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Stephen J. Forman, MD

Francis & Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Biography

Stephen J. Forman, MD, is the Francis & Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and leader of the Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at City of Hope.

Dr. Forman developed the overall plan for the initial City of Hope Lymphoma Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant, first funded in 2003, and works closely with senior investigators in each of the City of Hope Cancer Center research programs to help translate their observations into clinical trials. As Director of the T Cell Immunotherapy Research Laboratory, he leads a team of talented scientists in translational research developing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cells for treatment of a wide variety of malignancies.

Dr. Forman exudes the special blend of zealous determination and compassion typical of City of Hope team members, illustrated by his own words: “We come to work every day thinking ‘cure …’ Once we’ve extended our hand and grabbed yours, we don’t let it go.”

In nearly 40 years at City of Hope, Dr. Forman has been instrumental in dramatically advancing survival rates for blood disorders and has been a pioneer in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, growing City of Hope to be one of the world’s largest and most successful bone marrow and blood stem cell transplant centers. He is also deeply involved with the translational and clinical research at City of Hope’s Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research and the Gehr Family Center for Leukemia Research.

His current projects are focused on immunotherapy — using the body’s own immune system to attack cancer. Much of his current work centers on T cells and their cancer-fighting potential. As a recognized expert in the fields of hematopoietic cellular therapy, he has authored multiple review articles and book chapters and has served on multiple national steering committees, establishing a network of colleagues from which to build inter-institutional collaborations.

Read more about Dr. Forman’s visionary work.

Education & Training

  • 1970: St. John's College, Annapolis, B.A. Philosophy, cum laude
  • 1974: University of Southern California, Los Angeles. M.D. Medicine
  • 1974 - 1975: Resident, Harbor General Hospital (UCLA), Torrance, CA
  • 1974 - 1976: Intern and resident, Internal Medicine, Harbor UCLA Hospital, Torrance, CA
  • 1976 - 1978: Fellow, Hematology Division, LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
  • 1979 - 1980: Fellow, Medical Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

Awards & Honors

  • 1992 - present: Member, Lymphoma Working Group
  • 1992 - present: Lymphoma Committee, Leukemia Committee, Southwest Oncology Group
  • 1994 - present: Editorial Board, Leukemia
  • 1996 - present: Editorial Board or Associate Editor, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation
  • 1999: Fellow, American College of Physicians
  • 1999 - present: Editor, 1st-5th Editions, Thomas' Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Books
  • 2007 - 2013: Chair, Marrow and Stem Cell Committee, Southwest Oncology Group
  • 2009 - 2013: Lymphoma Steering Committee Member, National Cancer Institute
  • 2010: Alumni Achievement Award, St. John's College
  • 2018 - present: Elected Member of Association of American Physicians
  • 2019: E. Donnall Thomas Lecture; DKMS Mechtild Harf Science Award