Roy F Chemaly, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., F.I.D.S.A.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, Division of Internal Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Adjunct Professor, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX
Adjunct Professor, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 1992 | Saint Joseph University, Faculty of Medicine, Beirut, LBN, MD, Doctor of Medicine |
Postgraduate Training
| 2000-2002 | Masters in Public Health, Northeastern Ohio Universities, Rootstown, OH |
| 2000-2002 | Fellowship, Clinical Microbiology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH |
| 1998-2000 | Fellowship, Infectious Diseases, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH |
| 1997-1998 | Chief Medical Resident, Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY |
| 1994-1997 | PGYI, PGYII, PGYIII, Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY |
| 1993-1994 | Internship, Internal Medicine, American University Hospital, Beirut |
Board Certifications
| 2001 | American Board of Pathology Medical Microbiology Subspecialty |
| 2000 | American Board of Internal Medicine Infectious Diseases Subspecialty |
| 1997 | American Board of Internal Medicine |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2008 - 2013
Honors & Awards
| 2015 | The Lupe C. Garcia Research Endowed Fellowship Award Winner (mentor to Dr. Dimpy Shah), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2015 | Finalist for the James S. and Suzanne Cyrus Scholar Award (mentor to Dr. Dimpy Shah), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2015 | Team Member, Containing Inappropriate Gram-Positive Antibiotic Use (Cignus), University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2014 | James S. and Suzanne Cyrus Scholar Award (Mentor to Dr. Ella Ariza-Heredia), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2014 | Administrative Leader of the Year, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center-Division of Internal Medicine |
| 2012 | Recognition for Act++ Project, MDACC Office of Performance Improvement |
| 2011 | Top Doctor, Castle Connolly Medical Ltd |
| 2011 | Best Doctor, US News Health |
| 2010 | 2nd Place Winner for Outstanding Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Project entitled "VAP can be eradicated", Clinical Safety and Effectiveness Conference, November 4-5, 2010, Austin, Texas |
| 2009 | Certificate of completion, 2009 Junior Heart of Leadership Program, MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2008 | Patient Safety Champion Award (related to the investigation of the Serratia marescens Outbreak), The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2008 | Awarded Best Clinical Poster Presentation (Mentor to Dr. Karen Vigil) Second Infections in Cancer Symposium, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2008 | Medical Leadership Award for the Infections in Cancer Symposium, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2007 | Fellow, The American College of Physicians |
| 2007 | Second Prize Winner (Mentor for Dr. Harrys Torres) for outstanding poster at the Annual Meeting, Texas Infectious Diseases Society |
| 2007 | Fellow, Infectious Disease Society of America |
| 2007 | America's Top Physician, Consumers Research Council of America |
| 2007 | Certificate of Appreciation (for providing excellent protocol review), The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2005 | Leadership Award, Alumni Association of North America, American University of Beirut |
| 2005 | First Prize Winner for our work on Influenza Infections in Leukemia Patients and the Impact of Neuraminidase Inhibitors (Mentor to Harrys Torres, MD), The First Biannual National Meeting for Infection in Cancer Symposium, Houston, Texas |
| 2000 | Finalist Award, Infectious Diseases Society of Ohio |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Avadhanula V, Chemaly RF, Shah DP, Ghantoji SS, Azzi JM, Aideyan LO, Mei M, Piedra PA. Infection with Novel Respiratory Syncytial Virus Genotype Ontario (ON1) in Adult Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients, Texas, 2011-2013. J Infect Dis 211(4):582-9, 2015. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25156562.
- Nesher L, Rolston KV, Shah DP, Tarrand JT, Mulanovich V, Ariza-Heredia EJ, Chemaly RF. Fecal colonization and infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Transpl Infect Dis 17(1):1-6, 2015. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25546740.
- Chemaly RF, Dantes R, Shah DP, Shah PK, Pascoe N, Ariza-Heredia E, Perego C, Nguyen DB, Nguyen K, Modarai F, Moulton-Meissner H, Noble-Wang J, Tarrand JJ, LiPuma JJ, Guh AY, MacCannell T, Raad I, Mulanovich V. Cluster and Sporadic Cases of Herbaspirillum spp. Infections in Patients with Cancer. Clin Infect Dis 60(1):48-54, 2015. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25216687.
- Boeckh M, Nichols WG, Chemaly RF, Papanicolaou GA, Wingard JR, Xie H, Syrjala KL, Flowers ME, Stevens-Ayers T, Jerome KR, Leisenring W. Valganciclovir for the prevention of complications of late cytomegalovirus infection after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 162(1):1-10, 2015. PMID: 25560711.
- Chemaly RF, Ghantoji SS, Shah DP, Shah JN, El Taoum KK, Champlin RE, Nunez CA, Mulanovich V, Ariza-Heredia E. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections in Children with Cancer. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 36(6):e376-81, 2014. PMID: 24327130.
- Chemaly RF, Ullmann AJ, Stoelben S, Richard MP, Bornhäuser M, Groth C, Einsele H, Silverman M, Mullane KM, Brown J, Nowak H, Kölling K, Stobernack HP, Lischka P, Zimmermann H, Rübsamen-Schaeff H, Champlin RE, Ehninger G, AIC246 Study Team. Letermovir for cytomegalovirus prophylaxis in hematopoietic-cell transplantation. N Engl J Med 370(19):1781-9, 2014. PMID: 24806159.
- Yilmaz M, Chemaly RF, Han XY, Thall PF, Fox PS, Tarrand JJ, De Lima MJ, Hosing CM, Popat UR, Shpall E, Champlin RE, Qazilbash MH. Adenoviral infections in adult allogeneic hematopoietic SCT recipients: a single center experience. Bone Marrow Transplant 48(9):1218-23, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23503529.
- Chemaly RF, Torres HA, Munsell MF, Shah DP, Rathod DB, Bodey GP, Hosing C, Saifan C, Raad II, Champlin RE. An adaptive randomized trial of an intermittent dosing schedule of aerosolized ribavirin in patients with cancer and respiratory syncytial virus infection. J Infect Dis 206(9):1367-71, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22927454.
- Chemaly RF, Vigil KJ, Saad M, Vilar-Compte D, Cornejo-Juarez P, Perez-Jimenez C, Mubarak S, Salhab M, Jiang Y, Granwehr B, Adachi JA, Raad II. A multicenter study of pandemic influenza a (H1N1) infection in patients with solid tumors in 3 countries: Early therapy improves outcomes. Cancer 118(18):4627-33, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22359314.
- Shah DP, El Taoum KK, Shah JN, Vigil KJ, Adachi JA, Granwehr BP, Tarrand JJ, Raad II, Chemaly RF. Characteristics and Outcomes of Pandemic 2009/H1N1 versus Seasonal Influenza in Children with Cancer. Pediatr Infect Dis J 31(4):373-8, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22228234.
- Chemaly RF, Hanmod SS, Rathod DB, Ghantoji SS, Jiang Y, Doshi A, Vigil K, Adachi JA, Khoury AM, Tarrand J, Hosing C, Champlin R. The characteristics and outcomes of parainfluenza virus infections in 200 patients with leukemia or recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Blood 119(12):2738-45; quiz 2969, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22246027.
- Anaya DA, Cormier JN, Xing Y, Koller P, Gaido L, Hadfield D, Chemaly RF, Feig BW. Development and Validation of a Novel Stratification Tool for Identifying Cancer Patients at Increased Risk of Surgical Site Infection. Ann Surg 255(1):134-9, 2012. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 22143206.
- Marty FM, Ljungman P, Papanicolaou GA, Winston DJ, Chemaly RF, Strasfeld L, Young JA, Rodriguez T, Maertens J, Schmitt M, Einsele H, Ferrant A, Lipton JH, Villano SA, Chen H, Boeckh M, Maribavir 1263-300 Clinical Study Group. Maribavir prophylaxis for prevention of cytomegalovirus disease in recipients of allogeneic stem-cell transplants: a phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial. Lancet Infect Dis 11(4):284-92, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21414843.
- Stibich M, Stachowiak J, Tanner B, Berkheiser M, Moore L, Raad I, Chemaly RF. Evaluation of a pulsed-xenon ultraviolet room disinfection device for impact on hospital operations and microbial reduction. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 32(3):286-8, 2011. PMID: 21460515.
- Safdar A, Rodriguez GH, Mihu CN, Mora-Ramos L, Mulanovich V, Chemaly RF, Champlin RE, Khouri I. Infections in Nonmyeloablative Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Patients with Lymphoid Malignancies: Spectrum of Infections, Predictors of Outcome, and Proposed Guidelines for Fungal Infection Prevention. Bone Marrow Transplant 45(2):339-47, 2010. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19561648.
- Chemaly RF, Hachem RY, Husni RN, Bahna B, Abou Rjaili G, Waked A, Graviss L, Nebiyou Bekele B, Shah JN, Raad II. Characteristics and Outcomes of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Surgical-Site Infections in Patients with Cancer: a Case-Control Study. Ann Surg Oncol 17(6):1499-506, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20127184.
- Chaftari AM, Hachem R, Mulanovich V, Chemaly RF, Adachi J, Jacobson K, Jiang Y, Raad I. Efficacy and safety of daptomycin in the treatment of Gram-positive catheter-related bloodstream infections in cancer patients. Int J Antimicrob Agents 36(2):182-6, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20452752.
- Adachi JA, Perego C, Graviss L, Dvorak T, Hachem R, Chemaly RF, Raad II. The role of interventional molecular epidemiology in controlling clonal clusters of multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in critically ill cancer patients. Am J Infect Control 37(6):442-6, 2009. e-Pub 2008. PMID: 19118923.
- Chemaly RF, Hanmod SS, Jiang Y, Rathod DB, Mulanovich V, Adachi JA, Rolston KV, Raad II, Hachem RY. Tigecycline use in cancer patients with serious infections: a report on 110 cases from a single institution. Medicine (Baltimore) 88(4):211-20, 2009. PMID: 19593226.
- Vigil KJ, Mulanovich VE, Chemaly RF, Tarrand J, Raad II, Adachi JA. Severe parainfluenza virus type 2 supraglottitis in an immunocompetent adult host: an unusual cause of a paramyxoviridae viral infection. J Intern Med 265(3):397-400, 2009. PMID: 19019183.
- Aisenberg G, Torres H, Tarrand J, Safdar A, Bodey G, Chemaly RF. Herpes Simplex Virus Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Patients with Solid Tumors. Cancer 115(1):199-206, 2009. PMID: 19090003.
- Hachem RY, Kontoyiannis DP, Chemaly RF, Jiang Y, Reitzel R, Raad I. Utility of galactomannan enzyme immunoassay and (1,3) beta-D-glucan in diagnosis of invasive fungal infections: low sensitivity for Aspergillus fumigatus infection in hematologic malignancy patients. J Clin Microbiol 47(1):129-33, 2009. e-Pub 2008.
- Torres HA, Aguilera E, Safdar A, Rohatgi N, Raad II, Sepulveda C, Luna M, Kontoyiannis DP, Chemaly RF. Fatal cytomegalovirus pneumonia in patients with haematological malignancies: an autopsy-based case-control study. Clin Microbiol Infect 14(12):1160-6, 2008. PMID: 19046167.
- Ghanem G, Hachem RY, Chemaly RF, Dvorak T, Hulten K, Graviss L, Raad II. The role of molecular methods in the prevention of nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clusters in cancer patients. Am J Infect Control 36(9):656-60, 2008. PMID: 18834742.
- Raad I, Reitzel R, Jiang Y, Chemaly RF, Dvorak T, Hachem R. Anti-adherence Activity and Antimicrobial Durability of Anti-infective-Coated Catheters Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria. J Antimicrob Chemother 62(4):746-50, 2008. PMID: 18653489.
- Winston DJ, Young JA, Pullarkat V, Papanicolaou GA, Vij R, Vance E, Alangaden GJ, Chemaly RF, Petersen F, Chao N, Klein J, Sprague K, Villano SA, Boeckh M. Maribavir prophylaxis for prevention of cytomegalovirus infection in allogeneic stem-cell transplant recipients: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study. Blood 111(11):5403-10, 2008. PMID: 18285548.
- Lamaris GA, Esmaeli B, Chamilos G, Desai A, Chemaly RF, Raad II, Safdar A, Lewis RE, Kontoyiannis DP. Fungal endophthalmitis in a tertiary care cancer center: a review of 23 cases. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 27(5):343-7, 2008. PMID: 18183439.
- Youssef S, Hachem R, Chemaly RF, Adachi J, Ying J, Rolston K, Raad I. The role of vitamin B6 in the prevention of haematological toxic effects of linezolid in patients with cancer. J Antimicrob Chemother 61(2):421-4, 2008. PMID: 18174198.
- Chemaly RF, Torres HA, Hachem R, Kontoyiannis DP, Safdar A, Raad II. Human herpesvirus-6 DNAemia in immunosuppressed adult patients with leukemia at risk for mold infection. Haematologica 93(1):157-8, 2008. PMID: 18166808.
- Saliba RM, Rezvani K, Leen A, Jorgensen J, Shah N, Hosing C, Parmar S, Oran B, Olson A, Rondon G, Chen J, Martinez C, Hamdi A, Mehta RS, Chemaly R, Saunders IM, Bollard CM, Shpall EJ. General and Virus-Specific Immune Cell Reconstitution after Double Cord Blood Transplantation. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25708219.
- Shah DP, Ghantoji SS, Ariza-Heredia EJ, Shah JN, El Taoum KK, Shah PK, Nesher L, Hosing C, Rondon G, Champlin RE, Chemaly RF. An Immunodeficiency Scoring Index to predict poor outcomes in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients with respiratory syncytial virus infections. Blood. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24700783.
- Torres HA, Rallapalli V, Saxena A, Granwehr BP, Viola GM, Ariza-Heredia E, Adachi JA, Chemaly RF, Marfatia R, Jiang Y, Mahale P, Kyvernitakis A, Fanale MA, Mulanovich V. Efficacy and Safety of Antiretrovirals in HIV-Infected Patients with Cancer. Clin Microbiol Infect. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24529214.
- Mahajan SN, Ariza-Heredia EJ, Rolston KV, Graviss LS, Feig BW, Aloia TA, Chemaly RF. Perioperative Antimicrobial Prophylaxis for Intra-abdominal Surgery in Patients with Cancer: A Retrospective Study Comparing Ertapenem and Nonertapenem Antibiotics. Ann Surg Oncol. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24114052.
- Wilhelm K, Chemaly R, Saliba R, Gulbis A, Saunders I, Cool R, Ferguson J, Westmoreland M, Rondon G, Kebriaei P. The impact of pre-transplant valganciclovir on early cytomegalovirus reactivation after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. J Oncol Pharm Pract. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24022408.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Clinical Experience With Tigecycline |
| Funding Source: | Wyeth Pharmaceuticals |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | A Randomized, Double -Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study To Assess The Efficacy And Safety of Prophylactic Use of Maribavir For The Prevention of Cytomegalovirus Disease in Recipients of Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplants |
| Funding Source: | Viropharm Inc |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | An Open-Label, Multi-Center, Single Arm Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of Intravenous Zanamivir in the Treatment of Hospitalized Adult, Adolescent and Pediatric Subjects with Confirmed Influenza Infection.(NAI113678) |
| Funding Source: | Glaxo Smith and Kline |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | A Randomized Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial to Evaluate The Safety, Tolerability, and Antiviral Activity of 12-weeks Treatment With a New Antiviral Drug |
| Funding Source: | Aicuris |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | 1%, Phase III, Randomized, Placebo control Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of MK-8228 (Letermovir) for the Prevention of Clinically Significant Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection in Adult, CMV-Seropositive Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients |
| Funding Source: | Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp |
| Role: | Principal Investigator-MDACC |
| Title: | A Companion Protocol to the Clinical Study a Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Multi-site Phase II Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Preemptive Treatment with CMX001 for the Prevention of Adenovirus Disease Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (CMX001-202 Lab) |
| Funding Source: | Chimerix, Inc |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | A Phase III International, Randomized, Double-blind, Double Dummy Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of 300 mg or 600 mg of Intravenous Zanamivir Twice Daily Compared to 75 mg of Oral Oseltamivir Twice Daily in the Treatment of Hospitalized Adults and Adolescents with Influenza |
| Funding Source: | Glaxo Smith and Kline |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |