Professor of Pediatrics, Biostatistics and Neurology; Attending Physician, Division of Hematology-Oncology; Unit Leader Patient Oriented Research

• Hematology and Oncology
• Genetics and Genomic Medicine
• Patient Oriented Research

Dr. DeBaun is a native St. Louisan who attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he majored in chemistry, graduated with honors, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.  He then attended Stanford University Medical School where he received his M.D. and his Master’s Degree in Health Services Research. 

Dr. DeBaun returned to St. Louis in 1987 for a pediatric residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. There he was selected as a Pediatric Chief Resident and later Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellow. He was subsequently awarded an Epidemiology Fellowship by the United States Public Health Service, which allowed him the opportunity to earn a Master’s in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Hygiene.

Dr. DeBaun’s efforts regarding hematology have focused on understanding the etiology, and management of cerebrovascular injury in children with sickle cell disease. Dr. DeBaun collaborates with a multi-disciplinary team of investigators from Washington University including Desirée White PhD-Psychology, Michael Noetzel MD, Neurology, and Robert McKinstry MD, PhD Neuroradiology; James Casella MD, Hematology, Johns Hopkins, and Bruce Barton PhD, Statistics, Baltimore. With his leadership, this team of investigators received funding for the first NIH sponsored international clinical trial in sickle cell disease, the Silent Cerebral Infarct Multi-Center Trial.

Also in hematology, Dr. DeBaun’s scientific effort has focused on determining the epidemiology, clinical significance and genetic basis for asthma in children with sickle cell anemia. Currently Drs. DeBaun and Strunk (pediatric pulmonology) along with other colleagues at Washington University (Drs. Province, Castro and An), with colleagues at Case Western Reserve (Drs. Redline Rosen, Villella and Craven), and University College London (Drs. Kirkham and Stocks) have developed the first longitudinal cohort of children with sickle cell anemia that are carefully evaluated with repeated pulmonary function tests. This multi-disciplinary team was the first to demonstrate that asthma increases mortality and morbidity in individuals with SCD.

In oncology, Dr. DeBaun has focused on understanding the epidemiology, optimal management and molecular basis for an overgrowth syndrome associated with cancer in children, Beckwith Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS). In 1994, Dr. DeBaun established the International BWS Registry. The clinical investigation has been coupled with molecular genetic analysis performed by Dr. Andrew Feinberg from Johns Hopkins. Together they were the first to describe epigenotype and phenotype associations, including cancer and the first to describe the association between in vitro fertilization (IVF), congenital malformation syndromes and epigenotype mutations in children born after IVF.

Since, 1996, Dr. DeBaun has mentored multiple medical students, fellows and faculty in the skill of clinical and translational research. In 2003, Dr. DeBaun became the Program Director for the Doris Duke Clinical Fellowship Program at Washington University School of Medicine, an intensive one year program for medical students to conduct clinical research. In 2002, after a generous donation from John and Allison Ferring, he created The Ferring Scholar Program, a three year program tailored for talented high school students to have an in depth mentored research experience at Washington University School of Medicine. The program has mentored two cohorts of students over the last six years with a total of 10 young men and 15 young women.

Education

• B.S., Howard University, 1982 (Chemistry)
• M.S., Stanford University, 1987 (Health Services Research)
• M.D., Stanford University, 1987
• M.P.H., The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, 1993 (Epidemiology)

Training

• Pediatric Resident, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, 1987-1990
• Pediatric Chief Resident, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, 1991-1992
• Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellow, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, 1990-1993
• United States Public Health Service Epidemiology Fellowship, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md., 1992-1996

Licensure and Board Certification

• Missouri License, 1991
• American Board of Pediatrics, 1992
• American Board of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, 1994

Honors

• Doris Duke Clinical Scientist Award, 1999-2004
• Clinical Teacher of the Year Award, Washington University School of Medicine, 2002
• American Society for Clinical Investigation Induction, 2006
• Burroughs Wellcome Translational Research Award, 2007-2012
• American Association of Physicians Induction, 2008

Selected Publications

Sickle Cell Disease

1. Boyd JH, Macklin EA, Strunk RC, DeBaun MR. Asthma is associated with acute chest syndrome and pain in children with sickle cell anemia. Blood 2006;108(9):2923-7.
2. Hulbert ML, Scothorn DJ, Panepinto JA, Scott JP, Buchanan GR, Shurney W, Sarniak I, Fallon R, Chu JY, Pegelow C, Wang W, Casella J, Resar L, Berman B, Adamkiewicz T, Hsu LL, Smith-Whitley K, Mahoney D, Scott JP, Woods G, Watanabe M, DeBaun MR. Exchange blood transfusion compared with simple transfusion for first overt stroke is associated with a lower risk of subsequent stroke: a retrospective cohort study of 137 children with sickle cell anemia. J Pediatrics 2006;149(5):710-2.
3. Isaak EJ, Lechien B, Lindsey T, DeBaun MR. The Charles Drew Program in Missouri: a description of a partnership among a blood center and several hospitals to address the care of patients with sickle cell disease. Immunohematol 2006;22(3):112-16.
4. King AA, White DA, McKinstry RC, Noetzel M, DeBaun MR. A pilot randomized education rehabilitation trial is feasible in sickle cell and strokes. Neurology 2007;68:2008-2011.
5. Boyd JH, Macklin EA, Strunk RA, DeBaun MR. Asthma is associated with increased mortality in individuals with sickle cell anemia. Haematologica 2007;92(8):1115-8.
6. Jennings JE, Ramkumar T, Mao J, Boyd J, Castro M, Field, J, Strunk, RC, DeBaun MR. Elevated Urinary Leukotriene E4 Levels are Associated with Hospitalization for Pain in Children with Sickle Cell

Cancer Predisposition Syndromes

1. Niemitz EL, Feinberg AP, DeBaun MR: Association of in vitro fertilization with Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome and epigenetic alterations of LIT1 and H19. Am J Human Genet, 2003;72(1):156-160.

2. Martin RA, Grange DK, Zehnbauer B, DeBaun MR: LIT1 and H19 methylation defects in isolated hemihyperplasia. Am J Human Genet, 2005;13;134(2):129-131.

3. Niemitz EL, Feinberg, AP, Brandenburg SA, Grundy PE, DeBaun MR: Children with Isolated Hemihypertrophy and Beckwith Wiedemann Sydrome have Different Constitutional Eipgenotypes Associated with Wilms Tumor. Am J Human Genet, 2005;77(5):887-91.

4. DeBaun MR, Niemitz EL, McNeil ED, Brandenburg SA, Lee MP, Feinberg AP: Epigenetic alterations of H19 and LIT1 distinguish Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome patients with cancer and birth defects. Am J Human Genet 2002; 70(3):604-611.

5. McNeil DE, Langer JC, Choyke P, DeBaun MR: Feasibility of partial nephrectomy for Wilms Tumor in children with Beckwith Wiedemann Syndrome who have been screened with abdominal ultrasonography. J Pediatr Surg 2002; 37:57-60.

6. DeBaun MR, Niemitz EL, Feinberg AP: Association of in vitro fertilization with Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome and epigenetic alterations of LIT1 and H19. Am J Human Genet 2003; 72(1):156-160.

7. Clericuzio CL, Chen E, McNeil DE, O'Connor T, Zackai EH, Medne L, Tomlinson G, DeBaun MR: Serum &945;-fetoprotein screening for hepatoblastoma in children with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome or isolated hemihyperplasia. J Pediatr 2003; 143:270-272.