Johns Hopkins All Chidren's Hospital Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant & Cellular Therapy Fellowship Program

The Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy (BMTCT) fellowship is a one-year program designed to train the next generation of leaders within this pediatric subspecialty.

Innovative Learning Environment

The Johns Hopkins All Children’s Pediatric BMTCT Fellowship Program offers an innovative, collaborative, personalized and learner-centric environment. Fellows will develop superior skills in delivering family-engaged patient care through a systems-based model, advocating for safety, quality and value-based care, and in advancing scientific research and investigation.

The Johns Hopkins All Children’s Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute includes Florida’s largest. Our program has excellent outcomes for children who need stem cell transplants to treat leukemia, lymphoma, immunodeficiency syndromes and other forms of cancer and blood diseases.

Our program was one of the first pediatric centers in the United States to offer “reduced intensity” transplants in an effort to minimize the toxic effects of radiation and chemotherapy. We perform hematopoietic stem cell transplants and were the first certified pediatric center in Florida to offer CD19 directed chimeric antigen receptor T (CART-T) cell therapy and we have performed the highest number of CAR-T procedures on children than any other center in the state.

Our program provides a full range of blood and marrow transplant services, including stem cell sources (bone marrow, peripheral blood and cord blood) as well as donor types (haploidentical, unrelated and related). Fellows will also have the unique opportunity and exposure during their training to a variety of stem cell graft manipulation strategies and participate in national and international cell and gene therapy clinical trials.

Our simulation center will expose Johns Hopkins All Children’s BMTCT fellows to state-of-the-art simulation experiences with the most advanced technology available for simulation-based learning.

Research and Investigation

The Johns Hopkins All Children’s BMTCT fellowship program provides the fellow a range of opportunities to pursue clinical, integrative basic science and translational research, as well as quality improvement and educational scholarship.

Our Clinical and Translational Research Training Track and other mentoring programs support residents, fellows and junior faculty on a pathway toward independent, successful investigation in clinical and translational research in child health and disease. 

BMTCT fellows have access to research collaborations with a variety of key entities, including but not limited to: 

  • Johns Hopkins Medicine: Trainees have access to the resources and infrastructure of the entire organization, including collaboration with our colleagues in Baltimore.
  • Moffitt Cancer Center: We are the only pediatric affiliate of Moffitt, an internationally recognized cancer center located in Tampa and Florida’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated comprehensive cancer center. We share their accreditation with the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapies (FACT). Trainees will have access to Moffitt clinical and research collaborations and will spend time on their campus in a clinical capacity.
  • Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium (PIDTC): Johns Hopkins All Children’s is one of 44 centers participating in the PIDTC. The PIDTC is a collaboration of North American centers studying therapy for rare primary immune deficiency diseases (PIDs), including severe combined immune deficiency (SCID), Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) and chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Additionally, our program collaborates closely with USF Immunology and has a combined regularly scheduled conjoint clinic to manage PID patients before and after-transplant.

Our BMTCT fellowship program also has access to the only pediatric biorepository in Florida that is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP). The overall vial storage capacity is up to 3 million tube samples. 

Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute Overview

The Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital treats common and rare pediatric cancers and blood disorders and offers patients a wide range of therapies, including cutting-edge immunotherapies and gene therapies, and access to the latest clinical and pharmaceutical trials across multiple consortiums.

Our oncology and hematology programs take a whole-team approach to treating cancer and blood disorders. We work alongside specialists and subspecialists across our hospital, including social workers, Child Life specialists, a psychologist, oncology nurses, pharmacists, patient educators and nutritionists and are ready to meet a patient's needs all in one location.

We participate in clinical trials and are committed to scientific research. Our affiliation with The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore connects us to even more clinical trials and emerging cures for childhood cancer. We are also members of the Children’s Oncology Group, the world’s most experienced organization in the clinical development of new therapies and treatments for children with cancer; as well as the Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Consortium.

At a Glance

  • Duration: 1 year
  • Fellows per year: 1
  • Location: Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, a 259-bed academic medical center in St. Petersburg, Florida
  • Average BMTs per year: 35
  • Average CAR-Ts per year: 6

Application Information

Requirements:

  • Successful completion of ACGME-accredited General Pediatric Residency
  • Planned completion of ACGME-accredited Pediatric Hematology/Oncology or Allergy and Immunology Fellowship
  • Board certification in General Pediatrics
  • Board eligible or board certified in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology or Allergy/ Immunology
  • Eligible to obtain a Florida Medical License

Interested applicants should email the following information to the program coordinator:

  • Letter of Interest — Personal statement describing qualifications and career goals
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Dean’s Letter/Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
  • Medical school transcript
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Photograph (optional)
  • USMLE scores (Step 1, 2 CK and CS, and 3), or COMLEX (Level 1, 2 CE and PE, and 3), or MCCQE (Exams 1 and 2)
  • ECFMG certificate number (if applicable)

NOTE: J1 Visa sponsorship is not available at this time.

To apply, please use our online application form at the link below.

Pediatric BMT Fellowship Application

Program Director

Deepakbabu Chellapandian, MD

Expertise: Pediatric Hematology Oncology

Primary Location: Johns Hopkins All Children's Outpatient Care, St. Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, FL

Associate Program Director

Minelys Marie Alicea Marrero, MD

Expertise: Pediatric Hematology Oncology

Primary Location: Johns Hopkins All Children's Outpatient Care, St. Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, FL