NMDP Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program

A blood stem cell transplant or another emerging cell therapy offers the best hope for a cure for many patients. However, complications after treatment can happen—including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and infections—that seriously impact their quality of life. These complications can be painful, long-lasting and even fatal.

That’s why NMDP invests in talented researchers through the NMDP^SM Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program.

Each year, the Amy Research Program provides critical grants for early-career physician-scientists who are doing innovative work that can help patients thrive after cell therapy. Amy Scholars receive up to $400,000 over five years to support their research.

The Amy Research Program is 100% funded through philanthropy. The highly regarded award gives talented physician-scientists the opportunity to launch careers dedicated to finding treatment and prevention solutions for post-cell therapy complications.

Since 1998, NMDP has supported 53 early-career physician-scientists with financial investments of $13 million to develop research portfolios and establish their labs.

Amy Scholars have gone on to win more than $250 million in subsequent government grants and discovered novel ways to help more patients live longer, healthier lives.

Amy Strelzer Manasevit’s family established the Amy Research Program in honor of the young, vibrant mother of two. Amy received a successful blood stem cell transplant after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1993.

However, with her immune system severely depleted, she succumbed to pneumonia and passed away six weeks after returning home. Amy’s husband and her father turned their heartbreak into a mission to help others like Amy. They partnered with us to establish the Amy Program.

Your gift supports this critical effort to advance research that helps all patients live longer, healthier lives.

Along with supporting early-career physician scientists, NMDP invests in pediatric blood stem cell transplant nurse researchers through the NMDP Barbara Buchbinder Nurse Research Program.

Warren Fingrut, MD, 2025
Institution: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project: Development of a machine learning approach to characterize and address racial and socioeconomic disparities in outcomes following transplantation and cellular therapies
Mentor: Dr. Christopher Flowers

Mark Leick, MD, 2025
Institution: Massachusetts General Hospital
Project: CAR-T cells as micro-pharmacies to favorably modulate the tumor microenvironment, minimize toxicity, and augment responses in acute myeloid leukemia
Mentor: Dr. Marcela Maus

Nicoletta Cieri, MD, PhD, 2024 
Dana Farber Cancer Institute 
Project: Systematic identification of minor histocompatibility antigens to inform GVHD outcomes 

Faruk Sacirbegovic, PhD, 2024 
University of Pittsburgh 
Project: Understanding the maintenance of alloresponses in GVHD tissues 

Eiko Hayase, MD, PhD, 2023 
Indiana University Health 
Project: Evaluating Bacteroides ovatus as a treatment for dysbiotic microbiota-induced intestinal graft-versus-host disease 

Melody Smith, MD, MS, 2023 
Stanford University School of Medicine 
Project: Donor CD19/CD22 CAR T cells as prevention of relapse following graft engineered allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation 

Daniel C. Peltier, MD, PhD, 2022 
Riley Children’s Health (Indiana University Health) 
Project: Regulation of allogeneic T cell function by a lncRNA-encoded micro-peptide 

Melinda Biernacki, MD, 2021 
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center 
Project: A “T cell-first” approach to dissecting antigen-specific T cell responses mediating graft-versus-leukemia effects 

Jim Boonyaratanakornkit, MD, PhD, 2021 
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center 
Project: Humoral immune protection against respiratory viral infections after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation 

Ya-Yuan Fu, PhD, 2020 
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 
Project: Immune-mediated epithelial regeneration in gastrointestinal tract after hematopoietic cell transplantation 

Johnnie J. Orozco, MD, PhD, 2020 
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center 
Project: Synergizing humanized anti-CD33 antibody for radioimmunotherapy to eradicate AML 

Victor Tkachev, PhD, 2020 
Harvard Medical School 
Project: Discovering novel molecular targets for prevention of acute graft-versus-host disease 

Tessa M. Andermann, MD, MPH, 2019 
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill  
Project: Modulation of CAR-T cell therapy efficacy by the intestinal microbiome in patients with leukemia and lymphoma  
 
Pavan Bachireddy, MD, 2019 
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center 
Project: Coevolution of leukemia and immune cells during GvL response and resistance  
 
Noha Sharafeldin, MBBCh, MSc, PhD, 2019  
University of Alabama 
Project: Impact of cognitive training on cognition after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation—a randomized wait-listed clinical trial  
 
Nathan Singh, MD, 2019  
Washington University School of Medicine 
Project: Molecular interactions between T cells and tumor cells that limit CAR T cell cytotoxicity and persistence  

Craig Byersdorfer, MD, PhD, 2018 
University of Pittsburgh 
Project: Manipulation of T cell metabolism to treat and prevent acute graft-versus-host disease 

Joshua Hill, MD, 2018 
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center 
Project: Genome-wide host expression to diagnose infectious and non-infectious cause of lower respiratory tract disease after hematopoietic cell transplantation 

Rayne Rouce, MD, 2018 
Baylor School of Medicine 
Project: CD19 multivirus-specific T cells as treatment and prevention of relapse and viral infections post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant 

Enrico Velardi, PhD, 2018 
Washington University School of Medicine 
Project: Strategies to enhance post-transplant immune reconstitution 

Patrick J. Hanley, PhD, 2017  
Children’s National Medical Center 
Project: Cord blood T cells as a therapy for viral infections 

Jaebok Choi, PhD, 2017  
Washington University in St. Louis 
Project: IFNyR and IL6R Signaling as key therapeutic targets to control GvHDL 

Scott James, MD, PhD, 2017  
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 
Project: Chimeric antigen receptors to inhibit graft-versus-host disease 

Matt S. Zinter, MD, 2017 
University of California, San Francisco 
Project: Transcriptional and molecular signatures of lung injury in pediatric hematopoietic cellular transplantation 

Jin S. Im, MD, PhD, 2016  
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 
Project: Developing novel cellular therapy using iNK T cells to prevent graft-versus-host disease 

Brian C. Betts, MD, 2016 
Washington University School of Medicine 
Project: Adoptive transfer of antigen-specific STAT3-inhibited iTreg to prevent GVHD and preserve GVL 

Frank M. Cichocki, PhD, 2015 
University of Minnesota 
Project: NK cells: Adapting to control viral infections and prevent relapse after HCT 

Joseph A. Pidala, MD, PhD, 2015 (American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Scholar) 
H. Lee Moffit Cancer Center and Research Institute 
Project: Defining the transplantation tolerance transcriptome: A path towards individualized management of immune suppression after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation 

Ami S. Bhatt, MD, PhD, 2014 
Washington University School of Medicine 
Project: Sequence-based Pathogen Discovery in Idiopathic Complications of Stem Cell Transplantation 

Alan M. Hanash, MD, PhD, 2014 (American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Scholar) 
Institution: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center 
Project: Intestinal stem cell targets of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) 

Ran Reshef, MD, 2013 
Washington University School of Medicine 
Project: Control of human graft-versus-host disease by modulation of lymphocyte trafficking 

Everett H. Meyer, MD, PhD, MS, 2013 (American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Scholar) 
Institution: Stanford University 
Project: Immune monitoring of regulatory T cell therapy to treat steroid refractory acute graft-versus-host disease 

Xiao Chen, MD, PhD, 2012 
Institution: Medical College of Wisconsin 
Project: A critical role of retinoic acid in the pathophysiology of gastrointestinal GVHD 

Sophie Paczesny, MD, PhD, 2011 
Washington University School of Medicine 
Project: Proteome of chronic graft-versus-host disease 

Vu Nguyen, MD, 2010 
Washington University School of Medicine 
Project: Defining the role of gut microflora in graft-versus-host disease 

Stefanie Sarantopoulos, MD, PhD, 2009 
Washington University School of Medicine 
Project: The BCR-activated B cell: a novel therapeutic target in chronic GVHD 

Ann M. Leen, BSc, PhD, 2008 
Institution: Baylor College of Medicine 
Project: Multipathogen-specific CTL for the immunocompromised 

Mari Hashitate Dallas, MD, 2007 (Alaina J. Enlow Scholar) 
Washington University School of Medicine  
Project: Enhanced T cell reconstitution by umbilical cord blood progenitors expanded ex-vivo using the notch ligand delta 1 

Onder S. Alpdogan, MD, 2005 (2006-2007 Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Scholar) 
Washington University School of Medicine 
Mentor: Marcel van den Brink, MD, PhD 
Project: Immunostimulatory cytokine/growth factor and T cell precursor administration to enhance immune reconstitution after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in experimental murine models 

Pavan R. Reddy, MD, 2005 (Alaina J. Enlow Scholar) 
Institution: University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center  
Mentor: James Ferrara, MD 
Project: Regulation of acute graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-leukemia effect by histone deacetylase inhibitors 

Anthony G. Brickner, PhD, 2004 (Dr. Robert A. Good Scholar) 
Institution: University of Pittsburgh 
Mentor: Albert D. Donnenberg, PhD 
Project: Identifying graft-versus-leukemia-associated human minor histocompatibility antigens restricted by HLA-AZ 

Jason W. Chien, MD, MS, 2004 (Dr. George Santos Scholar) 
Washington University School of Medicine  
Mentor: Joan G. Clark, MD 
Project: Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome, chronic GVHD and the innate immune response 

Catherine M. Bollard, MD, 2003 
Institution: Children's National Medical Center 
Mentor: Helen Heslop, MD 
Project: Adoptive immunotherapy with tri-virus specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes post allogeneic stem cell transplant 

Katharine C. Hsu, MD, PhD, 2003 
Institution: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center 
Mentor: Bo DuPont, MD 
Project: NK killer Ig-like receptors and hematopoietic stem cell transplant outcome 

Anna-Mari (Mari) Malkki, PhD, 2002 (Alaina Enlow Scholars) 
Institution: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center 
Mentor: Claudio Anasetti, MD 
Project: Identification of functional human SNPs in unrelated hematopoietic stem cells 

Leo Luznik, MD, 2001 
Institution: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine  
Mentors: Ephraim Fuchs, MD, Drew Pardoll, MD 
Project: Prevention of relapse with tumor vaccines after allogeneic bone marrow transplant 

Judith A. Shizuru, MD, PhD, 2001 
Institution: Stanford University Medical Center 
Mentors: Karl Blume, MD, Irving Weissman, MD 
Project: Designing hematopoietic grafts to optimize post-transplantation immune reconstitution 

Kenneth R. Cooke, MD, 2000 
Institution: Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center's Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation Program 
Mentor: James L.M. Ferrara, MD 
Project: Cellular and inflammatory effectors of idiopathic pneumonia syndrome after allogeneic bone marrow transplants 

Thea Friedman, PhD, 2000* (Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Scholar) 
Institution: Thomas Jefferson University 
Mentor: Neal Flomenberg, MD 
Project: The use of t-cell receptor V-ß spectratype analysis in allogeneic bone marrow transplants 
(*Deceased)

Kenneth G. Lucas, MD, 1999 
Institution: UHS Pediatrics 
Mentor: William P. Vaughn, MD 
Project: Adoptive immunotherapy with CMV and EBV specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes using B lymphoblastoid cell lines 

Marcel R.M. Van den Brink, MD, PhD, 1999 
Institution: City of Hope Los Angeles and National Medical Center 
Mentor: Richard J. O’Reilly, MD 
Project: The role of FAS ligand and perforin in graft-versus-host disease and graft-vs-leukemia after bone marrow transplantation with or without donor leukocyte infusion 

Stephanie J. Lee, MD, MPH, 1998 
Institution: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center  
Mentor: Joseph H. Antin, MD 
Project: The morbidity and mortality of chronic graft-versus-host disease 

Paul J. Orchard, MD, 1998 
Institution: University of Minnesota  
Mentor: Philip McGlave, MD 
Project: Genetic engineering of T cells for unrelated bone marrow transplantation

Astellas (formerly Fujisawa) post-doctoral fellows 

Milena Bogunovic, MD, 2007 
Institution: Mount Sinai School of Medicine 
Project: The role of recipient dendritic cells in post-transplant complications 

William W. Hope, MBBS, FRACP, 2005 
Institution: National Institutes of Health – National Cancer Institute 
Mentor: Thomas Walsh, MD 
Project: The application of antifungal pharmodynamics to optimize the therapeutic outcome of invasive aspergillosis post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation 

Christian Jacobsen post-doctoral fellows 

Hong Zheng, MD, PhD, 2006 
Institution: Yale University School of Medicine 
Mentor: Warren D. Shlomchik, MD 
Project: Spontaneous memory T cells in graft-versus-leukemia effect 

Hong Zheng, MD, PhD, 2005 
Institution: Yale University School of Medicine 
Mentor: Warren D. Shlomchik, MD 
Project: Spontaneous memory T cells in graft-versus-leukemia effect 

Baxter Oncology post-doctoral fellows 

Cynthia Giver, PhD, 2005 
Institution: Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University 
Mentor: Edmund K. Waller, MD, PhD 
Project: Fludarabine-treated donor T-Cells in allogeneic BMT-reduced graft-versus-host disease activity with retained graft-versus-leukemia effects 

Lei Bao, MD, PhD, 2004 
Institution: University of Minnesota Cancer Center  
Mentor: Dr. Sue Marshall 
Project: Identification of MHC Class II restricted male-specific human minor histocompatibility antigens for immunotherapy or immunoprevention 

Kathleen A. Houtchens, PhD, 2003 
Institution: Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute 
Mentor: Elizabeth A. Trachtenberg, PhD 
Project: High resolution KIR genotyping system development and validation for use in post stem cell transplant outcome analyses 

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BIPI) post-doctoral fellows 
Jakub Tolar, MD, 2002 
Institution: University of Minnesota  
Mentor: Bruce Blazer, MD 
Project: Effect of multipotent adult progenitor cells on immune response after bone marrow transplantation 

Daniel A. Nikcevich, MD, PhD, 2001 
Institution: Duke University 
Mentor: Nelson J.A. Chao, MD 
Project: A pilot study of unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation in children and adults with hematologic malignancies 

Chang-Qing (Mickey) Xun, MD, 2000 
Institution: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center  
Mentor: Rainer Storb, MD 
Project: Non-cytotoxic conditioning for allogeneic stem cell transplants 

SuperGen post-doctoral fellows 

Marie Bleakley, MD, 2006 
Institution: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center  
Mentor: Stanley Riddell, MD 
Project: Targeting the leukemic stem cell: development of a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent and treat leukemic relapse following allogeneic stem cell transplant 

Marie Bleakley, MD, 2005 
Institution: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center  
Mentor: Stanley Riddell, MD 
Project: Targeting the leukemic stem cell: development of a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent and treat leukemic relapse following allogeneic stem cell transplant 

Andreas Beilhack, MD, 2004 
Institution: Stanford University 
Mentor: Kathleen Thompson 
Project: The role of T cell trafficking in graft-versus-host disease 

Jian-Ming Li, PhD, 2003 
Institution: Emory University 
Mentor: Edmund K. Waller, MD, PhD 
Project: Immunosuppressive role of donor dendritic cells in allogeneic transplantation