ASTCT Talks

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Taha Al-Juhaishi welcomes Dr. Marcos de Lima, hematologist-oncologist at The OhioState University Comprehensive Cancer Center, to explore the rapidly evolving field of homegrown CAR-T therapies. Together, they dive into the definitions, motivations and barriers of decentralized CAR-T manufacturing, the globalinnovation landscape and what it takes to build sustainable academic cell therapy programs. Dr. de Lima shares his firsthand experience launching point-of-care CAR-T programs, the regulatory and payer landscape and the future of academic-industry collaboration in expanding access. It’s a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of decentralized cell therapy and innovation in academic centers.

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Shernan Holtan welcomes Andrew Lin, Manager of Clinical Pharmacy Services of Adult BMT and CTS at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, to discuss the evolving role of tacrolimus levels in GVHD prophylaxis within the post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) era. They explore findings from a recent retrospective study examining whether higher tacrolimus levels offer added protection against GVHD, what this means for toxicity and patient outcomes and how these insights are shaping dosing strategies. The conversation also looks ahead to future research areas, including MMF optimization and the potential for simplified, patient-centered prophylaxis regimens.

CancerNetwork®, in collaboration with the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT)®, hosted a Twitter/X Space during the 2025 Tandem Meetings. The live conversation featured Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and Shernan Holtan, MD, of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Together, they shared expert commentary on new data in CAR T-cell therapy and hematopoietic cell transplantation.

With insights drawn from posters, oral abstracts, and late-breaking presentations, the session unpacked both clinical takeaways and implications for patient care.

Highlights included:

• LBA1 – Ide-cel + lenalidomide maintenance post-transplant in MM patients
  “This merges two worlds,” said Banerjee. “Not a tandem in the classic sense, but a transplant followed by CAR T.”
  [Garfall et al., Abstract LBA-1]

• Abstract 50 – Real-world CAR T use in early relapsed/refractory LBCL
  Holtan noted, “In this cohort, no statistical survival difference was seen between second- and third-line therapy, though the curves suggest a trend.”
  [Rojek et al., Abstract 50]

• Poster 340 – CAR T targeting CD83 in breast cancer
  Banerjee speculated on future innovations: “If we could deliver these locally, without systemic effects, that would be a game changer.”
  [Betts et al., Poster 340]

• Poster 317 – IEC-colitis in cilta-cel-treated patients
  Banerjee reflected, “We assumed steroids would help, like with GVHD. But outcomes didn’t align.”
  [Chang Lim et al., Poster 317]

• Poster 572 – Driving restrictions post-CAR T
  Banerjee advocated for updated policy: “Patients often can’t regain full independence until driving is restored—this restriction lacks strong evidence.”
  [Banerjee et al., Poster 572]

• Presentation 58 – Physical function tests to predict ICANS and mortality
  “These simple tools helped flag patients unlikely to benefit from CAR T,” said Holtan. “This could refine patient selection.”
  [Herr et al., Presentation 58]

• Poster 618 – HCT outcomes for MDS patients by age group
  Holtan expressed optimism: “We need conditioning regimens that are effective yet gentler—especially for older patients.”
  [Duarte et al., Poster 618]

• Presentation 39 – Immune suppression trends post-HCT (18,000+ patients)
  Looking ahead, Holtan predicted a shift in GVHD care: “In 10 years, steroids may no longer be our go-to.”
  [Pidala et al., Presentation 39]

• Poster 516 – Patient experiences with chronic GVHD via social media listening
  Holtan emphasized the human element: “We must prioritize mental health, community support, and advocacy alongside clinical treatment.”
  [Cowden et al., Poster 516]

The discussion emphasized not only the clinical relevance of each study but also broader themes—improving quality of life, adjusting standards of care based on real-world findings, and advancing innovation through thoughtful, patient-centered research.

References:

1. Garfall AL, et al. Abstract LBA-1. Tandem 2025.

2. Rojek AE, et al. Abstract 50. Tandem 2025.

3. Betts BC, et al. Poster 340. Tandem 2025.

4. Chang Lim KJ, et al. Poster 317. Tandem 2025.

5. Banerjee R, et al. Poster 572. Tandem 2025.

6. Herr M, et al. Presentation 58. Tandem 2025.

7. Duarte FB, et al. Poster 618. Tandem 2025.

8. Pidala J, et al. Presentation 39. Tandem 2025.

9. Cowden M, et al. Poster 516. Tandem 2025.

Welcome to the fourth episode of ASTCT Talks’ exclusive 8-part series, supported by an educational grant from Sanofi US. In this episode, former ASTCT President Dr. Corey Cutler sits down with Dr. Connie R. Shi from the Cutaneous Oncology Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. They discuss Dr. Shi's recent article, Cutaneous Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease: Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis, Management, and Supportive Care.

Tune in as they explore the complexities of cutaneous GVHD, including acute and chronic presentations, diagnostic challenges and skin-directed treatment strategies such as topical steroids and phototherapy. They also cover key considerations for recognizing and diagnosing cutaneous GVHD in patients of all skin tones and managing long-term complications like skin cancer risk.

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Taha Al-Juhaishi welcomes Dr. Lori Muffly, Associate Professor in the Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation-Cellular Therapies at Stanford University, to discuss groundbreaking advancements in graft selection and manipulation in hematopoietic cell transplantation. They explore the evolution of graft engineering strategies aimed at improving patient outcomes, with a focus on Orca-T, an innovative cell therapy designed to reduce graft-versus-host disease while maintaining graft-versus-leukemia effects. Dr. Muffly provides insights into the clinical development of this promising therapy, its impact on patient recovery, and the future of transplantation. Tune in to learn about the latest research and what it means for the future of cellular therapy.

In the next episode of ASTCT's "Titans of Transplant," Dr. Shernan Holtan hosts Dr. Renier Brentjens, a pioneer in CAR T-cell therapy and a transformative leader in transplantation and cellular therapy. Dr. Brentjens discusses the challenges and breakthroughs behind developing the first chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), the pivotal discovery of CD19-targeting hybridomas, and the determination needed to turn bold ideas into clinical reality. Tune in for an insightful look at how early experiments paved the way for today’s CAR T-cell advancements, capturing the passion, persistence, and pivotal moments that shaped a new era in cancer treatment.

This episode of ASTCT Talks dives into outpatient CAR T therapy, exploring logistics, challenges, and success strategies. Host Dr. Zahra Mahmoudjafari leads a panel of experts to share insights from their innovative programs.

The panel features Robb Richards, Administrative Director of Cell Therapy and Transplant at Penn Medicine; Dr. Katie Gatwood, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center; and Dr. Taha Al-Juhaishi, Associate Director at the University of Oklahoma’s Transplant and Cell Therapy Program. Topics include outpatient program structures, toxicity management, and the evolving role of cell therapies beyond hematologic malignancies.

About the Host:
Dr. Zahra Mahmoudjafari is a board-certified oncology pharmacist and Clinical Pharmacy Manager in Hematologic Malignancies at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. She earned her PharmD and MBA from UMKC and focuses on clinical and operational management of cell and gene therapies. Dr. Mahmoudjafari is active in HOPA, ATOPP, and ASTCT and was honored with ASTCT's Pharmacy SIG Lifetime Achievement Award and ASCO’s 40 Under 40 in Cancer Award.

Meet the Panel:

• Robb Richards has over 20 years of oncology experience, with roles spanning private practice, IT, and leadership in healthcare systems. At Penn Medicine, he oversees CAR T therapy operations, expanding services into community hospitals. He holds degrees from Drexel University and St. Joseph’s University.

• Dr. Katie Gatwood is a Board-Certified Oncology Pharmacist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she leads the PGY2 Oncology Residency Program and chairs the ASTCT Pharmacy SIG. Her expertise spans CAR T therapy, transplant conditioning, and GVHD therapies. Dr. Gatwood is an award-winning practitioner and has authored several publications on oncology pharmacy practice.

• Dr. Taha Al-Juhaishi is an attending physician and clinical investigator at OU Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma’s only NCI-designated center. He serves as associate director of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Cell Therapy program and leads several clinical trials. Dr. Al-Juhaishi trained at Weill Cornell Medicine, VCU, and MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into the complexities of managing outpatient CAR T therapy and strategies to enhance patient care.

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, host Dr. Andrés Gómez De León is joined by Dr. Nandita Khera and Dr. Alexandra Gomez Arteaga to explore the critical issue of disparities and barriers to care in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The discussion delves into the factors contributing to unequal access to hematopoietic cell transplantation, such as socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity, both in the U.S. and globally. The guests highlight initiatives like the ACCESS Initiative by ASTCT and the National Marrow Donor Program, aimed at addressing these disparities through advocacy, awareness, and training for junior faculty. They also discuss the importance of caregiver support, clinical trial accessibility, and the broader impacts of GVHD on patients’ lives. Tune in to gain valuable insights into ongoing efforts to promote equitable access to life-saving treatments.

About Dr. Nandita Khera

Nandita Khera is a Professor of Medicine in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and a Consultant in the Division of Hematology/ Oncology at Mayo Clinic Arizona. She treats patients with hematological malignancies and some solid tumors, especially those needing blood and marrow transplant/cell therapy (BMT/CT). Her research focuses on improving the delivery of care to patients with cancer including those undergoing BMT/CT to help them be better prepared for the psychosocial and financial consequences of the treatment. She has published several papers in outcomes, late effects, and quality of care in cancer patients and provides mentorship to trainees interested in projects in these areas. She has been a member and has held leadership positions at Mayo Clinic and in the various committees in organizations/ societies in hematology and BMT/CT.. She was the working committee co-chair for the Health Services and International Issues Working committee of CIBMTR from 2015 to 2020 and a member of BMT-CTN SOSS Late Effects committee in 2020. As the co-chair of Dissemination and Implementation committee at BMT CTN currently, she leads efforts in improving translation of evidence into practice in the field of BMT. She is the Director of Community or Clinical Practice at ASTCT.

About Dr. Alexandra Gomez Arteaga

Dr. Alexandra Gomez Arteaga is an Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and directs the Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant Service and the Advanced Fellowship in Bone Marrow Transplantation. She earned her MD from Los Andes University, completed her residency at the University of Miami, her Hematology/Oncology fellowship at Weill Cornell, and her BMT advanced fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Gomez’s research focuses on improving outcomes in allogeneic stem cell transplantation for leukemia and myeloid malignancies, with an emphasis on young adults and alternative donors. Her work also addresses the critical need to decrease disparities in access to transplantation for minority populations, a cause she champions across her clinical practice, research, and advocacy. She currently serves as the Co-Chair for the Junior Faculty Initiative within the ASTCT ACCESS Initiative.

About Dr. Andrés Gómez De León

Dr. Andrés Gómez De León (@GomezDLeonMD) is an Associate Professor at Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in Monterrey Mexico and an ASTCT Content Committee member with an interest in acute leukemias and transplant and cell therapies in low and middle income countries.

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Muhammad Salman Faisal is joined by Dr. Jens Hillengass. Dr. Hillengass discusses the latest advancements in CAR T cell therapy, focusing on its application in early-line settings following the results of the CAR-TITUDE 4 and KarMMa-3 trials. Tune in as he shares insights on the efficacy, patient selection and future directions of CAR-T cell therapy in multiple myeloma. This episode is supported by Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech. Don’t miss out on this informative discussion with one of the leading experts in the field.

About Dr. Jens Hillengass

Jens Hillengass, MD, PhD, is Professor of Oncology and Chief of the Myeloma and Amyloidosis Service at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY. Previously, he was the head of the autologous stem cell transplant program and the deputy chief of the multiple myeloma section at the University Hospital of Heidelberg, Germany. He earned his medical degree, residency, and fellowship at Heidelberg University, and completed a research fellowship at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Hillengass co-chairs the bone and imaging group of the International Myeloma Working Group and serves on the Multiple Myeloma guideline committee at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

About Dr. Muhammad Salman Faisal

Dr. Muhammad Salman Faisal is currently a fellow at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, in his third year of training, with keen interest in myeloma, CAR-T and access to care.

In this episode of "ASTCT Talks," Dr. Shernan Holtan sits down with Dr. Samer Al-Homsi, as he shares his insights on the future of graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, particularly in haploidentical transplantation.

Dr. Al-Homsi delves into the innovative CAST regimen, which combines post-transplant cyclophosphamide, abatacept and short-duration tacrolimus. Learn about the challenges, breakthroughs and promising results that could revolutionize how we approach GVHD prevention and treatment, making a future without GVHD a reality.

Listen in as we explore the potential for reducing transplant toxicities and the impact on patient care.

About Dr. Samer Al-Homsi

A. Samer Al-Homsi, MD, MBA, is the System Chief of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy at Northwell Health Cancer Institute and serves as Director of Faculty and Academic Affairs in Medical Oncology. He is a Professor of Medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine and of Cancer Research at Feinstein Institutes of Medical Research. Previously, he was the Executive Director of Blood and Marrow Transplantation at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Dr. Al-Homsi graduated from Damascus Medical School and trained in Hematology and Medical Oncology in France. He completed his residency at Advocate Health Care and fellowship at the University of Massachusetts. He has led programs in Malignant Hematology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation at several institutions, including NYU Langone Health.

His research focuses on preventing graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), developing innovative approaches such as the CyBor and CAST regimens, particularly in haploidentical transplants. Dr. Al-Homsi aims to address healthcare disparities due to donor shortages among minority groups.

Dr. Al-Homsi is also the President of the American Arab Assembly of Cellular Therapy and Transplantation (AAACTT), promoting collaboration among its members.

About Dr. Shernan Holtan

Dr. Holtan is a clinical/translational investigator. Her work focuses on increasing resilience, both at the tissue level to prevent and treat GVHD, and at the whole person level, designing exercise programs to mitigate cancer therapy-associated aging. In GVHD, her early work focused on epidermal growth factor and pregnancy hormones to facilitate tissue repair in GVHD, which led to a successful phase II study for the treatment of high-risk acute GVHD and discovery of the GVHD biomarker amphiregulin. More recently, she has led and published two prospective clinical trials regarding the use of PTCy as GVHD prophylaxis, the results of which are changing practice around the globe.

Dr. Holtan has also been a competitive powerlifter, setting a national record in 2019. She has leveraged her knowledge regarding strength training into translational studies and clinical trials that are helping to reverse some of the damage done by high-dose chemotherapy and radiation. Through her multidimensional accomplishments, Dr. Holtan has demonstrated a unique and powerful intersection of medical research and physical resilience, redefining standards of care in HCT, and innovatively combating the deleterious effects of cancer treatment.

In this episode "ASTCT Talks,” hosts Rebecca Epperly, MD, and Aimee Talleur, MD, from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, dive into the pioneering realm of CAR T-cell therapy and its late effects on pediatric patients. The discussion unfolds at the intersection of innovation and caution, highlighting the recent sessions from the 2024 Tandem meetings. They explore the emerging challenges and lack of data concerning long-term impacts of this revolutionary treatment, particularly in pediatric, adolescent, and young adult populations. This episode sheds light on both the immense potential and the imperative need for comprehensive studies to better understand and mitigate the long-term consequences of cellular therapies in treating high-risk malignancies.

About Dr. Rebecca Epperly, MD

Dr. Rebecca Epperly is an Instructor in the Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (BMTCT) at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. After gaining undergraduate degrees in biochemistry (BS) and music performance (BA), she received an MD from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. She then completed pediatrics residency at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and fellowships in pediatric hematology/oncology and BMTCT at St. Jude. As a clinician scientist, she is now working to improve outcomes for pediatric patients with high-risk malignancies using cellular based immunotherapy, with a focus on developing early-phase CAR T cell studies and evaluating the delayed effects of novel therapies.

About Dr. Aimee Talleur, MD

Dr. Aimee Talleur is an Assistant Member in the Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (BMTCT) at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, specializing in the clinical investigation of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of high-risk malignant disorders. She completed her BA at Union College, MD at SUNY Upstate Medical University, pediatric residency at Children’s National Medical Center, and fellowships in pediatric hematology/oncology and BMTCT at St. Jude. As a clinician scientist, Dr. Talleur focuses on the advancement of novel cellular therapies through early-phase clinical trials, including CAR T cell therapy. Additionally, her work includes the evaluation of acute and long-term toxicities of this immunotherapy approaches, seeking to better define such toxicities to inform upon predictive and intervention strategies.

In the next installment of ASTCT’s Titans of Transplant series, Dr. Stephanie Lee is interviewed by Dr. Jennifer Saultz.

Dr. Lee shares her journey from Seattle to becoming a professor at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. The conversation highlights early motivations, challenges faced during fellowship, and the influence of her father's advice to always strive for the best. They also discuss Dr. Lee's groundbreaking work in chronic graft-versus-host-disease research, collaborative efforts, FDA-approved treatments, and the evolving landscape in the field.

The Titans of Transplant series seeks to recognize, celebrate and chronicle the physicians, researchers, pharmacists, nurses, social workers and more who were on the frontlines of the early days of transplant.

About Stephanie Lee, MD, MPH

Dr. Stephanie Lee (@StephanieLeeMD) is a hematologist and physician scientist who is Professor and Associate Director at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Dr. Lee works to improve the lives of blood stem cell transplant and bone marrow patients by better understanding the chronic form of graft-versus-host disease. Dr. Lee is the former President of the American Society of Hematology.

About Jennifer Saultz, D.O.

Dr. Jennifer Saultz (@jennifernsaultz) is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and physician scientist in the Adult Transplant and cellular therapy program at Oregon Health & Science University. Her research focuses on augmenting NK cellular therapy in myeloid malignancies. She is also a member of the ASTCT Content Committee.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Andrés Gómez De León sits down with Dr. Javier Bolaños-Meade. They delve into the groundbreaking BMT CTN 1703 study.

Together, they explore the historical context of GVHD prophylaxis, the evolution of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy), and the essential contributions of the BMT CTN in transplantation research. Dr. Bolaños-Meade provides key insights into the study's design, conditioning regimens, and cell doses. The episode unravels the intricacies of PTCy, addressing both its merits and potential drawbacks, including Grade 2 infections, CMV reactivation, and cardiotoxicity, offering an exploration of the transformative impact of the BMT CTN 1703 study on the future of transplant medicine.

About Dr. Javier Bolaños Meade

Dr. Javier Bolaños Meade (@GvHD_Meade) is a Professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and clinical director of the BMT Programme at The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, in Baltimore, Maryland. His research interest includes graft versus host disease prevention and therapy, as well as other complications of cell therapy.

About Dr. Andrés Gómez De León

Dr. Andrés Gómez De León (@GomezDLeonMD) is an Associate Professor at Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in Monterrey Mexico and an ASTCT Content Committee member with an interest in acute leukemias and transplant and cell therapies in low and middle income countries.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Cory M. Edgar, DMSc, PA-C, sits down with Sarah Fitzmaurice, APRN, where they delve into the evolving landscape of survivorship care, particularly in the realm of CAR T-cell therapy. They discuss the development of CAR T-specific protocols, emphasizing the importance of post-treatment monitoring and patient education. They also explore the challenges of defining survivorship, the multidisciplinary nature of care, and insights into late effects, deconditioning, cognitive changes, and psychological concerns beyond the first year.

Tune into this episode of ASTCT Talks for a deep dive into the complexities and triumphs of survivorship care in the post-CAR T-cell therapy era.

About Sarah Fitzmaurice, APRN

Sarah Fitzmaurice, APRN, is a Nurse Practitioner at the University of Kansas Cancer Center Hematological Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics. She has practice in transplant and cell therapy for over 10 years, as well as experience with inpatient, outpatient, and apheresis clinical management of patients. For the last 4 years, she has specialized in Cancer Survivorship for patients after stem cell transplant and cellular therapy. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Saint Luke’s Nursing School and worked as an RN in hematology/oncology for 7 years. She attained her Master’s of Science in Nursing as an Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner at KU’s School of Nursing in 2013. She holds certifications as an Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, Blood and Marrow Transplant Certified Nurse, and Tobacco Treatment Specialist. Her interests include late effects and quality of life following stem cell transplant and cellular therapies.

About Cory Edgar DMSc, PA-C

Cory Edgar DMSc, PA-C, is a physician assistant at the AdventHealth Orlando Blood and Marrow Transplant Center. He established the AdventHealth HCT Survivorship Program and has served as the principal provider of the clinic since 2020. He also holds a joint appointment as an Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies at AdventHealth University. He serves on multiple APP initiatives within ASTCT, including the APP Steering Committee and chairs the APP Research subcommittee. Cory received his undergraduate training at the University of Florida , Master in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center, and his Doctor of Medical Science from the University of Lynchburg. His research interests include simulation in PA education, hematologic malignancies, cancer survivorship, and APP utilization in oncology specialties.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, sits down with Dr. Amrita Krishnan, MD. They delve into the use of GPRC5D as a target in myeloma therapy, specifically focusing on Talquetamab.

Dr. Krishnan shares insights from the MonumenTAL-1 trial, discussing the dosing schedules and response rates with GPRC5D-targeted therapy. They explore the unique toxicities associated with this treatment, such as cytokine release syndrome and skin and nail toxicities. The conversation also touches on the considerations for patients who have previously received BCMA-targeted therapies and the potential of GPRC5D-targeted therapy in improving outcomes.

Tune in to learn about the evolving landscape of myeloma treatment beyond BCMA.

About Dr. Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP

Dr. Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, (@RahulBanerjeeMD) is an Assistant Professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and at the University of Washington. His clinical interests are in multiple myeloma and CAR-T therapy. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications with a research emphasis on reducing toxicities and improving the patient experience during treatment for multiple myeloma.

About Dr. Amrita Krishnan, MD

Dr. Amrita Krishnan, MD (@DoctorAKrishnan) directs the Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research at City of Hope, seeking to make gains in one of the most rapidly changing areas in cancer research.

A key member of the City of Hope team since 1996, Dr. Krishnan trained at The University of Rochester, Beth Israel Hospital, Fred Hutchinson Research Cancer Center and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She serves as a steering committee member on the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and the North American representative to the International Myeloma Society, former chair of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network myeloma committee and is the Co-Chair of several of the largest myeloma transplant trials in the U.S.

Her research interests are in development of new drugs for relapsed myeloma and understanding mechanisms of disease resistance.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Misty Evans, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC, sits down with Flora Stondell, FNP, to delve into the intricacies of University of California, Davis’ (UC Davis’) transplant and cellular therapy program, with a specific focus on CAR T cell therapy.

In this insightful conversation, they discuss topics such as patient access, the timeline from referral to CAR-T therapy initiation, overcoming insurance barriers, and the patient education process. Stondell shares valuable insights gained from her experience in the field, highlighting the crucial role of advanced practice providers (APPs) in delivering high-quality care throughout the CAR-T therapy journey.

About Misty Evans, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC

Dr. Misty Evans (@MistyEvansDNP) is an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She is also nurse practitioner at Sarah Cannon Pediatric Hematology/Oncology &

Cellular Therapy at TriStar Centennial in Nashville, TN. Dr. Evans has a strong clinical background in pediatric hematology-oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant. She currently serves as ASTCT Director of APPs.

About Flora Stondell, FNP

Flora Stondell is an Advanced Practice Supervisor and the Assistant Director for the Bone Marrow Transplant service at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Health. She specializes in Cellular Therapy and Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant, which includes: autologous, allogeneic (matched and mis-matched donors), and haplo-identical transplant. She focuses on the care of patients during pre-transplant and post-transplant. She also assists in providing consultation for patients who may be eligible for transplant.

En este último episodio de ASTCT Talks, el Mensaje del Presidente de octubre, el Dr. Andrés Gómez De León está acompañado por el Dr. Miguel Perales, Presidente de ASTCT y Jefe del Servicio de Trasplante de Médula Ósea en Adultos del Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center y Profesor de Medicina en Facultad de Medicina Weill Cornell. Profundizan en el papel vital, pero a menudo pasado por alto, de la actividad física en los trasplantes de terapia celular y hematopoyética, discutiendo desafíos, enfoques proactivos como la "prehabitación", la brecha en la investigación y los efectos transformadores del movimiento en la recuperación.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Rebecca Gonzalez sits down with Dr. Katie Gatwood and Dr. Timothy Porter to kick off National Pharmacy Month by discussing the clinical implications of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) use outside of the haploidentical setting. They delve into their respective cancer centers' primary donor sources for match unrelated donors and the breakdown of conditioning intensity within their hematologic patients. They delve into the future of PTCy discussing the potential for earlier de-escalation of immunosuppressants to limit drug-related toxicities and optimize patient outcomes as well as important supportive care considerations. Despite the exciting prospects, the need for robust prospective data before implementation is emphasized.

About Dr. Rebecca Gonzalez

Dr. Rebecca Gonzalez (@xnyerin) received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. She completed her PGY2 Oncology residency at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. Following post-doctoral training, Dr. Gonzalez was a Hematology Clinical Pharmacist at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute prior to transitioning to Moffitt Cancer Center in 2015. She is Board Certified in Oncology Pharmacy and currently practices as a Clinical Pharmacist in Blood and Marrow Transplant/Cellular Immunotherapy at Moffitt in Tampa, Florida. She was a past chair of the ASTCT Pharmacy Program Planning Committee in 2021-2022 and has been involved in several ASTCT teaching activities since 2017. Her interests include survivorship, GVHD, supportive care and infectious disease complications related to transplant and immune cellular therapy.

About Dr. Katie Gatwood

Dr. Gatwood is a Board-Certified Oncology Pharmacist and Clinical Pharmacist Specialist specializing in Adult Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Michigan and completed her residency training at the University of North Carolina Health Care. Dr. Gatwood is the chair-elect of the ASTCT Pharmacy SIG Sterring Committee. She was also awarded the 2021 ASTCT Pharmacy SIG New Practitioner Award and is passionate about clinical research and education, with a focus on VOD, CAR T-cell therapy, and oncology pharmacists' role in ambulatory care.

About Dr. Timothy Porter

Dr. Timothy Porter is a Board-Certified Oncology Pharmacist and practices as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Immunotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. He earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Duquesne University School of Pharmacy and then completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA, followed by a PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He then practiced as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at The Johns Hopkins Hospital before transitioning to Moffitt Cancer Center in 2022. Dr. Porter is a member of the ASTCT Pharmacy SIG Education Committee and serves as the Journal Club Lead. His professional interests include management of infectious complications in immunocompromised patients, GVHD, CAR T-cell therapy, clinical research, and education.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, we sit down with Associate Professor Nada Hamad, senior staff specialist in bone marrow transplant, and a clinical and laboratory hematologist at St. Vincent’s hospital in Sydney, to explore the impact of intersectionality on graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in transplant recipients. She dives into how gender and race can compound biases in research, education, and clinical practice, affecting GVHD severity and outcomes. Further discussions center on the need for research into how age, socioeconomic status, and geographic region intersect with GVHD incidence and treatment strategies. In addition, Nada stresses the need to include social determinants of health in prognostic models to improve patient outcomes. She also advocates for healthcare professionals to create safe spaces and co-design solutions that integrate intersectionality into healthcare practices for patients with intersecting identities.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Christina Cho, MD, interviews Lori Muffly, MD, MS. During the conversation, Dr. Muffly emphasizes the need for more randomized data in ALL treatment and addresses the unique challenges of treating young adults, including fertility preservation. Dr. Muffly also emphasizes the significance of measurable residual disease (MRD) monitoring using the clonoSEQ® Assay, offering valuable insights into leukemia care.

About Lori Muffly, MD, MS

Lori Muffly, MD, MS, an Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, specializes in adult acute leukemia research, clinical trials, and hematopoietic cell transplantation. Her work focuses on improving cancer care access and reducing disparities in young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Dr. Muffly leads multiple health outcomes studies and clinical trials, including research on measurable residual disease, CAR T-cell therapies, and real-world outcomes for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. She has a history of successful collaboration with fellow researchers and is a sought-after national speaker on adolescent and young adult leukemia and cancer care access.

About Christina Cho, MD

Christina Cho, MD is a hematologist/oncologist specializing in adult stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy at Hackensack University Medical Center’s John Theurer Cancer Center. Dr. Cho conducts clinical research on stem cell transplantation, including therapies for leukemia and sickle cell disease. She is an active member of the American Society of Hematology and the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and currently serves as editor for ASTCT Nucleus.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Rahul Banerjee interviews Josh Epworth, a lead nurse practitioner in the plasma cell disorders clinic at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. They delve into the topic of monitoring after CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma. Mr. Epworth shares insights from his experience in the outpatient setting, discussing issues like hypogammaglobulinemia, immune cell functionality, and infections that may arise after CAR-T treatment. They also touch on monitoring for cytomegalovirus (CMV) and other respiratory viruses, as well as the importance of developing close relationships with local healthcare providers to ensure patients receive timely care.

About Josh Epworth, MSN, ARNP

Josh Epworth is a Nurse Practitioner at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC) and is a Teaching Associate at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is board-certified in Adult/Gerontology medicine and specializes in the treatment of multiple myeloma. As a staff member of FHCC’s multiple myeloma team, Mr. Epworth is involved in disease treatment, symptom management, patient education and clinical trials.

About Dr. Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP

Dr. Banerjee, MD, FACP, (@RahulBanerjeeMD) is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Washington and at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Prior to moving to Seattle, he completed his hematology/oncology fellowship and advanced fellowship in BMT/CAR-T therapy at the University of California San Francisco. His clinical interests are in multiple myeloma, AL amyloidosis, and CAR-T therapy. His research interests are in toxicity management, digital health, and the patient experience.

This episode was sponsored by Janssen Oncology and Legend Biotech.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Tania Jain engages in a conversation with Dr. Richard Jones, the BMT director and co-director of the Hematologic Malignancies Programs at Johns Hopkins University. He shares his journey in the field of oncology and transplantation, reflecting on the life events and experiences that led him to this path. He delves into the groundbreaking development of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and its significant impact on transplant procedures. Gain insights into the behind-the-scenes efforts and the role PTCy has played in expanding donor options and improving graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis. The episode also highlights Dr. Jones' dedication to mentoring and his commitment to family, emphasizing the importance of work-life balance in this profession.

About Dr. Rick Jones

Richard J. Jones, M.D. is Professor of Oncology, Medicine, and Pathobiology, Associate Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center for Faculty and Program Development, as well as Director of the Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) and co-Director of the Hematologic Malignancies Programs at Johns Hopkins University. His major area of research interest is normal and malignant stem cell biology, especially the translation of promising findings from the laboratory to the clinic to improve the treatment of malignant and non-malignant blood disorders. Examples of his research accomplishments have been the development of the stem cell marker Aldefluor and high-dose cyclophosphamide for auto- and alloimmunity. The latter has led to the ability to safely perform partially mismatched BMT, allowing now everyone in need access to BMT. He has authored over 300 articles and book chapters on hematopoiesis, hematologic malignancies, and transplantation biology. Dr. Jones is a past Stohlman Memorial Scholar of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

About Dr. Tania Jain, MBBS

Dr. Jain, MBBS, (@TaniaJain11) is a physician scientist in the hematological malignancies and stem cell transplantation division with Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Johns Hopkins. Her academic focus is cellular therapy and transplantation in the treatment of high-risk hematological malignancies especially myeloproliferative neoplasms. Her primary research focus is to develop strategies to improve outcomes and prevent relapse of hematological malignancies following allogeneic stem cell transplantation. She also serves as the Director of the Immune Effector Cell (IEC) Therapy at Johns Hopkins, where they are currently expanding their CAR T program to help patients with advanced hematological malignancies. Her academic interest in this space lies in developing novel IEC strategies and studying aspects of toxicity of CAR T cell therapy with an aim to improve long term outcomes in these patients.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, the June President's Message, we are joined by Dr. Miguel Perales, President of ASTCT and Chief of the Adult Bone Marrow Transplantation Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. This episode features a personal story of a patient with aggressive lymphoma who initially had doubts about the effectiveness of transplantation but ultimately experienced a fulfilling life post-transplant. Dr. Perales' story underscores the significance of educating colleagues about improved outcomes and advancements in cell therapies. He also delves into the primary barriers to access in the field and the initiatives undertaken by ASTCT to address these obstacles, aiming to ensure patients receive life-saving treatments. Listeners can gain insights into the actions that the ASTCT community can take to combat misconceptions, including engaging with local physicians, providing educational resources, and fostering collaboration between academic centers and community practitioners.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Christina Ferraro, MSN, APRN-CNP, BMTCN, is joined by Beth Faiman, PhD, MSN, APN-BC, AOCN, BMTCN, FAAN, FAPO, to discuss criteria used to determine who is eligible for CAR-T cells, efforts between multi-disciplinary teams to select patients, ethical implications in patient selection and more.

About Christina Ferraro

Christina Ferraro completed her bachelor of science in nursing at The Ohio State University in 2001 and received a master of science in nursing and certification as a family nurse practitioner from Kent State University in 2016. She joined the Cleveland Clinic in 2003 as a registered nurse on the inpatient blood and marrow transplant unit and became an outpatient BMT nurse coordinator in 2006. Christina has been leading the Victor Fazio, MD BMT Cancer Survivorship Program at the Cleveland Clinic since 2016 and has experience in seeing patients with graft-versus-host disease and patients in long-term follow up, emphasizing patient empowerment, education and support.

Christina has presented at numerous regional and national conferences including the Oncology Nursing Conference, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, BMT Infonet, American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy meetings, and Cleveland Clinic nursing grand rounds. Christina is an active author, presenter and educator on the topic of BMT and survivorship and participates in research focused on survivorship and post-transplant complications.

About Beth Faiman

Dr. Faiman is an exemplary leader in cancer nursing, conducting innovative research and integrating new medical knowledge into nursing practices. She is a founding member of the International Myeloma Foundation Nurse Leadership Board and co-developed nurse-led consult clinics to expedite diagnosis and management of thrombosis and plasma cell disorders.

She is an adult nurse practitioner in the Department of Hematology/Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Faiman has influenced cancer care practice by presenting at international and US national conferences, serving as lecture chair, and receiving numerous awards and accolades. She is a Distinguished Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and holds an appointment on the American Board of Internal Medicine Hematology maintenance of certification committee. She is editor of the Blood and Marrow Transplant certified Nurse (BMTCN) review manual and editor-in-chief of Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology (JADPRO).

This episode was sponsored by Janssen Oncology and Legend Biotech.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, sits down with Dr. Tania Jain, MBBS. They dive into "How I Treat Cytopenias after CAR T-cell Therapy,” a paper published by Dr. Jain and co-authors (Timothy S. Olson, MD, PhD and Frederick Locke, MD) in Blood in February 2023. They discuss why cytopenias occur after CAR-T therapy, how to evaluate cytopenias after CAR-T therapy, who best to manage cytopenias after CAR-T and more.

About Dr. Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP

Dr. Banerjee, MD, FACP, (@RahulBanerjeeMD) is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Washington and at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Prior to moving to Seattle, he completed his hematology/oncology fellowship and advanced fellowship in BMT/CAR-T therapy at the University of California San Francisco. His clinical interests are in multiple myeloma, AL amyloidosis, and CAR-T therapy. His research interests are in toxicity management, digital health, and the patient experience.

About Dr. Tania Jain, MBBS

Dr. Jain, MBBS, (@TaniaJain11) is a physician scientist in the hematological malignancies and stem cell transplantation division with Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Johns Hopkins. Her academic focus is cellular therapy and transplantation in the treatment of high-risk hematological malignancies especially myeloproliferative neoplasms. Her primary research focus is to develop strategies to improve outcomes and prevent relapse of hematological malignancies following allogeneic stem cell transplantation. She also serves as the Director of the Immune Effector Cell (IEC) Therapy at Johns Hopkins, where they are currently expanding their CAR T program to help patients with advanced hematological malignancies. Her academic interest in this space lies in developing novel IEC strategies and studying aspects of toxicity of CAR T cell therapy with an aim to improve long term outcomes in these patients.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, sits down with Dr. Urvi A. Shah, MD, to discuss CAR-T vs bsAbs among academic audiences, bispecific antibodies (in particular commercially available teclistamab), future cycles of teclistamab, infections in published trials of bsAbs in myeloma and more.

About Dr. Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP

Dr. Banerjee, MD, FACP, (@RahulBanerjeeMD) is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Washington and at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Prior to moving to Seattle, he completed his hematology/oncology fellowship and advanced fellowship in BMT/CAR-T therapy at the University of California San Francisco. His clinical interests are in multiple myeloma, AL amyloidosis, and CAR-T therapy. His research interests are in toxicity management, digital health, and the patient experience.

About Dr. Urvi A. Shah, MD

Dr. Urvi Shah, MD, (@UrviShahMD) is an Assistant Attending in the Myeloma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. She completed fellowships in hematology/oncology at Montefiore Medical Center, and in cancer immunotherapy by MSK and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy in New York. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology.  Her clinical practice includes all plasma cell disorders and her research interests include immune therapies and modifiable risk factors (diet, metabolism, and the microbiome). She opened the first pilot nutrition trial in plasma cell disorders to date (NUTRIVENTION; NCT04920084) in 2021 that completed enrollment. She has 3 other NUTRIVENTION/immune therapy investigator-initiated trials (NCT05640843, NCT04497961, NCT04174196) currently enrolling. Dr. Shah has been supported by career development awards from the National Cancer Institute Paul Calabresi K12, International Myeloma Society and American Society of Hematology Scholar Award.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Genovefa Papanicolaou, MD sits down with Dr. Richard J. O'Reilly, MD and Professor Karl S. Peggs, MB, BCh, MA, MRCP, FRCPath to discuss Virus-Specific T-Cells (VST). They dive into what VSTs are, safety of VSTs, challenges and opportunities of adoptive cell therapy for viruses and more.

Disclaimer: Dr. Richard O’Reilly received royalties following licensure of the EBV-specific T-cell bank by Atara Biotherapeutics and has subsequently received research support and consultant fees from Atara Biotherapeutics.

About Genovefa Papanicolaou, MD

Genovefa Papanicolaou (@GenPapaMD) is an infectious disease physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and professor at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University in New York. She is the past Chair of the Transplant Infectious Disease Special Interest Group (TID-SIG) of ASTCT (2021-2023). Her research areas of interest include viral infections, biomarkers, and personalized infection management.

About Richard J. O'Reilly, MD

Richard J. O’Reilly, MD is the Claire L. Tow Chair in Pediatric Oncology Research and former Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. As Chief of the Bone Marrow Transplantation Services in both the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Dr. O'Reilly pioneered transplantation approaches for patients who lack HLA matched siblings. He and his colleagues introduced the use of marrow transplants from matched unrelated donors and thereafter T-cell depleted transplants from HLA half matched donors for children with lethal immune deficiencies and both children and adults with leukemia.  In 1994, he introduced the use of transplant donor T-cells for the treatment of EBV-induced lymphomas. Currently, he is evaluating  adoptive cell therapy employing banked partially HLA-matched and appropriately HLA restricted T-cells from third party healthy donors for viral infections and  leukemias, conducting Phase I and II trials testing adoptive transfer of these  virus-specific and tumor-specific T-cells following T-cell depleted HCT as a therapeutic approach for EBV lymphoproliferative disease, drug resistant CMV infections and leukemic relapse in the post transplant period. 

About Professor Karl S. Peggs, MB, BCh, MA, MRCP, FRCPath

Karl completed his medical training at Cambridge and Oxford Universities. Following specialisation in Haematology, he spent 5 years developing adoptive cellular therapies for viruses at UCL. After taking the position Head of Adult Stem Cell Transplantation Services at UCLH, he spent 3 years at Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center, NY in the laboratory of Dr James Allison, contributing to the body of work underpinning checkpoint blockade that led to the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2018. On his return, he continued his work in the field of anti-viral T cell therapies, established the clinical translational side of the academic CAR T cell programme at UCLH and ran a joint Research Laboratory with Professor Sergio Quezada in the UCL Cancer Institute from 2010-2021, becoming Head of the Academic Research Department of Haematology in 2019 and Director of the Sir Naim Dangoor Centre for Cellular Therapy. He was a co-founder of Achilles Therapeutics in 2016, transitioning to the CMO role in 2021.

In the next installment of ASTCT’s Titans of Transplant series, Dr. Micah Skeens, PhD, MS, CPNP-PC, is interviewed by Darren J. Johnson, PA. They dive into her story and background as a pediatric oncology nurse of over 20 years and current research interests and passions, including development of an app for medical adherence in transplant. They also discuss importance of mentorship in the field for APPs, the value in making a difference in patients’ lives, current inspirations and more.

About Darren J. Johnson

Darren J. Johnson, PA, is a physician assistant who has been working in the field of transplant since 2011. He got his start in medicine after his own medical scare which completely changed his career focus. He was initially enrolled in journalism school to become a sports anchor but required a bone marrow transplant for MDS which re-routed his future. Following transplant, he was inspired by the care he received to pursue a career in medicine. He has since worked in Seattle at Fred Hutch, in Nashville at Sarah Cannon, and now in Boston at Dana Farber – helping patients and families navigate the complexities of transplant via compassionate caregiving.

About Dr. Micah Skeens

Dr. Skeens (@maskeens) has been a pediatric oncology nurse for over 20 years, much of that career has been spent as a nurse practitioner caring for children and families undergoing bone marrow transplant. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Principal Investigator at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She continues to practice clinically as a nurse practitioner with the Embryonal Tumor Team. Dr. Skeens completed her master’s degree and advanced practice degree from Wright State University in 2003 and her PhD from Vanderbilt University in 2018. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at NCH in the Center of Biobehavioral Health.

Dr. Skeens’ federally-funded program of research is focused on digital health innovations to improve outcomes of bone marrow transplant patients and children with cancer with an emphasis on adherence and alleviating symptom burden. As PI, she has received numerous grants from national foundations and currently has a NINR funded K99/R00 to develop and evaluate an app to improve adherence to immunosuppressants following pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant. She serves in multiple leadership positions in national organizations including the PBMTC, APHON and COG. She has received several awards from the Children’s Oncology Group for her dedicated service and leadership.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Andrés Gómez De León sits down with Dr. Aaron Logan to discuss development of current techniques for quantifying measurable residual disease (MRD) in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and MRD's relation to transplantation and cell therapy. They discuss the concept of MRD and its relevance in the treatment of leukemia as a prognostic marker and to help guide clinical decision-making, as well as the future of MRD research and more.

About Dr. Andrés Gómez De León
Dr. Andrés Gómez De León (@GomezDLeonMD) is an Associate Professor at Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in Monterrey Mexico and an ASTCT Content Committee member with an interest in acute leukemias and transplant and cell therapies in low and middle income countries.

About Dr. Aaron Logan
Dr. Aaron Logan (@hemedoc) is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). His clinical practice focuses on the management of patients with acute leukemias, myelodysplastic syndrome, aplastic anemia and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. As a clinical investigator, Dr. Logan's clinical research endeavors focus on the conduct of clinical trials for therapy of acute leukemia and management of complications of allogeneic transplantation, including graft-versus-host disease. Dr. Logan also runs a research laboratory and is Director of the Hematologic Malignancies Tissue Bank at UCSF. His work focuses on the application of immunoreceptor gene profiling using next-generation sequencing and other techniques to quantify measurable residual disease in lymphoid malignancies, quantify B and T cell immune reconstitution after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, and to quantify and track malignancy-, pathogen-, and autoantigen-targeted immune responses following transplantation or immunotherapy.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Firas El Chaer talks with Dr. Alpana Waghmare and Dr. Michael Ison to discuss the winter “Tridemic,” which includes COVID, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). They discuss the diagnostic and treatment approaches for the Tridemic in recipients of hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy, examine the precautions and best practices for recipients of hematopoietic cell transplantation and more. This podcast was recorded on December 21, 2022.

About Dr. Firas El Chaer

Firas El Chaer, MD, (@FirasElChaer) is an assistant professor of medicine who specializes in hematology and oncology. He completed a fellowship in infectious diseases for immunocompromised cancer patients at the combined program of Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He then pursued a fellowship in hematology and oncology with a focus on blood disorders. Also, he completed a built-in fellowship in stem cell transplantation at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine.

His clinical areas of interest are acute leukemia, chronic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloproliferative disorders, aplastic anemia, and clonal hematopoiesis and blood disorders. His research focuses on improving outcomes for acute leukemia in adults by focusing on targeted therapies and overcoming resistance mechanisms.

About Dr. Alpana Waghmare

Alpana Waghmare, MD, (@alpanaw) is a pediatrician who specializes in the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases with a focus on respiratory infections and their impact on vulnerable populations. Her work on viral infections in immunocompromised patients includes the often-overlooked pathogen, human rhinovirus, or HRV, which is a cause of head colds. She is working on numerous COVID-19 projects, such as studying infections in cancer patients who have received transplants or CAR T-cell therapy, and studying the host transcriptome in both healthy and immunocompromised patients in acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.

About Dr. Michael Ison

Michael Ison MD, MS, (@MichaelGIsonMD) completed his medical school training at University of South Florida College of Medicine and the obtained training in Internal Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon followed by Infectious Diseases at the University of Virginia and Transplant Infectious Diseases Training at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School.  After spending 17 years as a Professor in the Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Organ Transplantation at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, he moved to become the Respiratory Disease Branch Chief within the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at NIAID/NIH.  He also currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Transplant Infectious Disease.

In the next installment of ASTCT’s Titans of Transplant series, Susan Slater, nurse practitioner and recipient of the Best APP Abstract Award at the 2016 BMT Tandem meetings and the 2020 APP SIG Lifetime Achievement Award, is interviewed by Dr. Jennifer Saultz, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Oregon Healthy & Science University and a member of the Adult Transplant and cellular therapy team.

About Susan Slater

Susan Slater, MN, FNP-BC is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University. She has 25 years’ experience as nurse practitioner caring for patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing stem cell transplantation. Her main focus of care is long-term follow up and survivorship care. She’s the recipient of the Best APP Abstract Award at the 2016 BMT Tandem meetings as well as the 2020 APP SIG Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the co-editor of Blood and Marrow Transplant Handbook which is currently in its third edition. She also serves as the Co-director of the Knight Cancer Institute APP Fellowship Program and looks forward to enrolling the first cohort of fellows in January, 2023.

About Jennifer Saultz

Dr. Jennifer Saultz (@jennifernsaultz) is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Oregon Healthy & Science University and a member of the Adult Transplant and cellular therapy team. Her research focuses on the innate immune resistance signatures in AML. She is also a member of the ASTCT Content Committee.

The Titans of Transplant series seeks to recognize, celebrate and chronicle the physicians, researchers, pharmacists, nurses, social workers and more who were on the frontlines of the early days of transplant.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Steven Pergam talks with Dr. Amy Spallone and Dr. Emily Ford to discuss Monkeypox in HCT and CAR T. They cover the basics of Monkeypox, risk factors for Monkeypox among patients, presenting symptoms for Monkeypox, vaccines for Monkeypox and more.

About Dr. Steven Pergam

Dr. Steven Pergam (@PergamIC) is an Infectious Diseases Physician and Professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in the Division of Vaccine and Infectious Diseases.  He is also the Infection Prevention Director of the Cancer Center, and a faculty member of the University of Washington's Division of Allergy & Infectious Diseases.  His research focuses on the epidemiology, treatment and prevention in high-risk immunosuppressed cancer patients.  He is particularly interested in vaccines and hospital acquired pathogens, and is a member of the ASTCT Infectious Diseases Special Interest Group.

About Dr. Amy Spallone

Dr. Amy Spallone (@A_Spallonii) is an Infectious Diseases physician at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. After completing a 2-year clinical fellowship and a 1-year advanced research fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, she joined the faculty in 2021 at MD Anderson, where she is the Associate Chief Infection Control Officer and Patient Safety & Quality Officer in her department. She is also involved in numerous treatment and lab-based clinical trials focused on viral pathogens in patients with hematologic malignancies and recipients of hematopoietic cell transplants and cellular therapies

About Dr. Emily Ford

Dr. Emily Ford is an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington and an Associate in the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. She is a physician on the Infectious Diseases consult service at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and in the Roosevelt Virology Clinic at the University of Washington in Seattle.

In the next installment of ASTCT’s Titans of Transplant series, Dr. John. F. DiPersio, an internationally recognized leader in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and acute leukemia and past president of ASTCT (2019) is interviewed by Dr. Roman Shapiro.

About Dr. John F. DiPersio

John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD is deputy director at Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, director at Center for Gene and Cellular Immunotherapy and chief of the division of oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Virginia E. and Samuel J. Golman professor of medicine. His research focuses on mechanistic and translational aspects of leukemia and stem cell biology. He has played a key role in the clinical development of plerixafor as a mobilizing agent for stem cell transplantation. DiPersio has played a key leadership role in the team-science work at Washington University that has defined the genetic and epigenetic factors that contribute to clonal evolution and relapse in AML. He has served in leadership roles for the American Society of Hematology (ASH), multiple NIH, CIRM, LLS, and CPRIT Study Sections, and has served on NCI’s Board of Scientific Counselors. He is an elected member of ASCI and AAP, and past president of the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (2019).

About Dr. Roman Shapiro

Roman Shapiro, MD is a physician working with the bone marrow transplantation group at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. His main clinical and academic interest is the prevention and treatment of malignant disease following stem cell transplant. His contributions to science include optimizing the use of natural killer (NK) cell therapy, including cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML) NK cells, for the prevention and treatment of post-transplant relapse of myeloid disease.

The Titans of Transplant series seeks to recognize, celebrate and chronicle the physicians, researchers, pharmacists, nurses, social workers and more who were on the frontlines of the early days of transplant.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month as Dr. Jennifer Saultz talks with Dr. Eneida Nemecek to highlight her work and share her advocacy, passion and journey to becoming a medical director of clinical research. She explains her experiences as a Latina woman in the field of cellular therapy and transplantation, barriers Hispanic and marginalized groups face in cellular transplantation, inclusivity efforts for health equity, the value of mentor and sponsorship and more.

About Dr. Jennifer Saultz

Dr. Jennifer Saultz is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Oregon Healthy & Science University and a member of the Adult Transplant and cellular therapy team. Her research focuses on the innate immune resistance signatures in AML. She is also a member of the ASTCT Content Committee.

About Dr. Eneida Nemecek

Dr. Eneida Nemecek is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medical Oncology and Medical director of Clinical Research at the Knight Cancer Institute-Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon. Her research focuses on bone marrow and cellular therapies, and health services research addressing disparities in access for underrepresented groups. She has served in leadership roles in steering committees for several NIH/NCI-funded cooperative groups. She has also held elected leadership positions as director, trustee or committee chair in multiple organizations including Be The Match/National Marrow Donor Program, Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network, the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium, American Society of Transplant and Cellular Therapies, American Society of Hematology and Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy.

In the next installment of ASTCT’s Titans of Transplant series, Dr. Rainer Storb, one of the pioneers who established allogeneic, or donor, blood stem cell transplantation as a cure for diseases like leukemia and aplastic anemia, is interviewed by Dr. Masumi Ueda.

About Dr. Storb

Rainer Storb, MD, serves as Professor and Head of Transplantation Biology Program Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutch.

About Dr. Ueda

Masumi Ueda, MD, serves as Associate Professor in the Clinical Research Division of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and the Division of Medical Oncology at University of Washington School of Medicine and assistant medical director of inpatient blood and marrow transplantation at University of Washington Medical Center and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Hospital.

The Titans of Transplant series seeks to recognize, celebrate and chronicle the physicians, researchers, pharmacists, nurses, social workers and more who were on the frontlines of the early days of transplant.

In the next installment of ASTCT’s Titans of Transplant series, Dr. Hema Rangarajan, an oncologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a member of the ASTCT Content Committee, speaks with Dr. Adriana Seber, who is a professor of medicine at the University of Miami and the Kalish Family Chair and Chief of Division of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Vice-President of the Brazilian BMT Society.

The Titans of Transplant series seeks to recognize, celebrate and chronicle the physicians, researchers, pharmacists, nurses, social workers and more who were on the frontlines of the early days of transplant.

In this latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Andrés Gómez De León, a physician at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León Hematology Service in Monterrey, Mexico, and Dr. Cristóbal Frutos, who is the Coordinator for the Bone Marrow transplant Unito the Hospital Central Instituto de Previsión Social in Asunción Paraguay, discuss the current state of transplant activities and the importance of having access to cell therapies worldwide. Dr. Frutos presented on this topic during the 2022 Tandem Meetings of ASTCT & CIBMTR.

In the next installment of ASTCT’s Titans of Transplant series, Dr. Rahul Banerjee, Advanced Fellow, BMT/CAR-T Therapy, with the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, speaks with Dr. Krishna Komanduri, who is a professor of medicine at the University of Miami and the Kalish Family Chair and Chief of Division of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The Titans of Transplant series seeks to recognize, celebrate and chronicle the physicians, researchers, pharmacists, nurses, social workers and more who were on the frontlines of the early days of transplant.

In the latest episode of ASTCT Talks, Dr. Zainab Shahid, internist in the hematology department of the Levine Cancer Institute Morehead in Charlotte, North Carolina, leads a conversation around ongoing clinical challenges regarding management of COVID-19 in transplant cellular therapy recipients. Dr. Shahid is joined by some of the foremost experts in infectious disease and transplant patients:

• Dr. Esther Babady is chief of the clinical microbiology service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center;
• Dr. Mini Kamboj is chief medical epidemiologist for infection control at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center;
• and Dr. Camille Kotton is the Clinical Director, Transplant and Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases, at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

In the second installment of ASTCT’s Titans of Transplant series, Dr. Andrés Gómez De León, physician with the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León Hematology Service in Monterrey, Mexico, speaks with Dr. Gregorio Jaimovich, who is the director of the bone marrow transplantation programs of the Favaloro University Hospital and the Anchorena Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Titans of Transplant series seeks to recognize, celebrate and chronicle the physicians, researchers, pharmacists, nurses, social workers and more who were on the frontlines of the early days of transplant.

In the first episode of ASTCT’s Titans of Transplant series, Dr. Jennifer Holter-Chakrabarty, physician with The University of Oklahoma Health and professor of medicine in hematology/oncology, speaks with Dr. Mary Horowitz, whose credentials include professor and deputy cancer center director at the Medical College of Wisconsin; the Robert A. Uihlein, Jr. Chair in hematologic research; associate director of genomics; and scientific director emeritus of CIBMTR.

The Titans of Transplant series seeks to recognize, celebrate and chronicle the physicians, researchers, pharmacists, nurses, social workers and more who were on the frontlines of the early days of transplant.

Join Dr. Rahul Banerjee, Advanced Fellow of BMT / CAR T Therapy in the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, and Dr. Nina Shah, Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Francisco, as they discuss their paper “Early Time-to-Tocilizumab after B Cell Maturation Antigen-Directed Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy in Myeloma.” The paper was co-authored by Drs. Shah and Banerjee, along with several colleagues, and was published in ASTCT’s Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Journal in March.