Nirali N. Shah, a nationally recognized Indian American pediatric oncologist at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is set to lead the Pediatric/Adolescent and Young Adult Cell and Gene Therapy Program at University of Maryland School of Medicine. She will assume her new position as Professor and Director of the program in September.
Dr. Shah will also serve as Associate Director for Translational Research for the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC) and will treat patients at the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital (UMGCH), according to a university announcement.
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.
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 (UMMS) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).
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“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 UMGCH Director Steven J. Czinn. “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.”
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.
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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. 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 has been nationally recognized for her innovation, earning the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) Outstanding New Investigator Award in 2026, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Award in 2025, and the Frank A. Oski Memorial Research Lectureship through the American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology in 2024.
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.