John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD

John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD

Professor; Section Director – Cellular Therapy

Address:
Division of Oncology
Mail Stop 8007-0029-11
Washington University
660 South Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110

11th Floor Mid Campus Center (office)

626 Southwest Tower (lab)

Admin:
Cathy Wiggins
cwiggins@wustl.edu

Clinical Interests
  • Allogeneic stem cell transplantation
  • Haploidentical stem cell transplantation
Research Interests
  • Hematopoietic growth factor receptors
  • Murine models of graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-leukemia
  • Leukemia genomics
Research

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.

Targeting hematopoietic niche
Targeting leukemic stem cells using immunotherapy

Biosketch

Education

  • 1980: MD/PhD in Microbiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
  • 1973: BA in Biology (Magna Cum Laude), Williams College, Williamstown, MA

Post-Graduate Training

  • 1987-1984: Fellow, Division of Hematology-Oncology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
  • 1984-1983: Chief Resident, Parkland Memorial Hospital, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX
  • 1983-1981: Resident, Parkland Memorial Hospital, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX
  • 1981-1980: Intern (Straight Medicine), Parkland Memorial Hospital, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX

Academic Positions

  • present-2017: Director, Center for Gene and Cellular Immunotherapy (CGCI), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • present-1997: Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Pathology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 2022-2000: Chief, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 2022-2000: Deputy Director, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 2000-1997: Acting Director, Division of Medical Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 2000-1994: Chief, Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Stem Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 1994-1990: Director, Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, NY
  • 1994-1990: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hematology Unit, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY
  • 1997-1994: Associate Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 2011-2006: Scientific Director, Good Manufacturing Procedure (GMP) Facility, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 2006-2000: Director, Section of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Leukemia, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 1994-1990: Assistant Professor of Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY
  • 1990-1988: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
  • 1988-1987: Instructor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA

Board Certification

  • 1988: American Board of Internal Medicine (Hematology)
  • 1987: American Board of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology)
  • 1984: American Board of Internal Medicine

Other Experience & Professional Memberships

  • present-2020: Member EAB Mt. Sinai PPD in Stem Cell Transplantation
  • present-2020: Member EAB O’Neal CCC at University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • present-2020: Member EAB Case CCC
  • present-2020: Member EAB DFCI Department of Medical Oncology
  • present-2019: Member Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) External Advisory Board
  • present-2019: Member EAB of DFCI Leukemia SPORE
  • present-2019: Member EAB of MSKCC Leukemia SPORE
  • present-2018: EAB member, University of Rochester
  • present-2018: EAB member, Weill Cornell Medicine
  • present-2018: Member AACR Honorific Awards Committee
  • present-2015: EAB member, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami
  • present-2014: EAB member, University of Chicago
  • present-2012: NIH Study Section for Loan Repayment Program
  • present-2012: EAB member, University of Michigan Cancer Center
  • 2021-2017: Member, ASH Honorific Award and ASH Mentor Award Committee
  • 2021: City of Hope National Medical Center CCC EAB Member
  • 2019-2017: Chair, for the Finneran Prize Awardee, MDACC
  • 2019-2016: Member, AACR Science Policy and Government Affairs Committee (SPGAC)
  • 2019-2014: Study Section Member CPRIT (Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas)
  • 2019-2013: Member, Board of Scientific Councilors, National Cancer Institute (NCI)
  • 2019: Member Scientific Committee, 2019 Acute Leukemias SVII, Munich Germany
  • 2018: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society New Idea Award Committee
  • 2018: NIH/NCI Cancer Moonshot Human Tumor Atlas Study Section ZRG1 OTC-T
  • 2018: EAB member, DFCI Leukemia SPORE
  • 2017-2015: Member, AACR-Aflac, Inc. Career Development Award for Pediatric Cancer Research Scientific Research Committee
  • 2017: Review Committee Member, NIH Pioneer Award
  • 2016: Chair, Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC) BL-8040 and Nivolumb for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer
  • 2016: Chair, DSMC Dana Farber/Boston Childrens Hospital “Use of Plerixafor for Stem Cell Mobilization in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease”
  • 2015: American Cancer Society, National Board of Directors for Hope Lodges
  • 2015: Medical Advisory Board, Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research
  • 2014-2012: Vice Chair (2012-13) and Chair (2013-14) ASH Scientific Committee on Hematopoiesis
  • 2014: CIRM Working Group 2.0 – Permanent Member
  • 2013: Member, NCI Provocative Questions B Study Section
  • 2013: EAB member, Levine Cancer Institute
  • 2012-2007: Co-Chair, CIBMTR Acute Leukemia Working Committee
  • 2011-2008 Member, Scientific and Medical Research Funding; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
  • 2011: NIH (BST-M)/CSR- Special Emphasis Panel
  • 2011: Study Section, Doris Duke Center Grants for Sickle Cell Disease
  • 2011: Chairman, NIH/NIDDK P01 Special Emphasis Panel, Methylation and Hematopoiesis
  • 2010: ASH/CRTI Faculty/Mentor
  • 2010: Member, External Advisory Board, Cancer Therapy and Research Center, UT San Antonio
  • 2010: Chairman, NIH NIAID ZAI1 MFH-01 P01 Special Emphasis Panel
  • 2009-2004: NCI (NIH) Permanent member CONC Study Section Member
  • 2009: Member, Review Panel; Center Grants, National Medical Research Council, Singapore
  • 2009: Member, ASBMT Committee on Research Priorities
  • 2008: NCI P01 Special Emphasis Panel ZCA1-RPRB-J, October 2008, Bethesda MD
  • 2008: ASH Scientific Committees on Cell and Gene Therapy and Hematopoiesis
  • 2006-1999: Member, External Advisory Panel, M.D. Anderson, (MDACC) PPG-AML
  • 2006-2003: Award Member, ASH Committee on Educational Affairs, Washington, DC
  • 2006-2003: Member, Board of Directors, American Society of Biology and Marrow Transplant
  • 2006-2000: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, Career Development Award Study Section Member
  • 2006: NIH (ZRG)/CSR – Gene Therapy and Inborn Errors – Special Emphasis Review Panel
  • 2005: Chairman, Study Section RFA HL-04-017 (NHLBI) Specialized Center for Cell Based Therapy
  • 2002: Member, Executive Committee IBMTR/ABMTR
  • 2000: Chairman, NHLBI Consensus Conference on Allo Transplantation for Non-Malignant Diseases
  • 1998: Member, Barnard Free Skin and Cancer Board of Directors
  • 1998: Guest Editor, Blood Journal
  • 1999: Deputy Director, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine
  • 1997: Chairman, Nominating Committee, International Society for Experimental Hematology (ISEH)
  • 1997: Member, Stem Cell Evaluation Committee, International Society for Hematotherapy and Graft Engineering (ISHAGE)
  • 1997: Councilor, International Society of Experimental Hematology
  • 1995: Member, Nominating Committee, International Society for Experimental Hematology
  • 1993: Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Experimental Hematology

Honors

  • 2024-2017: R35- NCI Outstanding Investigator Award “Optimizing Allogeneic HSCT”
  • 2022: Doug Lowry Inaugural Lecture, Wilmot Cancer Center, U of Rochester Med School
  • 2022: Giants of Cancer Care Award for Leukemia Research, Chicago, IL
  • 2022: American-Italian Cancer Foundation’s Prize for Scientific Excellence in Medicine
  • 2021: AACR Co-Chair Annual Meeting, 2021 Program Committee
  • 2021: Danny Thomas Distinguished Lecture, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
  • 2020: Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Distinguished Lecture Award Recipient
  • 2019-2018: President, American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation
  • 2019: Thomas Buchner Memorial Lecture, Acute Leukemias XVII, Munich, Germany
  • 2019: Distinguished Lecture Award, Society of Hematologic Oncology Annual Meeting
  • 2018: Karl Blume and Gerhard Schmidt Memorial Lecture, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA
  • 2018: Teacher of the Year, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine
  • 2018: Founder, WUGEN Therapeutics, St. Louis, MO
  • 2017-2016: Vice President/President-Elect, American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation
  • 2017: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of American Legacy Award
  • 2016: Washington University School of Medicine 2nd Century Award
  • 2015: Co-founder, Magenta Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA
  • 2014: Recipient of AACR Joseph H. Burchenal Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research
  • 2014: Thomson Reuters list of “Most Influential Scientific Minds”
  • 2014: American Society of Hematology Mentor Award for Clinical Investigation
  • 2013: Daniel P. Schuster Distinguished Translational Investigator Award, Washington University
  • 2013: Member, Association of American Physicians (AAP)
  • 2010: Recipient, Virginia E. and Samuel J. Golman Endowed Professorship in Medicine
  • 2010: Washington University Divisions of Hematology and Oncology “Teacher of the Year”
  • 2008: “Great Teacher” Lecture NIH
  • 2001: ISHAGE Meeting, First prize, Scientific Merit: “Control of GvHD using genetically modified T cells”
  • 1989: Junior Faculty Research Award, American Cancer Society
  • 1992: Bauman Award – Teacher of the Year, Internal Medicine, University of Rochester
  • 1997: Recipient, Lewis T. and Rosalind B. Apple Chair in Oncology
  • 1996: Elected, American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI)
  • 1986: Special Fellow, Leukemia Society of America
  • 1980: Alpha Omega Alpha, University of Rochester
  • 1973: BA, Magna Cum Laude, Honors in Biology, Williams College