Dr. Ira J. Dunkel

Dr. Ira J. Dunkel, MD, is a pediatric oncologist on the MSK Kids team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, specializing in the care of children, teenagers, and young adults with brain and eye tumors. His clinical focus includes medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children, and retinoblastoma, a rare eye tumor affecting children. He also treats children and teenagers with melanoma and children and adults with Langerhans cell histiocytosis, a rare white blood cell disorder. Known for his patient-centered approach, Dr. Dunkel tailors treatment to individual needs, guiding patients and families through complex decision-making with the goal of achieving cure while preserving the highest possible quality of life.

Dr. Dunkel's clinical research centers on developing more effective therapies with fewer and less severe side effects for pediatric brain tumors. His work includes leading clinical trials to evaluate new drugs for difficult-to-treat tumors such as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, glioblastoma, recurrent medulloblastoma, and recurrent ependymoma. He is also dedicated to advancing treatment for retinoblastoma, including intensive systemic therapy for children whose disease has spread beyond the eye and local chemotherapy for those with advanced intraocular cancer. On a national level, he serves as chair of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, a National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trials group, and as principal investigator for national trials addressing retinoblastoma and other pediatric tumors. He is a member of the Children's Oncology Group's Rare Tumors (Retinoblastoma) Committee and Brain Tumor Committee, the NCI's Brain Malignancy Steering Committee, and serves as a special government employee for the FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee.

Beyond his research and clinical responsibilities, Dr. Dunkel is committed to training the next generation of pediatric oncologists. He works closely with physicians in fellowship training, helping them develop the skills to identify the individual needs of young patients and to deliver compassionate, high-quality cancer care. His dedication to education, combined with his leadership in national clinical research and his hands-on approach to patient care, reflects a career built around improving outcomes for children facing some of the most challenging cancers.