The first exposure to the practice of medicine came for Dr. Ray in the bustling city of Calcutta, India where he was able to follow his grandfather, a family practitioner who paid house visits to his patients and would sometimes take his grandson with him. It was also with him that he heard inspirational stories of Mother Teresa whose life was dedicated to the poverty stricken children of Calcutta. When he grew up, it was thus easy to choose a career in medicine.
Then, as a medical student, a colleague was diagnosed with leukemia. While going through the trauma of accepting this reality, Dr. Ray along with five others from their class decided to hold a fundraiser for a bone marrow transplant. Being a close witness to the anguish of a cancer patient, he was able to learn the inside stories of diseases. Although his friend died following an unsuccessful autologous bone marrow transplant, he promised to help more patients with the same condition.
That desire brought him back to the U.S. where he was born. Following his residency in Pediatrics in Long Island, NY, Dr. Ray joined MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to pursue a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology. While part of the decision to train in Oncology was influenced by life experiences, it was also largely based on the tremendous challenges that this specialty demands. He feels that the success of the human genome project is only one of many recent technological advances that are bound to open new avenues in the treatment of cancer patients. One such aspect is the realm of cellular therapy thus during his training in one of the best cancer hospitals in the world, Dr. Ray was able to participate in research involving Natural Killer cells in the laboratory of Dr. Dean Lee. He maintains his keen interest in Immunotherapy as a means to tackle cancer and looks forward to its many applications in the treatment of cancer patients.
Dr. Ray also has a special interest in Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and other histiocytic disorders.
Outside of work, Dr. Ray enjoys the company of books, music and his family that consists of his daughter Uma and his wife Ayesha, who has an active career in the field of non-profit organizations.
Honors/Awards:
Recipient, Hyundai Young Investigator Award for $150,000: "Novel Strategy using Mithramycin-A for Enhancing Chemotherapy Response in Ewing Sarcoma Family Tumors" 2015.
Services
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
Ewing's sarcoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Osteosarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Publications
Publications:
Vicenzi, P., Johnnidis, M., Hamby, T., Ray, A. "PBC-20-0270 - Comment on: Curative-intent radiotherapy for pediatric osteosarcoma: The St. Jude experience". Pediatric Blood and Cancer, 2020.
Pham, R., Hoeft, A., Roberts, C., Hamby, T., Maloy, C., Ray, A. "Mutation of CEP72 Gene May Predispose Patients to Hepatotoxicity." Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. July, 2019.
Ray, A., Somanchi, S., Dastgheyb, N., Cobanoglu, Z., Geier, B., Lee, D., "Expression of carcinoma, apoptosis, and cell-death-related genes are determinants for sensitivity of pediatric cancer cell lines to lysis by natural killer cells." Pediatric Blood and Cancer, July, 2019.
Hill, R., Hamby, T., Johnson, D., Downs, H., Boren, C., Ray, A. "Prevalence and predictors of weight loss during induction therapy for childhood ALL". Manuscript resubmitted after revision, Pediatric Blood and Cancer, 2019.
Shelake, S., Sankpal U., Eslin D., Bowman W., Simecka J., Raut S., Ray A., Basha, R." Clotam enhances anti-proliferative effect of vincristine in Ewing sarcoma cells." Apoptosis. January, 2019.
Elete, K., Albritton, K., Akers, L., Basha, R., Ray, A. "Response to Pazopanib in Patients with Relapsed Osteosarcoma." Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. December, 2018.
Pham, R., Margraf, L., Ray, A. "Mixed non-seminomatous germ cell tumor with rhabdomyosarcomatous malignant transformation in a pediatric patient: a case report". Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology. March, 2018.
Haloot, J., Kaheri, M., Hamby, T., Ray, A. "Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Secondary to Malignancy and Chemotherapy in Pediatric Patients: A Single Institution Experience". Accepted, Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology.
Powell, P., Vitug, G., Castro-Silva, F., Ray, A. "A rare case of CD1a-negative Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the central nervous system in a child". Clinical Case Reports. September, 2017.
Pierce, J., Margraf, L., Ray, A. "Pleuropulmonary blastoma: a single-center case series of 6 patients". Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. Oct, 2017.
Averitt, A., Heym, K., Akers, L., Castro-Silva, F., Ray, A. "Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (Rosai Dorfman disease): diagnostic and treatment modalities for this rare entity revisited". Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, May 2018.
Thapa, N., Pham, R., Cole, C., Meinershagen, M., Bowman, W., Ray, A. "Therapeutic Leukapheresis in Infants and Children with Leukemia and Hyperleukocytosis: A Single Institution Experience". Journal of Clinical Apheresis. Nov, 2017.
Shelake, S., Sankpal, U.T., Bowman, W., Wise M., Ray A., Basha R. "Targeting specificity protein 1 transcription factor and survivin using tolfenamic acid for inhibiting Ewing sarcoma cell growth". Investigational New Drugs. December, 2016.
Gibson, A., Ray, A. "Rare Case of Hybrid Oncocytoma and Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma in a Pediatric Patient." Pediatric Blood and Cancer. December, 2015.
Kopp, L.M., Ray A., Denman C.J., Senyukov V.S., Somanchi S.S., Zhu S., Lee D.A. "Decitabine has a biphasic effect on natural killer cell viability, phenotype, and function under proliferative conditions." Molecular Immunology. January, 2013.
Ray, A., Huh, W. "Current State-of-the-Art Systemic Therapy for Pediatric Soft-tissue Sarcomas." An invited review article for Current Oncology Reports. August, 2012.
Ray, A., Gombos, D. "Retinoblastoma: An Overview." An invited review article for the Indian Journal of Pediatrics. March, 2012.
Ray, A., Rodriguez, N. "Cerebral Infarction in the Setting of Moyamoya in a Pediatric Patient with Sickle Beta Plus Thalassemia." Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. July, 2011.
Ray, A. "An odd case of pallor and splenomegaly." Contemporary Pediatrics. January, 2011.
Karumuri, R., Ray, A., Rubenstein S., Katz S. "Teenage boy with fever, flank pain." Contemporary Pediatrics. July, 2010.
Ray, A., Gadde, P., Rosenberg, J., Kadakia, S. "Atypical Presentation of Post Infectious Cerebellitis." Infectious Disease in Children. April, 2008.
Posters and presentations
Pham, R., Swilling, A., Hamby, T., Ray, A. "The Role Of Genomic Biomarkers In Treating Pediatric Cancers". ASPHO, 2020.
Swilling, A.,Pham, R., Hamby, T., Ray, A. "Genomic Profiling Of Pediatric Tumors: A Single Institution Experience." ASPHO, 2020 and Research Appreciation Day, UNTHSC, 2020.
Deushane, T., Vallance K., Ray, A. "Development Of Molecular Tumor Board: The Next Step Towards Precision Medicine". ASPHO, 2020.
Swilling, A., Ray, A. "ALK Variations and Targeted Therapy in Pediatric Cancers at Cook Children's Medical Center." Research Appreciation Day, UNTHSC, 2020.
Jiwani, Z., Perez, M., Guirola, R., Ray, A. "Trial of anakinra in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis". ASPHO, 2019 and Research Appreciation Day, UNTHSC, 2019.
Jiwani, Z., Heym, K., Akers, L., Ray, A. "Trial of Sirolimus in Gorham's Disease". ASPHO, 2019 and Research Appreciation Day, UNTHSC, 2019.
Elete, K., Albritton, K., Akers, L., Ray, A, Basha, R. "Response to Pazopanib in Patients with relapsed Osteosarcoma." Research Appreciation Day, UNTHSC, 2019.
Ray, A., Sankpal, U., Albeer, L., Hunter, A., Lout, H., Dunlap, K., Bowman, P., Eslin, D., Basha, R. "Mithramycin enhances the efficacy of etoposide in Ewing sarcoma cells and a mouse xenograft tumor model". AACR, 2019.
Kirk, S., Ray, A., Dzurik, Y., Severson, S., Dreyer, Z., Sasa, G. "Transient pancytopenia subsequently diagnosed with acute leukemia: A report of three cases". North American Pediatric Aplastic Anemia Consortium, 2018.
Shelake S, Sankpal UT, Bowman PW, Wise M, Ray A, Basha R. "Inhibition of Ewing sarcoma cell growth with the small molecule clotam." AACR, 2017.
Pham, R., Margraf, L., Ray, A. " Two Tumors in One: Mixed Malignant Germ Cell Tumor with Rhabdomyosarcomatous Malignant Transformation in a Pediatric Patient." Research Appreciation Day, UNTHSC, 2018.
Ray, A., Shelake S., Sankpal U., Basha, R. et al. "Combination treatment strategies to enhance the effect of standard chemotherapeutic agents in Ewing sarcoma cells". Accepted, AACR, 2018.
Boren C., Ali, M., Hill, R., Hamby, T., Johnson, D., Ray, A. "Prevalence and Risk Factors for Malnutrition during Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Induction Therapy". ASPHO, 2018 and Research Appreciation Day, UNTHSC, 2017.
Pham R., Ray, A. "Mutation Of Cep72 Gene May Predispose Patients To Hepatotoxicity". Presented, ASPHO, 2018.
Haloot, J, Kaheri M., Ray, A. "Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Secondary to Malignancy and Chemotherapy in Pediatric Patients". Awarded second position at Research Appreciation Day, UNTHSC, 2017.http://digitalcommons.hsc.unt.edu/rad/RAD17/Cancer/5/. Selected for oral presentation at JPS Research Day, June, 2018.
Thapa, N., Cole, C., Bowman, W.P., Ray, A. "Leukapheresis in Early Management of Hyperleukocytosis in Pediatric Leukemia at Cook Children's Hospital". Presented, ASPHO, 2017.
Averitt, A., Castro-Silva, F., Heym, K., Akers, L., Ray, A. "Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (Rosai Dorfman disease): diagnostic and treatment modalities for this rare entity revisited". Presented, ASPHO 2017.
Sagar Shelake, Umesh T. Sankpal, W. Paul Bowman, Matthew Wise, Anish Ray and Riyaz Basha. "Targeting Sp1 and survivin with a small molecule for inhibiting Ewing Sarcoma cell growth." Presented, AACR, 2017.
Hor, P., Bowman, W.P., Heym, K., Margraf, L., Ray, A. "Pleuropulmonary Blastoma: review of case series and literature for this rare condition". Presented at Research Appreciation Day, UNTHSC, 2016, presented at ASPHO, 2016.
Sankpal, U., Ray, A., Tabor-Simecka, L, Bowman, W.P., Basha, R. "Effect of tolfenamic acid on the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs used in the treatment of Ewing sarcoma." Presented at AACR, 2015.
Gotlib, D., Sankpal, U., Bowman, W.P., Ray, A., et al. "In Vitro Study to Identify a Novel Combination Treatment for Ewing Sarcoma." Presented at Research Appreciation Day, UNTHSC, 2016.
Shelake, S., Ray, A., Basha, R., et al. "Tolfenamic Acid Sensitizes Ewing Sarcoma Family Tumor Cells to Chemotherapy." Presented at Research Appreciation Day, UNTHSC, 2016.
Ray, A., Somachi, S., Lee D. "Activity of expanded natural killer cells against childhood cancers using the pediatric preclinical testing program in vitro cell line panel". Presented at ASPHO, 2012.
Ray, A., Sabatino D. "Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and G6PD deficiency". Presented at Research Day presentation at Nassau University Medical Center, 2008.
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