Who are you, in one plain sentence?
Dr. Denise M. Adams is a pediatric hematologist-oncologist and Director of the Comprehensive Vascular Anomalies Program (CVAP) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — a nationally recognized leader in the medical and systemic treatment of complex vascular anomalies, with a particular focus on the genetic and molecular drivers of these conditions.
What is your specialty within vascular anomalies?
Pediatric hematology-oncology, applied specifically to vascular anomalies — an approach that has become increasingly central to the field as genomic discoveries reveal the PIK3CA pathway and other cancer-relevant mutations as drivers of conditions like KTS, CLOVES, and complex lymphatic anomalies. Dr. Adams represents the medical management side of the specialty — systemic therapies, targeted agents (including sirolimus and investigational mTOR inhibitors), clinical trials, and the kind of diagnostic evaluation that determines whether a child’s condition has a molecular basis that can be targeted pharmacologically. Worth understanding: her specialty is not laser or sclerotherapy — it is the systemic, genomic, and pharmacologic dimension of vascular anomaly care.
Where do you practice and how do I reach you?
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) · Comprehensive Vascular Anomalies Program (CVAP) · Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care · 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Contact: adamsdm@chop.edu (per ISSVA registry listing). CVAP program page: chop.edu/centers-programs/vascular-anomalies-program. Worth noting: Dr. Adams moved to CHOP from Boston Children’s Hospital in July 2020 — entries in older directories may still list her at BCH. This entry reflects her current institutional home.
What makes you notable in this field?
Dr. Adams brings a career trajectory that spans Cincinnati Children’s (13 years, including as Medical Director of the Hemangioma and Vascular Malformation Center), Boston Children’s (co-leading the VAC, 2016–2020), and now CHOP, where she leads what has been designated a Frontier Program — one of CHOP’s highest-priority research and clinical programs. She chairs the Consortium of iNvestigators of Vascular AnomalieS (CaNVAS), a multi-institutional research network. She is co-primary investigator of ARDVARC — a NIH-funded Rare Disease Clinical Research Center focused on PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum, extracranial AVMs, and complex lymphatic anomalies. She holds the Alan R. Cohen Endowed Chair in Pediatrics.
For families navigating KTS, CLOVES, PROS-spectrum conditions, or complex lymphatic anomalies where standard laser or sclerotherapy has not been adequate — Dr. Adams’s clinical and research focus on systemic targeted therapies is directly relevant. Worth asking when you contact CVAP: whether your child’s or your own condition profile fits the current scope of their investigational therapy protocols.
In the Published Record
CHOP describes Dr. Adams as a prominent pediatric hematologist-oncologist directing a cutting-edge, multidisciplinary program that seeks breakthrough treatments and cures for children, adolescents and young adults with rare, life-threatening tumors and malformations of the vasculature. Her published record in leading journals spans sirolimus dosing in pediatric vascular anomalies, angiopoietins as serum biomarkers for lymphatic anomalies, beta-blockers in PHACE syndrome, and complex lymphatic anomaly management. Hospitals, universities, and conferences around the world have invited her to speak on vascular anomalies. ISSVA lists her directly as the contact for CHOP CVAP, noting that for adults with lymphatic leaks and flow disorders CVAP works closely with the Jill and Mark Fishman Center for Lymphatic Disorders.
Source: chop.edu/doctors/adams-denise · med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty (Perelman School profile) · ISSVA Multidisciplinary Teams Registry · CHOP press release July 13, 2020 · birthmark.org CVAP team listing. Verified: July 2026.
Practitioner Profile
| Full Name and Credentials | Denise M. Adams, MD |
| Primary Specialty | Pediatric Hematology-Oncology — Vascular Anomalies |
| Current Affiliation | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) — CVAP Director |
| Academic Appointment | Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania |
| Named Chair | Alan R. Cohen Endowed Chair in Pediatrics |
| Location | Philadelphia, PA 19104 — Greater Philadelphia Metro |
| Contact | adamsdm@chop.edu (ISSVA-listed contact) |
| Training | BS Nursing (Georgetown, 1982) · MD (Georgetown School of Medicine, 1988) · Prior faculty: Duke University, University of Vermont |
| Prior Affiliations | Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (13 years) · Boston Children’s Hospital VAC Co-Director (2016–2020) |
| Research Leadership | CaNVAS Chair (Consortium of iNvestigators of Vascular AnomalieS) · ARDVARC Co-PI (NIH-funded Rare Disease Clinical Research Center) |
| Notable Focus | PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum · Complex lymphatic anomalies · Extracranial AVMs · Systemic targeted therapies · Sirolimus precision dosing in pediatrics |
| Published Record | Perelman Faculty Profile · PubMed: Denise Adams vascular anomalies |
| Note | Moved from Boston Children’s Hospital to CHOP July 2020. Older directory listings may show BCH affiliation — this entry reflects current institution. |
Verification & Catalog Status
Confidence: Tier 1 — Verified Institutional | Source: Institution website, ISSVA Registry | Last Verified: July 2026 | Affiliated Institution: CHOP CVAP (pending inst: code assignment) | Catalog Cross-Reference: Pending practitioner confirmation.