S. Daniel Haldar, MD
Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine
About Dr. Saurav Daniel Haldar
Dr. Haldar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center with a clinical practice focused on colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer. Dr. Haldar graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College with a joint A.B./A.M. degree in Chemistry and Chemical Biology in 2013 and received his M.D. degree with honors from the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program at Harvard Medical School in 2018. His graduate research focused on the biology of immunomodulatory drugs (iMiDs) in the laboratory of Dr. Benjamin L. Ebert at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He received his internal medicine training at the Osler Medical Residency Program and completed his fellowship in Medical Oncology at Johns Hopkins in 2024. Dr. Haldar is the recipient of several research awards for his work, including the NIH/NCI K12 Paul Calabresi Career Development Award, ASCO-Conquer Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award, Hopper-Belmont Foundation Inspiration Award, and an NIH/NCI Loan Repayment Award. In addition, he was selected to participate in the 2023 ASCO-AACR Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop and the 2023-24 FDA-AACR Oncology Education Fellowship. During his fellowship, Dr. Haldar led multiple investigator-initiated clinical trials and translational studies of an off-the-shelf mutant KRAS vaccine in patients with pancreatic and colorectal cancer under the mentorship of Drs. Nilofer S. Azad and Elizabeth M. Jaffee at Johns Hopkins. As a clinical/translational investigator, Dr. Haldar’s active research interests include the development of neoantigen vaccines, next-generation immunotherapies, and RAS-directed therapies for the treatment and early interception of gastrointestinal malignancies.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2018 | Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US, Health Sciences and Technology (HST) Program, M.D |
| 2013 | Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, US, Chemistry, A.B |
| 2013 | Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, US, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, A.M |
Postgraduate Training
| 2021-2024 | Clinical and Research Fellow, Medical Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD |
| 2019-2021 | Resident Physician, Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD |
| 2018-2019 | Intern, Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2025 | Florida Board of Medicine |
| 2025 | Oklahoma State Board of Medical Examiners |
| 2025 | Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners |
| 2025 | Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure |
| 2025 | Georgia Composite Medical Board |
| 2025 | Alabama Board of Medical Examiners |
| 2025 | Arizona Board of Medical Examiners |
| 2025 | Washington State Department of Health |
| 2025 | Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners |
| 2024 | Texas Medical Board |
| 2023 | ABIM Medical Oncology |
| 2021 | ABIM Internal Medicine |
Honors & Awards
| 2025 | NIH/NCI Loan Repayment Award Renewal |
| 2025 | Oral minisymposium, AACR Annual Meeting 2025 |
| 2025 | NIH/NCI K12 Paul Calabresi Career Development Award |
| 2024 | Oral minisymposium, AACR Annual Meeting 2024 |
| 2023 | Breakthrough Cancer KRAS TeamLab Junior Investigator Forum |
| 2023 | FDA-AACR Oncology Educational Fellowship |
| 2023 | Hopper-Belmont Foundation Inspiration Award |
| 2023 | NCCN Fellows Program: New Horizons in Quality Cancer Care |
| 2023 | Oral minisymposium, AACR Annual Meeting 2023 |
| 2023 | McGlothlin Fellow to Faculty Transition Award |
| 2023 | SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School Travel Award |
| 2023 | NIH/NCI Loan Repayment Initial Award |
| 2023 | ASCO-AACR Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop |
| 2023 | ASCO-Conquer Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award |
| 2022 | FDA-ASCO Hematology and Oncology Fellows Day Workshop |
| 2022 | J. Mario Molina Physician-Scientist Scholarship, Johns Hopkins Medicine |
| 2022 | Physician-Scientist Training Program Microgrant, Johns Hopkins Medicine |
| 2018 | Cum laude M.D. honors thesis, Harvard Medical School |
| 2015 | ASH Medical Student Physician-Scientist Award |
| 2014 | St. Baldrick's Foundation Summer Research Fellowship |
| 2013 | Magna cum laude in Chemistry, Harvard College |
| 2012 | Dean's Summer Research Award, Harvard College |
| 2012 | John Harvard Scholar for Outstanding Academic Distinction |
| 2011 | Weissman International Experience Fellowship, Harvard College |
| 2010 | Program for Science and Engineering (PRISE) Summer Research Fellowship, Harvard College |
| 2008 | National Merit Scholar |
| 2008 | Siemens-Westinghouse Competition Semifinalist |
| 2007 | National AP Scholar |
| 2007 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal for Excellence in Science and Mathematics |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2025. Harnessing Mutant KRAS-Targeted Vaccines for Precision Immunotherapy in GI Cancers. Invited. CCSG Gastrointestinal Cancer Program Annual Research Retreat 2025. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. Use of pancreatic cancer biobanking: molecular profiling of pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma. Invited. Pancreatic Cancer Precision Medicine Center of Excellence Retreat. Baltimore, MD, US.
Regional Presentations
- 2025. Targeting Mutant KRAS in GI Cancers: From Undruggable to Actionable. Invited. Cancer Network Gastrointestinal Integration Retreat, US.
- 2023. Development of a mutant KRAS-targeted vaccine for the treatment and prevention of GI cancers. Invited. Bethesda, MD, US.
National Presentations
- 2025. MSI-H Colorectal Cancer Case-Based Clinical Experience Roundtable. Panelist, US.
- 2025. Personalized neoantigen vaccine with or without pembrolizumab in patients with microsatellite-stable metastatic colorectal cancer. Conference. Chicago, IL, US.
- 2025. Cancer Vaccines: Progress on the Promise?. Invited. Washington DC, US.
- 2025. Cancer Vaccines: Progress on the Promise?. Invited. San Francisco, California, US.
- 2024. Mutant KRAS peptide-based vaccine in patients at high risk of developing pancreatic cancer: Preliminary analysis from a phase I study. Conference. San Diego, CA, US.
- 2023. Safety and immunogenicity of a first-in-human mutant KRAS long peptide vaccine combined with ipilimumab/nivolumab in resected pancreatic cancer: Preliminary analysis from a phase I study. Conference. Orlando, FL, US.
International Presentations
- 2025. Ivonescimab: Dual PD-1/VEGF Blockade in CRC. Invited, BM.
- 2025. Harnessing Mutant KRAS-Targeted Vaccines for Precision Immunotherapy In GI Cancers. Invited, BM.
- 2025. Targeting CCR8 in MSS Colorectal Cancer. Invited, BM.
- 2024. Mutant KRAS-Targeted Vaccine in Combination with Ipilimumab and Nivolumab for Patients with Resected Pancreatic Cancer. Invited, BM.
- 2024. Targeting Mutant KRAS G12D with MRTX1133 in Pancreatic Cancer. Invited, BM.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2025 - Present |
| Title: | Personalized neoantigen vaccination for minimal residual disease in pancreatic cancer |
| Funding Source: | National Institute of Health |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | 2L30CA284336-02 |
| Date: | 2025 - Present |
| Title: | Off-the-shelf mutant KRAS-targeted vaccination with PD-1 blockade in patients with previously treated, metastatic microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer |
| Funding Source: | National Institute of Health |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | 5K12CA088084 |
| Date: | 2023 - 2024 |
| Title: | Immunogenicity of a mutant KRAS-targeted long peptide vaccine combined with ipilimumab/nivolumab in microsatellite-stable metastatic colorectal cancer |
| Funding Source: | American Society of Clinical Oncology |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2023 - 2025 |
| Title: | Mutant KRAS-targeted vaccine in patients at high risk of developing pancreatic cancer |
| Funding Source: | National Institute of Health |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | 1L30CA284336-01 |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Lyman MR, Mitchell JT, Raghavan S, Kagohara LT, Huff AL, Haldar SD, Shin SM, Guinn S, Barrett B, Longway G, Hernandez A, Coyne EM, Yuan X, Andaloori L, Lai J, Liu YZ, Karchin R, Gupta A, Kiemen AL, Forjaz A, Wirtz D, Wu PH, Deshpande A, Lee JW, Armstrong TD, Azad NS, Zimmerman JW, Wood LD, Anders RA, Thompson ED, Jaffee EM, Fertig EJ, Ho WJ, Zaidi N. Spatial proteomics and transcriptomics reveal early immune cell organization in pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia. JCI Insight 10(15), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40569674.
- Pasca S, Haldar SD, Ambinder A, Webster JA, Jain T, Dalton WB, Prince GT, Ghiaur G, DeZern AE, Gojo I, Smith BD, Karantanos T, Schulz C, Stokvis K, Levis MJ, Jones RJ, Gondek LP. Outcome heterogeneity of TP53-mutated myeloid neoplasms and the role of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Haematologica 109(3):948-952, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 37731390.
- Holt MC, Assar Z, Beheshti Zavareh R, Lin L, Anglin J, Mashadova O, Haldar D, Mullarky E, Kremer DM, Cantley LC, Kimmelman AC, Stein AJ, Lairson LL, Lyssiotis CA. Biochemical Characterization and Structure-Based Mutational Analysis Provide Insight into the Binding and Mechanism of Action of Novel Aspartate Aminotransferase Inhibitors. Biochemistry 57(47):6604-6614, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30365304.
- Fink EC, McConkey M, Adams DN, Haldar SD, Kennedy JA, Guirguis AA, Udeshi ND, Mani DR, Chen M, Liddicoat B, Svinkina T, Nguyen AT, Carr SA, Ebert BL. Crbn (I391V) is sufficient to confer in vivo sensitivity to thalidomide and its derivatives in mice. Blood 132(14):1535-1544, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30064974.
- Anglin J, Zavareh RB, Sander PN, Haldar D, Mullarky E, Cantley LC, Kimmelman AC, Lyssiotis CA, Lairson LL. Discovery and optimization of aspartate aminotransferase 1 inhibitors to target redox balance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 28(16):2675-2678, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29731362.
Invited Articles
- Haldar SD, Kopetz S. Dual checkpoint blockade for microsatellite instability-high colorectal cancer. Lancet 405(10476):354-356, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39874978.
- Haldar SD, Azad NS. Unlocking the promise of RAS inhibition in pancreatic cancer. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 21(8):535-536, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38877211.
Review Articles
- Haldar SD, Vilar E, Maitra A, Zaidi N. Worth a Pound of Cure? Emerging Strategies and Challenges in Cancer Immunoprevention. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 16(9):483-495, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37001882.
Abstracts
- Haldar SD, Heumann TR, Berg M, Ferguson A, Lim SJ, Wang H, Nauroth J, Laheru D, Jaffee EM, Azad NS, Zaidi N. A phase I study of a mutant KRAS-targeted long peptide vaccine combined with ipilimumab/nivolumab in resected pancreatic cancer and MMR-proficient metastatic colorectal cancer. ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium 2023.
- Haldar SD, Judkins C, Ferguson A, Diwan EA, Lim SJ, Wang H, Nauroth J, Goggins M, Laheru D, Jaffee EM, Azad NS, Zaidi N. A phase I study of a mutant KRAS-targeted long peptide vaccine in patients at high risk of developing pancreatic cancer. ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium 2023.
- Haldar SD, Huff A, Heumann TR, Berg M, Ferguson A, Lim SJ, Wang H, Thomas AM, Nauroth JM, Baretti M, Bever KM, Yarchoan M, Laheru DA, Jaffee EM, Azad NS, Zaidi N. Safety and immunogenicity of a first-in-human mutant KRAS long peptide vaccine combined with ipilimumab/nivolumab in resected pancreatic cancer: Preliminary analysis from a phase I study. Oral minisymposium, AACR Annual Meeting 2023.
- Haldar SD, Jakubowski CD, Lim SJ, Wang H, Burkhart RA, Lafaro K, Burns WR, He J, Laheru DA, Thompson ED, Azad NS. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte density correlates with survival in pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma. AACR Special Conference: Pancreatic Cancer 2023.
- Haldar SD, Huff A, Diwan EA, Ferguson A, Judkins C, Lu J, Wang H, Sinan H, Thoburn C, Bever KM, Yarchoan M, Thomas AM, Nauroth JM, Laheru DA, Goggins MG, Jaffee EM, Azad NS, Zaidi N. Mutant KRAS peptide-based vaccine in patients at high risk of developing pancreatic cancer: preliminary analysis from a phase I study. Oral minisymposium, AACR Annual Meeting 2024.
- Haldar SD, Saj F, Pavlick D, Graf RP, Quintanilha J, Li G, Mitchell JW, Ross JS, Maitra A, Javle MM, Pant S. Pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma (PASC): A comparative genomic landscape study. ASCO Annual Meeting 2025.
- Haldar SD, Saj F, Hong SJ, Surana R, Lee J, Smaglo BG, Zhao D, Zhu H, Huey RW, Willis J, Morelli MP, Overman MJ, McAllister F, Wolff RA, Maitra A, Fogelman DR, Der CJ, Pant S. A phase I trial of binimetinib plus hydroxychloroquine in patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer. ASCO Annual Meeting 2025.
- Haldar SD, Anandappa G, Katailiha A, Talukder A, Shin S, Lee J, Coyne E, Valentin A, Parshottam S, Bernatchez C, Thomas J, Roszik J, Maitra A, Kopetz S, Jaffee E, Ho WJ, Lizee G, Overman M. Personalized neoantigen vaccine with or without pembrolizumab in patients with microsatellite-stable metastatic colorectal cancer. Oral minisymposium, AACR Annual Meeting 2025.
Book Chapters
- Haldar SD, Mizrahi JD, Smaglo B, Maitra A, Wolff RA. Pancreatic Cancer. In: The MD Anderson Manual of Medical Oncology. 5th.
- Haldar SD, Morelli M, Parseghian C, Willis J, Dasari A. Colorectal Cancer. In: The MD Anderson Manual of Medical Oncology. 5th.
- Haldar SD, George G, Javle M, Pant S. Pancreatic Cancer (Ductal Carcinoma). In: Handbook of Targeted Cancer Therapy and Immunotherapy. 4th.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified September 20, 2025