Tapan M. Kadia

I am currently faculty in the Department of Leukemia at MD Anderson Cancer Center. In this role, I am directly involved in clinical and translational research, care of leukemia patients in inpatient and outpatient settings, and education of fellows. I work in close collaboration with basic science and clinical faculty to develop hypothesis-driven clinical research. With these collaborations, I have been able to 1) test hypotheses in preclinical systems to serve as the basis for clinical investigations, and 2) to interrogate clinical samples from investigational trials for biological correlatives. I am currently primary investigator in several ongoing clinical trials in acute leukemias and bone marrow failure. In AML, I have developed a low intensity prolonged therapy program for older patients unfit for intensive therapy, as well as a 3-drug intensive induction program for younger patients. Both studies include molecular genetic characterization of the leukemia and targeted therapy for subsets. These serve as the frontline treatment for newly-diagnosed patients in the leukemia department. For highrisk patients who have achieved a remission, I am investigating longer-term maintenance strategies to reduce risk of relapse and improve outcomes. Lenalidomide maintenance investigates the ability of this oral agent to activate NK-cell immunosurveillance after chemotherapy. Nivolumab maintenance investigates the activity of the PD-1 antibody to augment T-cell activity and antitumor immunity in minimal residual disease setting, again to prolong remissions. This is being conducted in collaboration with immune monitoring by the immunotherapy platform at MDACC. For patients with high-risk and relapsed AML, I have developed several developmental therapeutic programs testing scientifically rational compound and combinations in AML, including CDK inhibitors, MCL-1 and BCL-2 inhibitors, JAk-STAT inhibitors, and inhibitors of transcription factors. In addition to the AML program, I have developed a program studying bone marrow failure, both by improving response rates to current immunosuppressive therapy protocols, investigating the underlying molecular derangements in these diseases, and developing completely new strategies to modulate the immune microenvironment. To complement my clinical and research activities, I am deeply involved in education and teaching both within the institution as well outside MDACC. I am a departmental representative for the hematology/oncology fellowship steering committee and involved in teaching, both in patient settings as well as during didactic lectures. I am involved in lecturing in the GME curriculum series and am an organizing member of the MDACC Board Review program committee. I am currently the chairman of the Leukemia New Patient Treatment Planning Meeting and involved in departmental and institutional quality improvement initiatives.