Monica Davini
I attended medical school at St. George’s University, followed by pediatric residency at UCSF Fresno. I had an interest early on in hematology and oncology, which I further honed during residency, performing quality improvement research within the long term follow up clinic. I completed my fellowship at Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland which was a great experience with a wide variety of clinical cases. While I enjoy seeing all types of hematology and oncology, I have a special interest in solid tumors, including neuroblastoma and hepatoblastoma. In my free time, I enjoy outdoor activities, making Tucson a great place to live and work.
Cancer Focus
My primary interest is in neuroblastoma and solid tumors, but I have interest in all cases of pediatric oncology. During fellowship I worked under the mentorship of Dr. W. Clay Gustafson, an oncologist and physician scientist at UCSF whose research focuses on MYCN and the application of small molecule inhibitors which disrupt MYCN. My fellowship research project utilized a novel split fluorescence protein assay to further the understanding of protein interactions which stabilize MYCN, with the goal to translate targeted therapies from the bench into animal models and eventually into patients. In my clinical career, I hope to parlay this knowledge into becoming involved in clinical research and clinical trials.