As former Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, I oversaw all aspects of the clinical, medical education, and research endeavors the department is privileged to provide. My clinical expertise is in bone marrow transplantation and the treatment of children with congenital and acquired immunological deficiencies. I have particular expertise in treating genetic diseases that impair hematopoiesis — the formation of blood cells — as well as pediatric leukemias. I am also an authority on transplantation immunology and cellular therapies.
I’ve always been fascinated by the immunology of transplantation and our ability to use this approach to cure diseases. I was involved in the first transplant of bone marrow from an unrelated donor to a patient in 1973. This opened the possibility of a transplant to the majority of patients who lack a matched brother or sister. Since then, we have greatly refined this approach. In fact most of the transplants we perform are now from unrelated donors.