Nirali Shah / Credit: University of Maryland School of Medicine

Indian-origin pediatric oncologist Nirali N. Shah was appointed professor and director of the Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Cell and Gene Therapy Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Shah, who currently serves as head of the Pediatric Oncology Branch of the Hematologic Malignancies Section and senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research, will also serve as associate director for translational research at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

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She will assume her new roles in September and treat patients at the University of Maryland Golisano Children's Hospital.

A nationally recognized expert in pediatric blood cancers, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, phase I clinical trials and personalized immunotherapy, Shah is best known for her work advancing CAR T-cell therapies for children and young adults with treatment-resistant leukemia.

Her recruitment comes months after a record $50 million gift from philanthropist Tom Golisano in October 2025, the largest philanthropic contribution in the history of the University of Maryland Medical System and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, aimed in part at expanding pediatric care and attracting leading physician-scientists.

"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 Steven J. Czinn, director of the University of Maryland Golisano Children's Hospital and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine. 

"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,” he added.

Shah led the development of CD22 CAR T-cell therapy, an engineered immune cell treatment designed to target specific cancer cells in children with high-risk blood cancers. 

Her research has helped advance understanding of the effectiveness and side effects of CAR T-cell therapy in pediatric patients, and she currently serves as principal investigator on multiple clinical trials spanning treatment development, data analysis and retrospective research.

"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 Taofeek K. Owonikoko, executive director of the cancer center. 

"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,” he added.

Shah has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications in journals including Nature Medicine, Blood and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Her research has been cited more than 19,000 times.

At the National Cancer Institute, Shah has co-chaired the Myeloid Malignancies Program Steering Committee and served as an adjunct investigator in the Immune Deficiency Cell Therapy Program. She has also mentored more than 40 physician-scientists and researchers.

"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, 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."

Shah's honors include the 2026 Outstanding New Investigator Award from the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy, the 2025 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and the 2024 Frank A. Oski Memorial Research Lectureship from the American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology.

"Gene and cell therapies are accelerating what is possible in pediatric medicine," said Bert W. O'Malley, president of the University of Maryland Medical Center and executive vice president for the Academic Health Division of the University of Maryland Medical System. 

"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,” he added.

Shah earned her medical degree from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in health science in clinical research from Duke University. 

She completed her residency through the Harvard Combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital, followed by a pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship through the Johns Hopkins University-National Cancer Institute program. She is board certified in pediatric hematology/oncology, pediatrics and internal medicine.

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