Dr. Emmanuel Katsanis is a physician-scientist in pediatric oncology, hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), and cellular immunotherapy at the University of Arizona Cancer Center. As Division Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Director of the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program, he has dedicated his career to improving outcomes for children, adolescents and young adults with high-risk hematologic malignancies.

His clinical expertise centers on allogeneic HCT, particularly alternative donor transplantation approaches such as haploidentical HCT. His program led the region in implementing haplo-HCT with a strong focus on increasing access to curative therapies for racial and ethnic minorities who historically face barriers to donor availability. He also helped pioneer the use of post-transplant bendamustine as an alternative to cyclophosphamide to reduce graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) while preserving anti-leukemic effects.

In the laboratory, Dr. Katsanis leads a translational immunotherapy research program focused on enhancing anti-leukemic immunity while minimizing treatment-related toxicity. His group has developed and tested innovative cellular therapies, including donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) and cytokine-induced memory-like natural killer (CIML-NK) cells, to augment the graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) effect. His research also explores exercise-enhanced immune modulation as a novel adjunct to cellular therapy. He has published over 170 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has secured continuous extramural funding. 

Beyond his clinical and research contributions, he is a dedicated mentor, having trained over 100 students, post-docs, and junior faculty, many of whom have gone on to successful academic and clinical careers. Dr. Katsanis’s enduring goal is to bridge bench-to-bedside discoveries in immuno-oncology with compassionate, patient-centered care. His visionary leadership has positioned the University of Arizona as a regional and national leader in cellular therapy and transplantation.