Natalia Tijaro Ovalle

Natalia Tijaro Ovalle, MD

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Leukemia
  • Blood, bone marrow, and hematologic cancers and conditions
  • Myelodysplastic syndrome

My Specialties

  • Bone marrow transplant
  • Stem cell transplant
  • Allogeneic stem cell transplant
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Get to Know Me

I’m a hematologic oncologist who is an expert in caring for people with blood cancers and related disorders. I see patients at the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

I have a special focus on bone marrow and stem cell transplants and cellular therapies. A bone marrow or stem cell transplant is a type of treatment where healthy stems cells replace unhealthy or damaged cells.

I provide treatment for acute leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes (a group of disorders where the bone marrow doesn’t make enough healthy blood cells), multiple myeloma (a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow), and other serious blood cancers. Treatments may include stem cell transplant, immune-based therapies, or other options chosen specifically for you.

These treatments can be complex. My job is to help you and your family understand not only what your options are, but why a certain treatment may be the best fit for you.

I believe in clear communication, working together, and caring for the whole person, not just the disease.  Many patients come to me with concerns about treatment risks and side effects. They may also have questions about time away from home and work and the chance of the cancer coming back. Some people have concerns about graft-versus-host disease (where transplanted cells attack the body), infections, and what life may look like after treatment. I make room for these questions. I explain the science in plain language, and work with you to build a plan that fits your diagnosis, goals, values, support system, and overall health.

My research focuses on making transplants safer and more effective. I study how to find the right doses of chemotherapy and immune therapies, and how to reduce transplant side effects. I also study ways to help the immune system recover faster after transplant, and the latest cellular therapies that may lower the risk of the cancer coming back. My research also explores how inflammation, symptoms, graft-versus-host disease, and immune recovery affect how well treatment works.

What I Do at MSK

I'm a bone marrow transplant specialist, which is a doctor with special training in bone marrow transplants.

  • Assistant Attending Physician
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Leukemia
  • Blood, bone marrow, and hematologic cancers and conditions
  • Myelodysplastic syndrome
  • Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN)/Myeloproliferative disorders
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD)

My Specialties

  • Bone marrow transplant
  • Stem cell transplant
  • Allogeneic stem cell transplant
  • Autologous stem cell transplant
This list shows some key areas of focus, but it may not cover all expertise. When making an appointment, you will be matched with the best healthcare provider for your needs.
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia

Residencies

  • Internal Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital

Fellowships

  • Hematology/Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology

Awards and Honors

  • Clinical Research Training Institute Scholar, American Society of Hematology (ASH) (2025)
  • H. Jean Khoury Award for Scholarly Excellence, American Society of Transplant and Cellular Therapy Clinical Research Training Course (ASTCT CRTC) (2025)
  • Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (2026)

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Learn more about the insurance plans that participate with MSK.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

Health plans can change at any time. Call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your plan covers. Make sure it covers the MSK location where you’ll get care.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

Current Patients
Request an appointment by calling your Care Team or messaging them in MSK MyChart.

Contact and Location

Location
New York, NY

Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

See all Bone Marrow Transplant Service doctors

Clinical Trials

Smiling doctors in the lab
Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

Search clinical trials

Research and Publications

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Ovalle’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed