July 31: Nirali N. Shah, MD, MHSc, a nationally-recognized pediatric oncologist at the National Cancer Institute, has been appointed Professor and Director of the Pediatric/Adolescent and Young Adult Cell and Gene Therapy Program at University of Maryland School of Medicine. She will also serve as Associate Director for Translational Research for the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center .
Dr. Shah will assume her new position in September and will treat patients at the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital, hospital Director Steven J. Czinn, MD, and UMGCCC Executive Director Taofeek K. Owonikoko, MD, PhD, announced today.
Dr. Shah has established herself as a leading expert on blood cancers, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, phase I clinical trials, and personalized immunotherapy for children and young adults. She is currently Head of the Pediatric Oncology Branch of the Hematologic Malignancies Section and Senior Investigator at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Cancer Research.
Commitment to Top Talent
Dr. Shah’s recruitment to UMGCH follows a landmark $50 million gift from philanthropist, entrepreneur, and civic leader Tom Golisano made in October 2025 — the largest philanthropic contribution in the history of the University of Maryland Medical System and the University of Maryland, Baltimore . It exemplifies a critical goal of UMGCH to recruit and retain top pediatric talent.
“Dr. Shah’s recruitment is a powerful expression of our mission to save and improve the lives of children, in Maryland and well beyond,” said Dr. Czinn, who is also the Drs. Rouben and Violet Jiji Endowed Professor of Pediatrics and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at UMSOM. “Her renowned work in CAR T‑cell therapy for children with treatment‑resistant leukemia exemplifies how discovery and compassion come together to change outcomes for our most vulnerable patients.”
Pioneering Research
Her efforts in developing targeted immunotherapies to treat complex, high-risk blood cancers in children, adolescents and young adults highlight the powerful connection between cutting-edge research and a deep commitment to patient-centered care. Dr. Shah led the development of CD22 CAR T-cells, engineered immune cells made to target specific cancer cells. Her research has contributed to the current understanding of the efficacy and side effects of CAR T therapy in pediatric patients, and she is the Principal Investigator of multiple active clinical trials ranging from treatment to data analysis and retrospective studies.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Shah as a member of the Program in Oncology and the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center,” said Dr. Owonikoko, who is also the Kevin J. Cullen, MD, Distinguished Professor of Oncology. “We look forward to collaborating with Dr. Shah on research in innovative pediatric CAR T-cell therapy, which UMGCCC physician-scientists are already leading for adults.”
Dr. Shah has published more than 150 peer-reviewed research papers, many in leading journals like Nature Medicine, Blood, and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. She has an h-index of 58 and her work has been broadly cited more than 19,000 times, reflecting the impact and productivity of her publications.
A Leader and Mentor
At the NCI, Dr. Shah has been co-chair of the Myeloid Malignancies Program Steering Committee and an adjunct investigator in the Immune Deficiency Cell Therapy Program. She is committed to supporting the next generation of physician-scientists and has mentored over 40 trainees at various stages of their career.
“Dr. Shah has been a pioneer in the development of CD22-targeted CAR T-cell therapies for children with relapsed and treatment-resistant leukemia, helping to create new options for patients who previously had few effective treatments available,” said Mark T. Gladwin, MD, Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “Her leadership in translating groundbreaking discoveries into clinical trials has improved our understanding of both the effectiveness and safety of these innovative therapies. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Shah to our institution where she will help lead the next generation of advances in pediatric cell and gene therapy.”
She has been nationally recognized for her innovation, earning the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy Outstanding New Investigator Award in 2026, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Award in 2025, and the Frank A. Oski Memorial Research Lectureship through the American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology in 2024.
“Gene and cell therapies are accelerating what is possible in pediatric medicine,” said Bert W. O’Malley, MD, President of the University of Maryland Medical Center and Executive Vice President for the Academic Health Division of UMMS. “Dr. Shah brings leading-edge expertise in a field that is rapidly transforming the treatment of cancer and rare diseases, helping us deliver more precise, personalized, and potentially life-changing treatment to the children who need them most.”
Dr. Shah earned her medical degree from the University of Illinois and has a master’s in health science degree in clinical research from Duke University. She completed residency in the Harvard Combined internal medicine and pediatrics program at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital and fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology through the combined Johns Hopkins University-NCI program.
Dr. Shah is board certified in pediatric hematology/oncology, pediatrics, and internal medicine.