Nicholas Shawn Whipple

Nicholas Shawn Whipple, MD, MPH

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

Clinical Locations

Primary Children's Hospital

Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Salt Lake City
801-662-4700

  • Nicholas Whipple, MD, MPH, received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson, MS. After completing his pediatric residency at the University of Utah and Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT, Dr. Whipple completed 3 years of fellowship training in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and 1 year of Fellowship training in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. During fellowship training, Dr. Whipple also earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. Dr. Whipple joined the faculty of the University of Utah in 2017, where he is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. He serves as the Medical Director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Primary Children’s Hospital and the University of Utah. He also serves as the Principal Investigator for the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC) in Utah (1 of 18 sites in the nation), where he oversees all PNOC clinical trials in Utah. Dr. Whipple’s clinical focus is in pediatric neuro-oncology, histiocytic disorders, and rare tumors. He has authored several publications and book chapters on a variety of topics in both pediatric hematology and oncology. His research primarily focuses on pediatric neuro-oncology, hereditary cancer syndromes, and improving the treatment of children with central nervous system tumors using molecularly targeted therapies. He is currently working to develop early phase clinical trials for children with recurrent malignant central nervous tumors. Dr. Whipple is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology-Oncology.

    Specialties

    Board Certification

    American Board of Pediatrics (Pediatrics)
    American Board of Pediatrics (Sub: Pediatric Hematology-Oncology)

  • Nicholas Whipple, MD, MPH, received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson, MS. After completing his pediatric residency at the University of Utah and Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT, Dr. Whipple completed 3 years of fellowship training in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and 1 year of Fellowship training in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. During fellowship training, Dr. Whipple also earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. Dr. Whipple joined the faculty of the University of Utah in 2017, where he is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. He serves as the Medical Director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Primary Children’s Hospital and the University of Utah. He also serves as the Principal Investigator for the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC) in Utah (1 of 18 sites in the nation), where he oversees all PNOC clinical trials in Utah. Dr. Whipple’s clinical focus is in pediatric neuro-oncology, histiocytic disorders, and rare tumors. He has authored several publications and book chapters on a variety of topics in both pediatric hematology and oncology. His research primarily focuses on pediatric neuro-oncology, hereditary cancer syndromes, and improving the treatment of children with central nervous system tumors using molecularly targeted therapies. He is currently working to develop early phase clinical trials for children with recurrent malignant central nervous tumors. Dr. Whipple is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology-Oncology.

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Pediatrics -Primary
    Academic Divisions Hematology/Oncology
    Board Certification
    American Board of Pediatrics (Pediatrics)
    American Board of Pediatrics (Sub: Pediatric Hematology-Oncology)

    Education history

    Fellowship Pediatric Neuro-Oncology - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Fellow
    Emphasis: Epidemiology and Global Health - George Washington University M.P.H.
    Fellowship Pediatric Hematology/Oncology - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Fellow
    Pediatrics - University of Utah School of Medicine Resident
    Professional Medical Medicine - University of Mississippi School of Medicine M.D.
    English - University of Mississippi B.A.
    Undergraduate Biological and Physical Sciences - Northeast Mississippi Community College A.A.

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Kahn AR, Davis ES, Dai C, Caudill CV, Martinez I, Brackett J, Sharma A, Schwalm C, Kebede A, Dickens DS, Richman J, Colace S, POCC Consortium, Araya B, Bhatia S, Wolfson JA, Levine JM, Johnston EE (2024). COVID-19 Disease in Children With ALL Receiving Maintenance Therapy: Do Not Discount the Risk. (Whipple, NS, Member of POCC Consortium). JCO Oncol Pract, OP2300631. (Read full article)
    2. Wolfson JA, Davis ES, Saha A, Martinez I, McCall D, Kothari P, Brackett J, Dickens DS, Kahn AR, Schwalm C, Sharma A, Richman J, Cuglievan B, POCC Consortium, Bhatia S, Dai C, Levine JM, Johnston EE (2023). Adolescents and young adults with cancer: the clinical course of COVID-19 infections. (Whipple, NS, Member of POCC Consortium). J Natl Cancer Inst, 116(8), 1366-1373. (Read full article)
    3. Foxworthy B, Dai C, Davis EC, Xavier AC, Brackett J, Dickens D, Kahn A, Martinez I, Sharma A, Schwalm C, Foley J, Wilkes J, POCC Consortium, Bhatia S, Levine JM, Johnston EE, Wolfson JA (2024). COVID-19 infection in children, adolescents, and young adults with Down syndrome and hematologic malignancies. (Whipple, NS, Member of POCC Consortium) . Pediatr Blood Cancer, 71(8), e31082. (Read full article)
    4. Kilburn LB, Khuong-Quang DA, Hansford JR, Landi D, van der Lugt J, Leary SES, Driever PH, Bailey S, Perreault S, McCowage G, Waanders AJ, Ziegler DS, Witt O, Baxter PA, Kang HJ, Hassall TE, Han JW, Hargrave D, Franson AT, Yalon Oren M, Toledano H, Larouche V, Kline C, Abdelbaki MS, Jabado N, Gottardo NG, Gerber NU, Whipple NS, Segal D, Chi SN, Oren L, Tan EEK, Mueller S, Cornelio I, McLeod L, Zhao X, Walter A, Da Costa D, Manley P, Blackman SC, Packer RJ, Nysom K (2023). The type II RAF inhibitor tovorafenib in relapsed/refractory pediatric low-grade glioma: the phase 2 FIREFLY-1 trial. Nat Med. (Read full article)
    5. Martin SD, Davis ES, Dai C, Boal LH, Araya B, Brackett J, Dickens D, Kahn A, Martinez I, Sharma A, Schwalm C, Aguayo-Hiraldo P, Bhatia S, Levine JM, Johnston EE, Wolfson JA, Pediatric Oncology COVID-19 Case Consortium (2024). Clinical Features and Risk Factors Associated With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children With Cancer and COVID-19. (Whipple, NS, Member of POCC Consortium) . JAMA Oncol, 9(8), 1108-1112. (Read full article)
    6. Moreira DC, Qaddoumi I, Chen Y, Bhakta N, Chantada GL, Santana VM, Caniza MA, Devidas M, Pritchard-Jones K, Rodriguez-Galindo C, Bouffet E, Mukkada S, Global Registry of COVID-19 in Childhood Cancer (2023). Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in 126 children and adolescents with central nervous system tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 70(8), e30402. (Read full article)
    7. Chan PP, Whipple NS, Ramani B, Solomon DA, Zhou H, Linscott LL, Kestle JRW, Bruggers CS (2022). Patterns of Extraneural Metastases in Children With Ependymoma. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol, 45(2), e272-e278. (Read full article)
    8. Gajjar A, Mahajan A, Abdelbaki M, Anderson C, Antony R, Bale T, Bindra R, Bowers DC, Cohen K, Cole B, Dorris K, Ermoian R, Franson A, Helgager J, Landi D, Lin C, Metrock L, Nanda R, Palmer J, Partap S, Plant A, Pruthi S, Reynolds R, Ruggieri P, Stearns D, Storm P, Wang A, Warren K, Whipple N, Zaky W, McMillian NR, Pluchino LA (2022). Pediatric Central Nervous System Cancers, Version 2.2023, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. J Natl Compr Canc Netw, 20(12), 1339-1362. (Read full article)
    9. Desai AV, Robinson GW, Gauvain K, Basu EM, Macy ME, Maese L, Whipple NS, Sabnis AJ, Foster JH, Shusterman S, Yoon J, Weiss BD, Abdelbaki MS, Armstrong AE, Cash T, Pratilas CA, Corradini N, Marshall LV, Farid-Kapadia M, Chohan S, Devlin C, Meneses-Lorente G, Cardenas A, Hutchinson KE, Bergthold G, Caron H, Maneval EC, Gajjar A, Fox E (2022). Entrectinib in children, adolescents, and young adults with solid tumours or primary CNS tumours harbouring NTRK, ROS1 or ALK aberrations: phase 1 and interim phase 2 results from STARTRK-NG. J Clin Oncol.
    10. Desai AV, Robinson GW, Gauvain K, Basu EM, Macy ME, Maese L, Whipple NS, Sabnis AJ, Foster JH, Shusterman S, Yoon J, Weiss BD, Abdelbaki MS, Armstrong AE, Cash T, Pratilas CA, Corradini N, Marshall LV, Farid-Kapadia M, Chohan S, Devlin C, Meneses-Lorente G, Cardenas A, Hutchinson KE, Bergthold G, Caron H, Chow Maneval E, Gajjar A, Fox E (2022). Entrectinib in children and young adults with solid or primary CNS tumors harboring NTRK, ROS1, or ALK aberrations (STARTRK-NG). Neuro Oncol, 24(10), 1776-1789. (Read full article)
    11. Lucas CG, Sloan EA, Gupta R, Wu J, Pratt D, Vasudevan HN, Ravindranathan A, Barreto J, Williams EA, Shai A, Whipple NS, Bruggers CS, Maher O, Nabors B, Rodriguez M, Samuel D, Brown M, Carmichael J, Lu R, Mirchia K, Sullivan DV, Pekmezci M, Tihan T, Bollen AW, Perry A, Banerjee A, Mueller S, Gupta N, Hervey-Jumper SL, Oberheim Bush NA, Daras M, Taylor JW, Butowski NA, de Groot J, Clarke JL, Raleigh DR, Costello JF, Phillips JJ, Reddy AT, Chang SM, Berger MS, Solomon DA (2022). Multiplatform molecular analyses refine classification of gliomas arising in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. Acta Neuropathol, 144(4), 747-765. (Read full article)
    12. Pratt D, Lucas CG, Selvam PP, Abdullaev Z, Ketchum C, Quezado M, Armstrong TS, Gilbert MR, Papanicolau-Sengos A, Raffeld M, Choo-Wosoba H, Chan P, Whipple N, Nasrallah M, Santi M, Ramaswamy V, Giannini C, Ritzmann TA, Grundy RG, Burford A, Jones C, Hawkins C, Venneti S, Solomon DA, Aldape K (2022). Recurrent ACVR1 mutations in posterior fossa ependymoma. Acta Neuropathol, 144(2), 373-376. (Read full article)
    13. Lucas CG, Davidson CJ, Alashari M, Putnam AR, Whipple NS, Bruggers CS, Mendez JS, Cheshier SH, Walker JB, Ramani B, Cadwell CR, Sullivan DV, Lu R, Mirchia K, Van Ziffle J, Devine P, Goldschmidt E, Hervey-Jumper SL, Gupta N, Oberheim Bush NA, Raleigh DR, Bollen A, Tihan T, Pekmezci M, Solomon DA, Phillips JJ, Perry A (2023). Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals Divergent Clonal Evolution in Components of Composite Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma-Ganglioglioma. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol, 81(8), 650-657. (Read full article)
    14. Mueller S, Taitt JM, Villanueva-Meyer JE, Bonner ER, Nejo T, Lulla RR, Goldman S, Banerjee A, Chi SN, Whipple NS, Crawford JR, Gauvain K, Nazemi KJ, Watchmaker PB, Almeida ND, Okada K, Salazar AM, Gilbert RD, Nazarian J, Molinaro AM, Butterfield LH, Prados MD, Okada H (2022). Mass cytometry detects H3.3K27M-specific vaccine responses in diffuse midline glioma. J Clin Invest, 132(12). (Read full article)
    15. Baker C, Crevelt J, Whipple N, Bollo RJ, Cheshier S (2022). Treatment of a symptomatic thalamic pilocytic astrocytoma with reservoir placement and laser interstitial thermal therapy: illustrative case. J Neurosurg Case Lessons, 3(11). (Read full article)
    16. Lucas CG, Abdullaev Z, Bruggers CS, Mirchia K, Whipple NS, Alashari MM, Lowichik A, Cheshier S, Phillips JJ, Devine P, Solomon DA, Quezado M, Aldape KD, Perry A (2021). Activating NTRK2 and ALK receptor tyrosine kinase fusions extend the molecular spectrum of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas of early childhood: a diagnostic overlap with infant-type hemispheric glioma. Acta Neuropathol, 143(2), 283-286. (Read full article)
    17. Johnston EE, Martinez I, Davis ES, Caudill C, Richman J, Brackett J, Dickens DS, Kahn A, Schwalm C, Sharma A, Patel PA, Bhatia S, Levine JM, Wolfson JA, POCC Consortium (2021). SARS-CoV-2 in Childhood Cancer in 2020: A Disease of Disparities. (Whipple, NS, Member of POCC Consortium). J Clin Oncol, 39(34), 3778-3788. (Read full article)
    18. Mukkada S, Bhakta N, Chantada GL, Chen Y, Vedaraju Y, Faughnan L, Homsi MR, Muniz-Talavera H, Ranadive R, Metzger M, Friedrich P, Agulnik A, Jeha S, Lam C, Dalvi R, Hessissen L, Moreira DC, Santana VM, Sullivan M, Bouffet E, Caniza MA, Devidas M, Pritchard-Jones K, Rodriguez-Galindo C, Global Registry of COVID-19 in Childhood Cancer (2021). Global characteristics and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents with cancer (GRCCC): a cohort study. Lancet Oncol, 22(10), 1416-1426. (Read full article)
    19. Whipple NS, Joshi VM, Naik RJ, Mentnech T, McFarland MM, Nolan VG, Hankins JS (2021). Sickle cell disease and ventricular myocardial strain: A systematic review. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 68(6), e28973. (Read full article)
    20. Parsons MW, Whipple NS, Poppe MM, Mendez JS, Cannon DM, Burt LM (2020). The use and efficacy of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in children and adults with pilocytic astrocytoma. J Neurooncol, 151(2), 93-101. (Read full article)
    21. Mueller S, Taitt JM, Villanueva-Meyer JE, Bonner ER, Nejo T, Lulla RR, Goldman S, Banerjee A, Chi SN, Whipple NS, Crawford JR, Gauvain K, Nazemi KJ, Watchmaker PB, Almeida ND, Okada K, Salazar AM, Gilbert RD, Nazarian J, Molinaro AM, Butterfield LH, Prados MD, Okada H (2020). Mass cytometry detects H3.3K27M-specific vaccine responses in diffuse midline glioma. J Clin Invest, 130(12), 6325-6337. (Read full article)
    22. Mondal G, Lee JC, Ravindranathan A, Villanueva-Meyer JE, Tran QT, Allen SJ, Barreto J, Gupta R, Doo P, Van Ziffle J, Onodera C, Devine P, Grenert JP, Samuel D, Li R, Metrock LK, Jin LW, Antony R, Alashari M, Cheshier S, Whipple NS, Bruggers C, Raffel C, Gupta N, Kline CN, Reddy A, Banerjee A, Hall MD, Mehta MP, Khatib Z, Maher OM, Brathwaite C, Pekmezci M, Phillips JJ, Bollen AW, Tihan T, Lucas JT Jr, Broniscer A, Berger MS, Perry A, Orr BA, Solomon DA (2020). Pediatric bithalamic gliomas have a distinct epigenetic signature and frequent EGFR exon 20 insertions resulting in potential sensitivity to targeted kinase inhibition. Acta Neuropathol, 139(6), 1071-1088. (Read full article)
    23. Lucas CG, Villanueva-Meyer JE, Whipple N, Oberheim Bush NA, Cooney T, Chang S, McDermott M, Berger M, Cham E, Sun PP, Putnam A, Zhou H, Bollo R, Cheshier S, Poppe MM, Fung KM, Sung S, Glenn C, Fan X, Bannykh S, Hu J, Danielpour M, Li R, Alva E, Johnston J, Van Ziffle J, Onodera C, Devine P, Grenert JP, Lee JC, Pekmezci M, Tihan T, Bollen AW, Perry A, Solomon DA (2019). Myxoid glioneuronal tumor, PDGFRA p.K385-mutant: clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic features. Brain Pathol, 30(3), 479-494. (Read full article)
    24. Whipple NS, Naik RJ, Kang G, Moen J, Govindaswamy SD, Fowler JA, Dowdy J, Penkert R, Joshi VM, Hankins JS (2018). Ventricular global longitudinal strain is altered in children with sickle cell disease. Br J Haematol, 183(5), 796-806. (Read full article)
    25. McClain KL, Picarsic J, Chakraborty R, Zinn D, Lin H, Abhyankar H, Scull B, Shih A, Lim KPH, Eckstein O, Lubega J, Peters TL, Olea W, Burke T, Ahmed N, Hicks MJ, Tran B, Jones J, Dauser R, Jeng M, Baiocchi R, Schiff D, Goldman S, Heym KM, Wilson H, Carcamo B, Kumar A, Rodriguez-Galindo C, Whipple NS, Campbell P, Murdoch G, Kofler J, Heales S, Malone M, Woltjer R, Quinn JF, Orchard P, Kruer MC, Jaffe R, Manz MG, Lira SA, Parsons DW, Merad M, Man TK, Allen CE (2018). CNS Langerhans cell histiocytosis: Common hematopoietic origin for LCH-associated neurodegeneration and mass lesions. Cancer, 124(12), 2607-2620. (Read full article)
    26. Whipple NS, Marion LL, Dansie DM, Murina AT, Megason GC, Vijayakumar V, Herrington BL (2018). [18F]FDG-PET for evaluating pediatric Rosai-Dorfman disease. Pediatr Hematol Oncol, 35(3), 177-180. (Read full article)
    27. Whipple NS, Schwartz JR, Nottage KA (2017). DAT-positive Plasmodium ovale malaria presenting in a child with sickle cell anemia. Am J Hematol, 92(7), 722. (Read full article)
    28. Whipple NS, Bennett EE, Kaza E, OConnor M (2016). Umbilical Cord Pseudocyst in a Newborn. J Pediatr, 177, 333. (Read full article)
    29. Ku E, Thomas M, Ho CH, Whipple NS, Abdul-Rahman O, Megason GC, Herrington BL, Carmody JB, Charlton JR (2014). Index of suspicion. Case 1: fever, diarrhea, jaundice, and confusion in an 18-year-old male. Case 2: severe anemia in a 6-month-old girl. Case 3: red urine in a 4-month-old boy. Pediatr Rev, 35(3), 129-35. (Read full article)
    30. Whipple N (2011). Remembering Peru: what those who made the journey had to say. J Miss State Med Assoc, 52(9), 289-92. (Read full article)
    31. Abdullah R, Shukla M, Whipple N, Gordon C, Majumdar S, Duchan E, Feinberg A (2010). Index of suspicion. Pediatr Rev, 31(5), 211-5. (Read full article)

    Book Chapter

    1. Whipple NS, Gajjar A (2019). Chapter 33: Targeted Therapies for Pediatric Central Nervous System Tumors. In: Predictive Biomarkers in Oncology: Applications in Precision Medicine. Sunil Badve and George Kumar, editors. Springer International Publishing (2019). 375-382. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-95228-4.

    Case Report

    1. Baker C, Crevelt J, Whipple NS, Bollo R, Cheshier S (2022). Treatment of a symptomatic thalamic pilocytic astrocytoma with reservoir placement and laser interstitial thermal therapy. J Neurosurg Pediatr.
    2. Whipple NS, Moreau DA, Moulds JM, Hankins JS, Wang WC, Nottage KA (2015). Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria due to an IgA Donath-Landsteiner antibody. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 62(11), 2044-6. (Read full article)
    3. Whipple NS, Whipple PD, Nelson CR, Bollo RJ (2011). Puzzler: Three-year-old with upper extremity hemiparesis. Contemp Pediatr, 28(9), 75-84.

    Newspaper

    1. Whipple N (March 6, 2005). NICHOLAS WHIPPLE: Community college route was the right choice. Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

    Video/Film/CD/Web/Podcast

    1. Whipple NS, Wirkus P (2021). Pediatric Central Nervous System Tumors. The Virtual Curbside Podcast. Utah Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics [Podcast]. https://www.aaputah.org/: American Academy of Pediatrics, Utah Chapter.
    2. Whipple NS, Wirkus P (2021). Cancer Therapies in a Nutshell.  The Virtual Curbside Podcast. Utah Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. [Podcast]. https://www.aaputah.org/.
    3. Whipple NS (2021). A Career in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology. Video recorded for University of Utah medical students to view for career planning and decision making.  [Video]. University of Utah School of Medicine.