C., Sims, J.R., Gupta, A., Ohm, J.E., et al. CDC7 kinase (DDK) inhibition disrupts DNA replication leading to mitotic catastrophe in Ewing sarcoma. Cell Death Discov. 8, 85 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-022-00877-x
  • Gupta A, Riedel RF, Shah C, Borinstein SC, Isakoff MS, Chugh R, Rosenblum JM, Murphy ES, Campbell SR, Albert CM, Zahler S, Thomas SM, Trucco M. Consensus recommendations in the management of Ewing sarcoma from the National Ewing Sarcoma Tumor Board. Cancer. 2023 Nov 1;129(21):3363-3371. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37403815/
  • Dela Cruz, F. S., Stewart, E. A., Surdez, D., Daley, J. D., Soragni, A., Tomazou, E. M., Alvarez-Perez, J., Feinberg, T. Y., Amatruda, J. F., Ganapathi, S. S., Ohm, J. E., Heske, C. M., Cohen-Gogo, S., Pesic, D., Nash, J. O., Shlien, A., Roundhill, E. A., Burchill, S. A., Crompton, B. D., Lawlor, E. R., … Bailey, K. M. (2025). Advancing Preclinical Biology for Ewing Sarcoma: An International Effort. Molecular cancer therapeutics, OF1–OF23. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-25-0428
  • Grand'Maison, A., Kohrn, R., Omole, E., Shah, M., Fiorica, P., Sims, J., & Ohm, J. E. (2023). Genetic and environmental reprogramming of the sarcoma epigenome. Advances in pharmacology (San Diego, Calif.), 96, 283–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.apha.2022.10.001
  • Martin, J. C., Sims, J. R., Gupta, A., Bakin, A. V., & Ohm, J. E. (2022). WEE1 inhibition augments CDC7 (DDK) inhibitor-induced cell death in Ewing sarcoma by forcing premature mitotic entry and mitotic catastrophe. Cancer research communications, 2(6), 471–482. https://doi.org/10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0130
  • Martin, J. C., Hoegel, T. J., Lynch, M. L., Woloszynska, A., Melendy, T., & Ohm, J. E. (2021). Exploiting Replication Stress as a Novel Therapeutic Intervention. Molecular cancer research : MCR, 19(2), 192–206. https://doi.org/10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-20-0651
  • Daley, J. D., Whiteway, S. L., Heske, C. M., Dela Cruz, F. S., Whittle, S. B., Cohen-Gogo, S., Collier, A. B., Gupta, A., Ohm, J., Clark, A., Soragni, A., Lawlor, E., Setty, B., Grohar, P. J., Janeway, K., Reed, D. R., Slotkin, E. K., & Bailey, K. M. (2025). New Approaches to Investigate Novel Agents in Ewing Sarcoma: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group Bone Tumor Committee. Pediatric blood & cancer, 72(10), e31917. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.31917 

Making an impact

Roswell Park receives a $10,000 donation on behalf of "Sophia the Fierce," which will be used to research lightening the load of chemotherapy for children battling sarcoma.
Meet Maria, who went through intensive chemotherapy to overcome her battle with a rare form of sarcoma.
A presentation in honor of a pediatric cancer patient at a town hall.

Amherst Town Board officially declares September as Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month

Joyce Ohm, PhD, took part in a ceremony to honor the life of "Sophia the Fierce" at Amherst Town Hall on September 10, 2025. The building was lit in gold to bring attention to the need for advocacy, funding, research and treatment for childhood cancer patients.

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Contact us

Allie Valentine, BS, CCRC
Allie Thomson
Scientific Research Project Specialist
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Elm & Carlton Streets
Buffalo, NY 14263
Alexandra.Thomson@RoswellPark.org