News

Advanced Acute Leukemia Fellowship

Advanced Multiple Myeloma Fellowship 

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Bita Fakhri to Associate Professor of Medicine. This promotion recognizes Dr. Fakhri’s outstanding contributions to clinical care, research, education, and service within the Division of Hematology and the broader Stanford Medicine community.

Dr. Ami Bhatt presented at the Department of Medicine MGR on April 29, 2026, with her talk, “Jumping Genes: How Mobile DNA Is Reshaping Pathogens and Therapies.”  In her presentation she asked, What do a bone marrow transplant patient, a jumping gene, and a new cancer therapy have in common? Dr. Bhatt's genomic detective work connects them all — from tracing hospital infections to their microbial source, to discovering how transposable elements fuel pathogen evolution, to engineering the next generation of CAR-T cell therapies from tools hidden in the microbiome.

Watch the full presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrWttbp0g3o&feature=youtu.be

Dr. Sperling is a basic and translational physician-scientist whose research focuses on the biology and treatment of hematopoietic malignancies, with a particular emphasis on multiple myeloma. His work integrates functional genetics, mouse models, proteomics, and molecular biology to better understand disease progression and mechanisms of drug resistance, with the ultimate goal of developing novel therapies to prevent and treat these cancers and improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Sperling earned his MD and PhD in Biological Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2011. He completed his internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a Hematology/Oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Prior to joining Stanford in 2026, he was a primary investigator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a clinical member at Dana-Farber, where he served as a medical oncologist and Associate Director of Basic and Correlative Science for Multiple Myeloma.

The Division of Hematology is pleased to announce the appointment of Ruwan Gunaratne, MD, PhD, as Instructor in the Division and research fellow in the Zhang Lab. Dr. Gunaratne earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Harvard University, followed by his MD and PhD from Duke University. He completed his internal medicine residency and fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Dr. Gunaratne’s clinical and research interests include genomics, liquid biopsy technologies, and the treatment of myeloid malignancies and other hematologic disorders. We are delighted to welcome him to the faculty and look forward to his continued contributions to the Division.

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting is one of the most important events in the field of hematology. It brings together clinicians, researchers, and trainees from around the world to share the latest advances in blood disorders, explore innovative therapies, and foster collaboration across the hematology community. ASH provides a unique opportunity for learning, networking, and staying at the forefront of both clinical and scientific developments, highlighting the cutting-edge work shaping the future of hematology.

We are also proud to share that Robert Negrin, MD, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, will serve as President of ASH for a year-long term through December 2026. His leadership reflects the strength and impact of our hematology community and underscores Stanford’s continued contributions to advancing the field on a national and global stage.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Christopher Pleyer to our faculty!

Dr. Pleyer is a board-certified hematologist and Clinical Associate Professor in Stanford’s Division of Hematology. He treats a broad range of nonmalignant hematologic conditions, including clotting and bleeding disorders and bone marrow failure syndromes.

An active researcher and award-winning educator, Dr. Pleyer has led multiple clinical trials and is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of physicians. Known for his compassionate care, he guides patients through complex diagnoses with empathy and clarity. We are thrilled to have him join our Division!

The Inaugural Stanley Schrier Commemorative Lecture took place in November 2025, featuring Dr. Alexis Thompson as our guest speaker. Dr. Thompson shared her expertise in hematology, honoring Dr. Schrier’s legacy of excellence in research, education, and patient care. This inaugural lecture celebrated innovation and leadership in the field, and we were thrilled to welcome the Stanford community to this special event.

This past October, the Hematology Retreat brought together faculty and staff from across the Division, along with invited guest speakers, to share research updates, celebrate achievements, and foster collaboration. The retreat featured presentations on cutting-edge clinical and laboratory hematology, interactive discussions, and networking opportunities. It was a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our community and highlight the outstanding work of our Division.

We are excited to welcome Dr. Asiri Ediriwickrema, MD, PhD, to our faculty!

Dr. Ediriwickrema specializes in the diagnosis and management of patients with myelodysplastic neoplasms and clonal hematopoiesis. He earned his undergraduate degree at MIT, his MD at Yale, and his PhD at Stanford, where he also completed residency and fellowship training in Internal Medicine and Hematology. His postdoctoral work in Ravi Majeti’s lab focused on identifying multipotent progenitor populations in healthy hematopoiesis and leukemia stem cells in AML.

At Stanford, Dr. Ediriwickrema will establish a research lab integrating single-cell methods, computational biology, and functional hematology to study healthy and malignant hematopoiesis. We are thrilled to have him join our Division!

We are proud to announce that Dr. David Iberri has been promoted to Clinical Associate Professor.

This well-deserved promotion recognizes his outstanding contributions to patient care, education, and service within the Division and Stanford Medicine. We congratulate Dr. Iberri on this important milestone and thank him for his continued dedication to our community.

We are pleased to announce that Caroline has been promoted to Clinical Professor in Medicine, Clinician Educator line.

This well-deserved recognition reflects her outstanding contributions to the Division and Stanford, particularly in bleeding and thrombosis, hemophilia, and hematologic conditions in pregnancy. A highly respected clinician, educator, and mentor, Caroline has made a lasting impact through her leadership, scholarship, and dedication to patient care. We congratulate her on this important achievement and thank her for her continued commitment to our community.

We are proud to announce that Dr. Rondeep Brar has been promoted to Professor of Medicine!

This well-deserved promotion recognizes Dr. Brar’s outstanding contributions to patient care, research, and education within the Division of Hematology and Stanford Medicine. A highly respected clinician, scholar, and mentor, Dr. Brar has made a lasting impact through his clinical expertise, leadership, and dedication to advancing the field. We congratulate him on this important achievement and thank him for his continued commitment to our community.