Pediatric Melanoma: Impact of Clinical Research

Dr. Seynnaeve received her Bachelor of Science degree from University of Pittsburgh, graduating summa cum laude with a major in molecular biology and minor in chemistry in 2007. She received her Medical Degree from West Virginia University School of Medicine in 2011 having earned accolades including Alpha Omega Alpha and the Ferrari Pediatrics Scholar Award.  Dr. Seynnaeve then completed her Pediatric Residency training at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh from 2011 to 2014 having earned the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Pediatric Residency Foundation Scholarship.  She pursued subspecialty training in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, completing her fellowship in 2017.  She obtained a Masters of Science Degree in Clinical Research at the University of Pittsburgh during her fellowship and also completed a post-doctoral T32 training program in skin biology and cancer at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute while conducting pediatric melanoma research, for which she also earned a CureRock Trainee Research Award.  Dr. Seynnaeve joined the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (PHO) as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in 2017.

Dr. Seynnaeve cares for children with a broad array of hematology and oncology diagnoses, though has a specific clinical interest and expertise in pediatric melanoma. She is Clinical Director of the Pediatric Melanoma Center which she established as a multidisciplinary team approach at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh to care for patients diagnosed with melanoma and associated melanocytic tumors.  She is active in collaborative research serving as Principal Investigator the first pediatric melanoma clinical trial to open at UPMC which also serves as the first US site to offer patient enrollment for an international, multicenter study.  She is also active in medical education serving as the Associate Fellowship Program Director of the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology fellowship program.