• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
• Leukemia

As a member of the hematology group at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, I treat patients who have blood cancer and other blood conditions that are managed using stem cell transplantation or CAR T-cell therapies, which use the body’s immune cells to destroy cancer cells.

My father was an herbal medicine researcher who applied a modern biochemical approach to the study of traditional herbal medicine, and my mother was a family doctor. My family’s influence and my PhD study of cell and molecular biology inspired me to choose hematology as my medical specialty.

In my clinical practice, I believe compassionate care is one of the critical treatment elements patients need. I see myself playing many roles in patients’ care. When I first meet my patients, I serve as a doctor–educator. In the best possible way, I explain stem cell transplantation or CAR T-cell therapy treatment options. After making the most suitable treatment choice, I serve as a doctor–friend, walking them through the treatment process.

At our facility, patients receive support from the entire hematology group. We have regular meetings to discuss patient care and disease management, with the ultimate goal of finding the most effective approach to treat cancer or nonmalignant blood conditions through the use of stem cell transplantation or other cellular therapies.

Research is the foundation of developing new and innovative cancer treatments. I am proud to have performed a CCR5 △32/△32 stem cell transplant on a patient living with HIV who had acute leukemia. Her case represents the world’s first successful potential cure for both HIV and leukemia simultaneously in a woman. This transplant treatment success contributes to the body of knowledge for finding a cure for HIV.

I have worked with the research lab team to ensure that novel CAR T-cell therapies are available as treatment options for patients. I also work with the stem cell transplant team to gain new insight into novel methods of preventing graft-versus-host disease to increase the chances of patients having a successful bone-marrow transplant with fewer complications.

It is a privilege to be part of a patient’s journey to fight cancer, especially at a time when treatment advances offer new opportunities to manage and potentially cure more types of cancer.