BrightLights Leading the fight
Pediatric oncologist takes on childhood cancer in the lab and by the bed BY JIM HEFFERNAN (‘96, ‘17M)
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or as long as he can remember, Brian Belyea (’00) me, ‘If you do oncology and take care of kids, you’ll deliver on that. wanted to be a doctor. “I like to tell people, ‘I was pre- But if you do research, you might help improve on that.’ What she said to me that day never left me.” med in preschool,’” he said. Today, Belyea is a pediatric oncologist at UVA Children’s HospiWhen it came time to choose a college, Belyea surprised many of his friends and family members by tal. He spends about 75% of his time in the lab researching B-Cell picking JMU. “When I toured here, it just felt good,” Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, the most common type of cancer in he said. “It felt right. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was. children. He is especially interested in epigenetics—controlling for factors other than a person’s DNA. But for four years, I reaped the benefits of that decision.” In September 2019, the hospital received a $300,000 grant from At the time, JMU’s pre-med program was relatively small and not widely known. “But every year, students from JMU were getting Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a nonprofit organization supported by into medical school—good medical schools,” he said. “I felt this was the car maker and its U.S. dealers, to continue the fight against pediatric cancer. Belyea was presented with the Hyundai Scholar Hope the right place for me to be successful in achieving that goal.” A chemistry major, Belyea got involved with the pre-med honor Award, one of 52 doctor-researchers to be recognized nationwide. At society, Alpha Epsilon Delta, serving as vice president of the JMU a time when public funds for pediatric cancer research are limited, he chapter in his junior year and president in his senior year. He also said, a private research grant like Hyundai’s is “huge.” Belyea’s research helps inform his work as a physician. He said the volunteered at Rockingham Memorial Hospital, leading a program keys to being a good doctor are “staying called Helping Hands, in which students humble and always keeping an open mind.” helped feed some of the patients. “I’m trying to learn each and every day,” “There were a lot of extracurricular opporhe said, “and I trust patients and families tunities at JMU,” he said. “Plus, my science to tell me what’s going on, as opposed to classes were great. I got a great education.” vice versa.” Belyea had always planned to return Belyea was named to the 2019-20 Best to his hometown of Mount Jackson, VirDoctors in America list and twice has been ginia, after medical school to practice as a recognized by his patients for his bedside pediatrician. But during his residency, he manner. did a monthlong rotation in the oncology In February, he returned to JMU to speak unit at UVA Children’s Hospital. with organizers of the annual MadiTHON “I fell in love with multiple aspects of event benefiting the Children’s Miracle the field, but most of all the patients. They Belyea spends about 75% of his time in Network. The group included some of his were these amazing children who, through the lab and the remaining 25% treating former patients and their families. no fault of their own, had these life-threatpatients at UVA Children’s Hospital. “All of us pediatric oncologists, we draw ening conditions. The strength and resiliency they showed, and the relationships you make with them, their a lot of strength from the kids we’ve helped,” Belyea said. “Part of our profession, unfortunately, involves going to funerals. After a while, parents and siblings … I wanted to be a part of that.” Belyea’s oncology training led him to Duke University, where he I realized that I also need to make sure to go to the life celebrations, was introduced to research. “My research mentor had this sign on her the graduations and events like this one, where I get to see (former) door that said, ‘75% of children with cancer are cured.’ She said to patients who are doing great. That’s the most rewarding part.”
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M AG A Z I N E
PH OTO G R A PH S BY M I K E M I R I E LLO ( ’ 09 M )
