Michael A. Weiner

Dr. Michael Weiner is a pediatric oncologist, philanthropist, and author. He is recognized as the Hettinger Professor of Pediatrics, Director of Pediatric Oncology, and Vice Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Weiner has made significant contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents with leukemia and lymphoma, and he is nationally recognized as a leader in the field.

In 1996, he founded the Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund (HHCF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting patient care, clinical trials, research, and education. To date, Hope & Heroes has raised more than $100 million for child and adolescent cancer initiatives. In 2023, HHCF launched the Heroes Research Initiative, a seven-institution consortium spanning New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, established to advance research and treatments for childhood cancer. Dr. Weiner has also served as a board member of the New York chapter of the Ronald McDonald House Charities and on the medical advisory committee of Hyundai Hope on Wheels.

Dr. Weiner has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific articles and abstracts, and is the primary editor of the textbook Secrets in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, now in its second edition.

He has also authored five non-medical books:

• Both Sides of the Same Coin
• The Future Is Not Yet Written
• Living Cancer: Stories of an Oncologist, Father, Survivor
• Bad Behavior in the Workplace: A Career in Jeopardy
• The Image of the Babies Hospital

Dr. Weiner retired from active medical practice in July 2022. He remains engaged as a writer and continues his work as an active fundraiser for the Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund.

Updated August 26, 2026