Markus Mapara, MD
Dr. Mapara is Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. His major basic and clinical research is focused on studying the fundamental principles of bone marrow/blood stem cell transplantation in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and designing strategies to improve Graft-versus-Malignancy (GVM) Reactions associated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation while inhibiting Graft-versus-Host disease (GVHD). In this context, Dr. Mapara’s lab is interested in studying the mechanisms underlying these GVM reactions. Another focus of Dr. Mapara’s work is to inhibit on a molecular level the conditioning therapy-induced inflammatory reaction, which is critical for the development of GVHD. His research was recognized with the first German Chugai Science Award in Stem Cell Transplantation.
Dr. Mapara graduated from the University of Heidelberg Medical School, and received his post-graduate training in Internal Medicine and Hematology/Oncology at the Universities of Heidelberg and the University Medical Center Charitè of the Humboldt University of Berlin in Germany. In addition, he completed a research fellowship at the Transplantation Biology Research Center of the Massachusetts General Hospital at the Harvard Medical School in Boston. Before joining the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, he was an Assistant Professor of Medicine, headed the Hematologic Intensive Care Unit and served as deputy director of the Stem Cell Transplantation unit at the University Medical Center Charitè in Berlin, Germany. He is a member of numerous medical societies.