BMT and Cellular Immunotherapy Team

The largest transplant practice of its kind in the southeastern United States, Moffitt Cancer Center’s Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy (BMT CI) Program provides patients with comprehensive diagnostic, donor matching, transplant as well as chimeric antigen receptor or CAR T cell therapy, other immunotherapy, and supportive care services in a single location.

Our BMT and cellular immunotherapy specialists cater to patients with leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), myelofibrosis, sickle cell anemia and certain solid tumors such as germ cell tumor. Moffitt’s patients benefit from the expertise of physicians who focus exclusively on the treatment of hematological conditions with transplant and CAR T, and collaborate to develop individualized treatment plans. It is this level of attention – combined with our advanced treatments and compassionate care – that leads to better outcomes and improved quality of life for our patients.

A key distinguishing factor of Moffitt’s BMT CI program is the talented physicians who make up our team. Here, experienced medical oncologists, hematologists, pathologists, psychologists and other specialists such as social workers provide a full spectrum of treatment and supportive care to our patients. 

BMT information for referring physicians

There are several reasons why physicians throughout the nation refer patients to Moffitt’s Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy Program (BMT CI). For example, Moffitt is: 

• A National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) transplant and collection center
• Fully accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT)
• Among a select few providers to offer bone marrow transplantation (BMT) to adults ages 70 and older
• One of only a handful of centers in the nation performing a high volume of transplants with outcomes exceeding expected survival 
• A core member of the BMT Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) that spearheads an ambitious clinical trials program through which our patients can receive the latest treatment breakthroughs
• A center performing transplants from various donor types including related haploidentical and mismatched unrelated donors
• A center specialized in the treatment of patients with severe and refractory graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
• A center conducting a high volume of CAR T cell therapy for lymphoma, myeloma and leukemia under the dedicated Immune Cell Therapy (ICE-T) service, and has led many pivotal national clinical trials for CAR T cell therapy
• A center with a dedicated survivorship program for BMT and CAR T recipients

To refer a patient to Moffitt’s BMT and cellular immunotherapy specialists, complete our online form or contact a physician liaison. We place emphasis on minimizing referral times and aim to respond to all referrals on the same business day that they are received.

Medically reviewed by Taiga Nishihori, MD

BMT and Cellular Immunotherapy Specialists Team

Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Frederick Locke, MD

Department Chair

Sub Specialty:
Medical Oncology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Melissa Alsina, MD

Sub Specialty:
Hematology Medical Oncology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Claudio Anasetti, MD

Sub Specialty:
Medical Oncology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Nelli Bejanyan, MD

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Hany Elmariah, MD, MS

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Rawan Faramand, MD

Sub Specialty:
Oncology Medical Oncology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Doris Hansen, MD

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Michael Jain, MD, PhD

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Farhad Khimani, MD

Sub Specialty:
Hematology Medical Oncology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Aleksandr Lazaryan, MD, MPH, PhD

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Hien Liu, MD

Sub Specialty:
Medical Oncology Hematology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Asmita Mishra, MD

Sub Specialty:
Medical Oncology Hematology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Michael Nieder, MD

Sub Specialty:
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Taiga Nishihori, MD

Sub Specialty:
Hematology Medical Oncology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Jose Ochoa-Bayona, MD

Sub Specialty:
Medical Oncology Hematology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Lia Perez, MD

Sub Specialty:
Hematology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Joseph Pidala, MD, PhD

Sub Specialty:
Medical Oncology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Karla Adams, PA-C

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Danielle Baratta, PA-C

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Hematology/Oncology

Yehuda Deutsch, MD

Sub Specialty:
Hematology Medical Oncology

Program:
Malignant Hematology and Cellular Therapy at Memorial Healthcare System

Jose Sandoval Sus, MD

Sub Specialty:
Hematology Medical Oncology

Program:
Malignant Hematology and Cellular Therapy at Memorial Healthcare System

Jessica Marin, PA-C

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Catherine Quealy, APRN

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Medical Oncology

Hugo Fernandez, MD

Department Chair

Sub Specialty:
Hematology Medical Oncology

Program:
Malignant Hematology and Cellular Therapy at Memorial Healthcare System

Omar Castaneda Puglianini, MD

Sub Specialty:
Hematology Medical Oncology

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Ciara Freeman, MD, PhD

Program:
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy

Pathology

Kaaron Benson, MD

Program:
Pathology

Ramon Sandin, MD, MS

Sub Specialty:
Medical Microbiology

Program:
Pathology

Clinical Psychology

Margaret Booth-Jones, PhD

Program:
Supportive Care Medicine