John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD

  • Virginia E. and Sam J. Golman Professor in Medicine

  • Director, Center for Gene and Cellular Immunotherapy

  • Professor of Medicine and Pathology & Immunology

  • previous Chief, Division of Oncology

  • previous Deputy Director, Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center

 
DiPersio-2751.jpg
 
“My research focuses on fundamental and translational aspects of leukemia and stem cell biology. These studies include identification of genetic abnormalities in human leukemias, understanding processes involving stem cell and leukemia cell trafficking and clinical and translational programs in both leukemia/MDS and stem cell transplantation. My laboratory also utilizes unique mouse models of allogeneic stem cell transplantation to explore novel genetic and epigenetic interventions aimed at mitigating graft vs. host disease (GvHD) while maintaining graft vs. leukemia (GvL). I am also a PI of multiple clinical trials focused on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies or those undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation. As Deputy Director of the Siteman Cancer Center I oversee all clinical and basic science research in the cancer center and I am active as a mentor of trainees and junior faculty and oversee faculty recruitment and retention in the Division. My personal research has focused on the role of stem cell transplantation and novel targeted interventions to alter the natural history of AML and other hematological malignancies. These studies have utilized bench-to-bedside mechanistic and preclinical modeling studies followed by early phase clinical trials. They have focused on targeting key elements of the hematopoietic niche for optimal stem cell mobilization and chemosensitization, mitigating GvHD in T replete transplants, understanding the genomic alterations in de novo and relapsed AML and developing and testing in the clinic novel therapeutics and immunotherapeutics for the treatment of AML before and after stem cell transplantation.”
— John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD
 

+ Education

1973

  • BA in Biology (Magna Cum Laude), Williams College, Williamstown, MA

1980

  • MD/PhD in Microbiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

+ POST-GRADUATE TRAINING

1980-1981

  • Intern (Straight Medicine), Parkland Memorial Hospital, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX

1981-1983

  • Resident, Parkland Memorial Hospital, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX

1983-1984

  • Chief Resident, Parkland Memorial Hospital, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX

1984-1987

  • Fellow, Division of Hematology-Oncology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA

+ ACADEMIC POSITIONS

1987-1988

  • Instructor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA

1988-1990

  • Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA

1990-1994

  • Assistant Professor of Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY
  • Director, Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, NY
  • Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hematology Unit, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY

1994-1997

  • Associate Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

1994-2000

  • Chief, Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Stem Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

1997-present

  • Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Pathology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

1997-2000

  • Director, Section of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Leukemia, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • Acting Director, Division of Medical Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

2000-2006

  • Director, Section of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Leukemia, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

2000-2022

  • Chief, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • Deputy Director, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

2006-2011

  • Scientific Director, Good Manufacturing Procedure (GMP) Facility, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

2017-present

  • Director, Center for Gene and Cellular Immunotherapy (CGCI), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

+ BOARD CERTIFICATION

1984

  • American Board of Internal Medicine

1987

  • American Board of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology)

1988

  • American Board of Internal Medicine (Hematology)

+ OTHER EXPERIENCE & PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

1993

  • Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Experimental Hematology

1995

  • Member, Nominating Committee, International Society for Experimental Hematology

1997

  • Chairman, Nominating Committee, International Society for Experimental Hematology (ISEH)
  • Member, Stem Cell Evaluation Committee, International Society for Hematotherapy and Graft Engineering (ISHAGE)
  • Councilor, International Society of Experimental Hematology

1998

  • Member, Barnard Free Skin and Cancer Board of Directors
  • Guest Editor, Blood Journal

1999-2006

  • Member, External Advisory Panel, M.D. Anderson, (MDACC) PPG-AML

1999

  • Deputy Director, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine

2000-2006

  • Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, Career Development Award Study Section Member

2000

  • Chairman, NHLBI Consensus Conference on Allo Transplantation for Non-Malignant Diseases

2002

  • Member, Executive Committee IBMTR/ABMTR

2003-2006

  • Award Member, ASH Committee on Educational Affairs, Washington, DC
  • Member, Board of Directors, American Society of Biology and Marrow Transplant

2004-2009

  • NCI (NIH) Permanent member CONC Study Section Member

2005

  • Chairman, Study Section RFA HL-04-017 (NHLBI) Specialized Center for Cell Based Therapy

2006

  • NIH (ZRG)/CSR – Gene Therapy and Inborn Errors – Special Emphasis Review Panel

2007-2012

  • Co-Chair, CIBMTR Acute Leukemia Working Committee

2008

  • NCI P01 Special Emphasis Panel ZCA1-RPRB-J, October 2008, Bethesda MD
  • ASH Scientific Committees on Cell and Gene Therapy and Hematopoiesis

2008-2011

  • Member, Scientific and Medical Research Funding; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)

2009

  • Member, Review Panel; Center Grants, National Medical Research Council, Singapore
  • Member, ASBMT Committee on Research Priorities

2010

  • ASH/CRTI Faculty/Mentor
  • Member, External Advisory Board, Cancer Therapy and Research Center, UT San Antonio
  • Chairman, NIH NIAID ZAI1 MFH-01 P01 Special Emphasis Panel

2011

  • NIH (BST-M)/CSR- Special Emphasis Panel
  • Study Section, Doris Duke Center Grants for Sickle Cell Disease
  • Chairman, NIH/NIDDK P01 Special Emphasis Panel, Methylation and Hematopoiesis

2012-2014

  • Vice Chair (2012-13) and Chair (2013-14) ASH Scientific Committee on Hematopoiesis

2012-present

  • NIH Study Section for Loan Repayment Program
  • EAB member, University of Michigan Cancer Center

2013

  • Member, NCI Provocative Questions B Study Section
  • EAB member, Levine Cancer Institute

2013-2019

  • Member, Board of Scientific Councilors, National Cancer Institute (NCI)

2014-2019

  • Study Section Member CPRIT (Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas)

2014

  • CIRM Working Group 2.0 – Permanent Member

2014-present

  • EAB member, University of Chicago

2015

  • American Cancer Society, National Board of Directors for Hope Lodges
  • Medical Advisory Board, Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research

2015-present

  • EAB member, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami

2015-2017

  • Member, AACR-Aflac, Inc. Career Development Award for Pediatric Cancer Research Scientific Research Committee

2016

  • Chair, Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC) BL-8040 and Nivolumb for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer
  • Chair, DSMC Dana Farber/Boston Childrens Hospital "Use of Plerixafor for Stem Cell Mobilization in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease"

2016-2019

  • Member, AACR Science Policy and Government Affairs Committee (SPGAC)

2017

  • Review Committee Member, NIH Pioneer Award

2017-2021

  • Member, ASH Honorific Award and ASH Mentor Award Committee

2017-2019

  • Chair, for the Finneran Prize Awardee, MDACC

2018

  • Leukemia and Lymphoma Society New Idea Award Committee
  • NIH/NCI Cancer Moonshot Human Tumor Atlas Study Section ZRG1 OTC-T
  • EAB member, DFCI Leukemia SPORE

2018-Present

  • EAB member, University of Rochester
  • EAB member, Weill Cornell Medicine
  • Member AACR Honorific Awards Committee

2019

  • Member Scientific Committee, 2019 Acute Leukemias SVII, Munich Germany

2019-Present

  • Member Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) External Advisory Board
  • Member EAB of MSKCC Leukemia SPORE
  • Member EAB of DFCI Leukemia SPORE

2020-Present

  • Member EAB Mt Sinai PPD in Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Member, Steering Committee, SOHO (Society of Hematologic Oncology)
  • Member 2021 AACR Annual Meeting, Scientific Advisory Committee
  • Member EAB O’Neal CCC at University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Member EAB Case CCC
  • Member EAB DFCI Department of Medical Oncology

2021

  • City of Hope National Medical Center CCC EAB Member

+ HONORS

1973

  • BA, Magna Cum Laude, Honors in Biology, Williams College

1980

  • Alpha Omega Alpha, University of Rochester

1986

  • Special Fellow, Leukemia Society of America

1989

  • Junior Faculty Research Award, American Cancer Society

1992

  • Bauman Award - Teacher of the Year, Internal Medicine, University of Rochester

1996

  • Elected, American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI)

1997

  • Recipient, Lewis T. and Rosalind B. Apple Chair in Oncology

2001

  • ISHAGE Meeting, First prize, Scientific Merit: "Control of GvHD using genetically modified T cells"

2008

  • "Great Teacher" Lecture NIH

2010

  • Recipient, Virginia E. and Samuel J. Golman Endowed Professorship in Medicine
  • Washington University Divisions of Hematology and Oncology "Teacher of the Year"

2013

  • Daniel P. Schuster Distinguished Translational Investigator Award, Washington University
  • Member, Association of American Physicians (AAP)

2014

  • Recipient of AACR Joseph H. Burchenal Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research
  • Thomson Reuters list of "Most Influential Scientific Minds"
  • American Society of Hematology Mentor Award for Clinical Investigation

2015

  • Co-founder, Magenta Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA

2016

  • Washington University School of Medicine 2nd Century Award

2016-2017

  • Vice President/President-Elect, American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation

2017

  • Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of American Legacy Award

2017-2024

  • R35- NCI Outstanding Investigator Award “Optimizing Allogeneic HSCT”

2018-2019

  • President, American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation

2018

  • Karl Blume and Gerhard Schmidt Memorial Lecture, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA
  • Teacher of the Year, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine
  • Founder, WUGEN Therapeutics, St. Louis, MO

2019

  • Thomas Buchner Memorial Lecture, Acute Leukemias XVII, Munich, Germany

2020

  • Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Distinguished Speaker Award

2021

  • AACR Co-Chair Annual Meeting, 2021 Program Committee
  • Danny Thomas Distinguished Lecture, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital

2022

  • Doug Lowry Inaugural Lecture, Wilmot Cancer Center, U of Rochester Med School
  • Giants of Cancer Care Award for Leukemia Research, Chicago, IL
  • American-Italian Cancer Foundation’s Prize for Scientific Excellence in Medicine