Raizy Gruda-Sussman, MD PhD, Attending Physician

Dr. Raizy Gruda-Sussman is an attending physician in the Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Department at Rambam Health Care Campus, focusing on pediatric cancer biology research.

Platelets have traditionally been viewed as the primary mediators of hemostasis, preventing blood loss following vascular injury. However, accumulating evidence has transformed our understanding of these anucleate cells, revealing that they are active participants in immunity, inflammation, tissue repair, and cancer biology. Through direct interactions with immune cells, endothelial cells, and tumor cells, platelets orchestrate complex biological processes that extend far beyond clot formation.

Our research seeks to define how platelet-mediated communication shapes the pediatric tumor microenvironment. We aim to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying platelet-immune-tumor interactions and determine how these pathways contribute to pediatric cancer development, progression, and therapeutic response.

A major focus of our research is tumor-educated platelets (TEPs), circulating platelets whose molecular profile is altered in the presence of cancer. These cancer-associated changes position TEPs as a promising, minimally invasive liquid biopsy for cancer detection, molecular classification, and disease monitoring, while also providing a unique window into the dynamic communication between tumors, platelets, and the immune system.

Our long-term goal is to uncover the mechanisms by which platelets regulate pediatric cancer biology and leverage these insights to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for children with cancer.