Andrew Harris, MD

I am involved in the leadership of several clinical trials for pediatric acute leukemia and acute and chronic GVHD that are being performed through the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN), and Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapies Consortium (PTCTC). I am leading the MSK Kids multidisciplinary pediatric GVHD clinic that is held at the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care. I am also the clinical lead for an international clinical study that aims to identify new blood tests to help with the prediction and management of chronic GVHD, which typically occurs later (two months or beyond) after transplant.

I know stem cell transplantation can be a scary and intimidating therapy for families, and I always take the time needed for each patient and family to understand how and why transplantation works, what the risks are, and how our team works together with families to achieve the best possible outcomes for their children. I try to engage each child and get to know the family personally, since our team will be with them for every step of their transplant journey. I value their trust and enjoy developing relationships with them.

I, myself, had a stem cell transplant for high-risk acute myeloid leukemia. I experienced acute GVHD that did not respond to steroid therapy and promised my doctors that I would return to the field to help improve the safety and effectiveness of our treatments. The most gratifying part of my job is having a child get back to their normal activities and seeing the joy this brings them and their families after going through a transplant.

I am the proud father of three incredible teenagers. My wife is an author who writes novels, including new novels for Marvel’s X-Men and Avengers. I am also an avid soccer fan and very much enjoy the outdoors.