
My research interests are in two broad areas, clinical hematopoietic stem cell and cord blood transplantation and in the laboratory studies related to graft vs. host disease and immune reconstitution. On the clinical side we are currently conducting approximately 50 different clinical protocols ranging from preparatory regimens, supportive care studies and disease specific protocols. Most of these clinical studies are centered around studies of the sources of stem cells and the methods to improve the long term outcome. There are exploratory protocols for novel therapies such as dendritic cell therapy for several malignancies, antiangiogenesis therapy, graft engineering to prevent graft-versus-host disease and antigen specific T cells or non specific NK cells to prevent relapse. Moreover a strong focus of the program is to develop cord-blood transplantation for adult patients with hematologic malignancies. The laboratory studies center on understanding the immunological events that occur with graft-vs-host disease and methods to prevent this disease. The current efforts focus on understanding murine reconstitution following transplantation, use of a peptide polymer to block MHC class II recognition of minor histocompatibility antigens, use of T cell engineering to prevent graft-versus-host disease at the same time preserving a graft-versus-malignancy effect.
For more information see http://ed-media.mc.duke.edu/BMT.nsf
Education and Training
- Fellow in Oncology, Medicine, Stanford University, 1985 - 1987
- Medical Resident, Medicine, Stanford University, 1981 - 1984
- M.D., Yale University, 1981
Grants
- Outcomes of Grade 2 4 Acute Graft Versus Host Disease
- Advanced Immunobiology Traning Program for Surgeons
- Transplant Infectious Diseases Interdisciplinary Research Training Grant
- Duke CTSA (KL2)
- Duke CTSA (TL1)
- Postdoctoral Training in Genomic Medicine Research
- Mitigators of Radiation-Induced Endovascular Injury: Targeting Tie2 and Thrombocytopenia
- Translational Research in Surgical Oncology
- Home Transplant to Preserve the Microbiota and Decrease GVHD
- Transfusion Medicine and Hematology
- Patient-centered home-based hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
- Centers for Medical Countermeasures against Radiation Consortium
- Interdisciplinary Training Program in Lung Disease
- Clinical Validation and Supply of SRI Radiation Biodosimeter
- Role of ErbB Receptor Signaling in Regulating Normal and Leukemic Stem Cell Fate
- RITN Opportunity for Radiological Preparedness
- Development of CaMKK2 inhibitor drug for acute radiation syndrome
- Biodosimetry High-Throughput Test
- Targeting Beta-arrestins in myeloid malignancies
- Smartphone Enabled Point-of-Care Detection of Serum Markers of Liver Cancer
- Duke-UNC Clinical Hematology and Transfusion Research Career Development Program
- AZD9668 and Neutrophil Elastase Inhibition to Prevent Graft-versus-Host Disease