Hind Rafei, M.D., M.S.
Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Division of Cancer Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2021 | MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School, Houston, TX, USA, MS, Cancer Biology |
| 2014 | American University of Beirut, Beirut, LBN, MD, Medicine |
| 2010 | American University of Beirut, Beirut, LBN, BS, Biology |
Postgraduate Training
| 2019-2021 | Research Fellowship, Cellular therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
| 2018-2021 | Clinical Fellowship, Hematology/Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
| 2015-2018 | Clinical Residency, Internal Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC |
Board Certifications
| 2021 | ABIM Medical Oncology |
| 2021 | ABIM Hematology |
| 2018 | ABIM Internal Medicine |
Honors & Awards
| 2020 | ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology |
| 2019 | Joseph E. Johnson Leadership National Award, American College of Physicians ACP |
| 2019 | The Shannon Timmins Endowed Fellowship in Leukemia Research Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2019 | ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation Bristol-Myers Squibb Endowed Merit Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology |
| 2019 | Clifton D. Howe Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2018 | Jorge C. Rios, MD Award for Excellence in Internal Medicine, The George Washington University |
| 2016 | Intern of the Year, The George Washington University |
| 2014 | Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, American University of Beirut & The George Washington University |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Li Y, Rezvani K, Rafei H. Next-generation chimeric antigen receptors for T- and natural killer-cell therapies against cancer. Immunol Rev. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37548050.
- Li L, Mohanty V, Dou J, Huang Y, Banerjee PP, Miao Q, Lohr JG, Vijaykumar T, Frede J, Knoechel B, Muniz-Feliciano L, Laskowski TJ, Liang S, Moyes JS, Nandivada V, Basar R, Kaplan M, Daher M, Liu E, Li Y, Acharya S, Lin P, Shanley M, Rafei H, Marin D, Mielke S, Champlin RE, Shpall EJ, Chen K, Rezvani K. Loss of metabolic fitness drives tumor resistance after CAR-NK cell therapy and can be overcome by cytokine engineering. Sci Adv 9(30):eadd6997, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37494448.
- Li Y, Basar R, Wang G, Liu E, Moyes JS, Li L, Kerbauy LN, Uprety N, Fathi M, Rezvan A, Banerjee PP, Muniz-Feliciano L, Laskowski TJ, Ensley E, Daher M, Shanley M, Mendt M, Acharya S, Liu B, Biederstädt A, Rafei H, Guo X, Melo Garcia L, Lin P, Ang S, Marin D, Chen K, Bover L, Champlin RE, Varadarajan N, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K. KIR-based inhibitory CARs overcome CAR-NK cell trogocytosis-mediated fratricide and tumor escape. Nat Med 28(10):2133-2144, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36175679.
- Olson A, Lin R, Marin D, Rafei H, Bdaiwi MH, Thall PF, Basar R, Abudayyeh A, Banerjee P, Aung FM, Kaur I, Abueg G, Rao S, Chemaly R, Mulanovich V, Al-Atrash G, Alousi AM, Andersson BS, Anderlini P, Bashir Q, Castro KM, Daher M, Galvan IM, Hosing C, Im JS, Jones RB, Kebriaei P, Khouri I, Mehta R, Molldrem J, Nieto Y, Oran B, Popat U, Qazilbash M, Rondon G, Saini N, Spencer B, Srour S, Washington D, Barnett M, Champlin RE, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K. Third-Party BK Virus-Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Therapy for Hemorrhagic Cystitis Following Allotransplantation. J Clin Oncol 39(24):2710-2719, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33929874.
- Rafei H, Daher M, Rezvani K. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK)-cell therapy: leveraging the power of innate immunity. Br J Haematol 193(2):216-230, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33216984.
- Saberian C, Abdel-Wahab N, Abudayyeh A, Rafei H, Joseph J, Rondon G, Whited L, Gruschkus S, Fa'ak F, Daher M, Knape C, Safa H, Shoukier M, Suarez-Almazor ME, Marcotulli M, Ludford K, Gulbis AM, Konopleva M, Ohanian M, Ravandi F, Garcia-Manero G, Oran B, Popat UR, Mehta R, Alousi AM, Daver N, Champlin R, Diab A, Al-Atrash G. Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide reduces the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease in patients with acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndromes who receive immune checkpoint inhibitors after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. J Immunother Cancer 9(2), 2021. PMID: 33637601.
- Short NJ, Rafei H, Daver N, Hwang H, Ning J, Jorgensen JL, Kadia TM, DiNardo CD, Wang SA, Jabbour E, Popat U, Oran B, Cortes J, Konopleva M, Yilmaz M, Issa GC, Kantarjian H, Ravandi F. Prognostic impact of complete remission with MRD negativity in patients with relapsed or refractory AML. Blood Adv 4(24):6117-6126, 2020. PMID: 33351107.
- Rafei H, Jenq RR. Microbiome-intestine cross talk during acute graft-versus-host disease. Blood 136(4):401-409, 2020. PMID: 32526029.
- Rafei H, Kantarjian HM, Jabbour EJ. Targeted therapy paves the way for the cure of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Br J Haematol 188(2):207-223, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31566728.
- Rafei H, Jabbour EJ, Kantarjian H, Sinicrope KD, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Mehta RS, Daver NG, Kadia TM, Naqvi K, Cortes J, Konopleva M. Neurotoxic events associated with BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a case series. Leuk Lymphoma 60(13):3292-3295, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31246142.
- Rafei H, Kantarjian HM, Jabbour EJ. Recent advances in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma 60(11):2606-2621, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31092071.
- Rafei H, DiNardo CD. Hereditary myeloid malignancies. Best Pract Res Clin Haematol 32(2):163-176, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31203998.
- Rafei H, Haroun F, Tabbara IA. Novel Immunotherapeutic Agents for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma. Am J Clin Oncol 42(3):317-329, 2019. PMID: 30557165.
- Parta M, Shah NN, Baird K, Rafei H, Calvo KR, Hughes T, Cole K, Kenyon M, Schuver BB, Cuellar-Rodriguez J, Zerbe CS, Holland SM, Hickstein DD. Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for GATA2 Deficiency Using a Busulfan-Based Regimen. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 24(6):1250-1259, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29412158.
- Rafei H, Kharfan-Dabaja MA. Treatment of Del17p and/or aberrant TP53 chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the era of novel therapies. Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Ther 11(1):1-12, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28549767.
- Shah NN, Parta M, Baird K, Rafei H, Cole K, Holland SM, Hickstein DD. Monozygotic twins with GATA2 deficiency: same haploidentical-related donor, different severity of GvHD. Bone Marrow Transplant 52(11):1580-1582, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28825694.
- Nassereddine S, Rafei H, Elbahesh E, Tabbara I. Acute Graft Versus Host Disease: A Comprehensive Review. Anticancer Res 37(4):1547-1555, 2017. PMID: 28373413.
Editorials
- Rafei H, Mehta RS, Rezvani K. Editorial: Cellular Therapies in Cancer. Front Immunol 10:2788, 2019. PMID: 31827476.
Abstracts
- Saberian C, Abdel-Wahab N, Abudayyeh A, Rafei H, Joseph J, Daher M, Whited LK, Gruschkus SK, Knape C, Cornelison-Marcotulli M, Gulbis A, Konopleva M, Ohanian M, Ravandi F, Garcia-Manero G, Rondon G, Oran B, Popat UR, Mehta RS, Alousi AM, Champlin RE, Daver N, Diab A, Al-Atrash G. Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide Reduces the Incidence of Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia/Myelodysplastic Syndromes Who Receive Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia:S201 - S202, 2020.
- Saberian C, Abdel-Wahab N, Abudayyeh A, Rafei H, Joseph J, Daher M, Whited LK, Gruschkus SK, Knape C, Cornelison-Marcotulli M, Gulbis A, Konopleva M, Ohanian M, Ravandi F, Garcia-Manero G, Rondon G, Oran B, Popat UR, Mehta RS, Alousi AM, Champlin RE, Daver N, Diab A, Al-Atrash G. Lower Risk of Graft Versus Host Disease After Exposure to Checkpoint Inhibitors with the Use of Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide Prophylaxis. Blood 136(Supplement 1):1, 2020.
- Rafei H, Kantarjian H, Sasaki K, Short NJ, Ravandi F, Huang X, Khoury J, Wang S, Jorgensen J, Khouri I, Kebriaei P, Champlin R, Jain N, Dabaja B, Masarova L, Issa G, Pemmaraju N, Kadia T, Paul S, Jammal N, Garcia-Manero G, Wierda W, DiNardo C, Daver N, Montalban-Bravo G, Khouri R, Nasnas P, Thompson P, Jacob J, Rostykus M, Garris R, Konopleva M, O’Brien S, Jabbour EJ. Role of Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant (ASCT) in Patients (Pts) with Relapsed/Refractory (R-R) Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Treated with Inotuzumab Ozogamicin (INO) in Combination with Low-Intensity Chemotherapy (mini-hyper-CVD) with or without Blinatumomab (Blina): Results from a Phase 2 Study. Blood 136(Supplement 1):39-41, 2020.
- Rafei H, Imahashi N, Basar R, Banerjee PP, Daher M, Ganesh C, Hosing C, Kaur I, Kebriaei P, Khouri IF, Mehta R, Nieto Y, Olson AL, Qazilbash MH, Spencer BP, Srour S, Shpall EJ, Champlin RE, Marin D, Rezvani K. Off-the-shelf virus specific T-cells for therapy of adenovirus disease in immunosuppressed patients. Journal of Clinical Oncology 37(15_suppl):7008-7008, 2019.
- Rafei H, Fernández-Viña M, Carmazzi Y, Moore B, Willis D, Basar R, Banerjee PP, Daher M, Hosing C, Kebriaei P, Khouri IF, Mehta R, Nieto Y, Qazilbash MH, Shpall EJ, Champlin RE, Marin D, Rezvani K, Cao K. Role of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR)-ligand interactions to prevent relapse in patients (pts) receiving matched unrelated stem cell transplant (SCT) for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Journal of Clinical Oncology 37(15_suppl):7049-7049, 2019.
- Rafei H, Rezvani K, Shpall EJ. The Future of Cellular Therapy. Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia Volume 19(S102 - S105), 2019.
- Rafei H, Ravandi F, Hwang H, Ning J, Cortes J, Kadia T, DiNardo C, Jabbour E, Daver N, Konopleva M, Garcia-Manero G, Borthakur G, Issa G, Kantarjian H, Short N. Prognostic Impact of Full Hematologic Recovery and Achievement of Measurable Residual Disease (MRD) Negativity in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) After First Salvage Therapy. Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia(S218 - S219), 2019.
- Olson AL, Lin R, Bdaiwi M, Thall PF, Rafei H, Kaur I, Li L, Abueg G, Timmons M, Chemaly R, Marin D, Alousi AM, Ahmed S, Ciurea SO, Hosing C, Kebriaei P, Jones RB, Andersson BS, Oran B, Abuddayeh A, Popat U, Champlin RR, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K. Third-Party BK Virus Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Therapy for Hemorrhagic Cystitis Following Allotransplantation. Blood 134(Supplement_1):3596, 2019.
Book Chapters
- Rafei H, Basar R, Rezvani K, Daher M. Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified Cells for the Treatment of Solid Tumors: First Steps in a Thousand-Mile March. In: Adoptive Immune Cell Therapy for Cancer: Successes and Challenges. Elsevier/Academic Press, 97-131, 2022.
- Rafei H, Olson A, Mehta RS, Oran B, Rezvani K, Shpall EJ. Alternative Donor Transplants: Cord Blood Transplant. In: The MD Anderson Manual of Medical Oncology. 4th Edition. McGraw Hill Professional: New York, NY, 2020.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Modulating Immunometabolism to Improve the Activity of CAR-NK Cells Targeting CD70 in Renal Cell Carcinoma |
| Funding Source: | American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified August 05, 2024