Newswise — Nationally renowned hematology experts Gareth Morgan, MD, PhD, and Faith Davies, MD, are joining the Center for Blood Cancers at NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center to lead its multiple myeloma program.
Morgan, the new Center’s director of Multiple Myeloma Research, previously served as the director of the Myeloma Institute, deputy director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, and professor of hematology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. There, he directed numerous research studies investigating the genetics and biology of myeloma. While treatment of low-risk myeloma has improved substantially in recent years, Dr. Morgan will have a particular focus on developing new targeted treatments for high-risk variants of the disease.
He also is a major contributor to the Myeloma Genome Project, a collaboration between the University of Arkansas, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the pharmaceutical company Celgene, to determine individualized therapies based on specific subgroups of the disease.
Davies will serve as the director of the Center’s Clinical Myeloma Program. She joins Perlmutter Cancer Center from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), where she was the medical director of the Myeloma Institute and professor of medicine, overseeing patient care across a 30-bed inpatient unit, active infusion center and outpatient clinics. She will bring this leadership to the Center for Blood Cancers and will direct a new inpatient facility in the Kimmel Pavilion.
She brings acknowledged expertise in all aspects of clinical hematology, from diagnosis through transplantation, with a particular interest in clinical trials. Her current research focuses on the genetic, biological, and radiological theranostic markers to improve myeloma patient outcomes.
According to the National Foundation for Cancer Research, blood cancers account for almost 10 percent of all new cancer cases in the United States each year. Multiple myeloma is a cancer that affects antibody-producing plasma cells and ultimately prevents the normal production of cells in the bone marrow. This abnormal plasma cell expansion can lead to a compromised immune response, bone destruction, bone marrow failure, and other complications.
The Center for Blood Cancers at Perlmutter Cancer Center was established through an anonymous gift of $75 million to enhance research and clinical efforts in all types of blood malignancies. The new Center will enhance services for patients, bolster new and ongoing research efforts, and provide expanded educational resources for students and faculty at NYU School of Medicine. Lab space and cell processing within the Center for Blood Cancers will be increased considerably, and infusion and exam rooms will be added to ensure efficient patient flow.
“We are extremely excited that Drs. Morgan and Davies have joined our new Center for Blood Cancers,” said Benjamin G. Neel, MD, PhD, director of Perlmutter Cancer Center. “They each have long, internationally recognized histories of leadership in myeloma research and clinical care. As an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, we are proud to be on the cutting edge of bringing new, improved treatments to patients with myeloma and other blood cancers.”
About Dr. Morgan
Morgan received his doctorate from the University of London, where he studied the genetics of leukemia and his medical degree from the Welsh National School of Medicine. He completed fellowships in hematology and pathology at the Royal College of Physicians in London. In 2014, he was a scholar at the Arkansas Research Alliance, before completing a fellowship at the American College of Physicians in 2015.
He served in many academic and clinical positions before joining UAMS in 2014, where he reorganized the clinical department to generate an integrated clinical and research program in myeloma as part of the Myeloma Institute.
Morgan has published over 450 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Oncology, Nature Communications, Blood, and Journal of Clinical Oncology, and has authored 18 books or book chapters. He is a recognized international expert and thought leader on multiple myeloma and regularly speaks at major international scientific meetings, including ASCO and ASH.
“Working with the exceptional researchers and clinicians from the Perlmutter Cancer Center, we aim to further our understanding of high-risk multiple myeloma,” says Morgan. “The Center for Blood Cancers is a testament to NYU Langone’s commitment to the investigative work required to offer new solutions and therapies for patients with all types of blood cancers.”
About Dr. Davies
Davies received her bachelor of medicine and medical degrees from University of Wales College of Medicine and completed her hematology specialty training in the United Kingdom. She completed fellowships at the Royal College of Pathologists and American College of Physicians, and also at the University of London.
At UAMS, Davies held numerous academic and administrative positions and appointments, including service on the UAMS Clinical Research Council and Protocol and Monitoring Review Committee. She also was the Myeloma and Transplant fellow, hospitalist and nursing clinical and educational supervisor.
She has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Blood, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Leukemia, and Lancet Oncology, and holds active memberships in the American Society of Hematology (ASH), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the British Society for Hematology. She has spoken at several meetings of ASH, ASCO, EHA, and ASMBT, as well as several other international meetings, about the importance of patient education and advocacy.
“I am proud to join NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, and lead the new Center for Blood Cancers’ Clinical Myeloma Program,” Davies says. “I have a passion for patient care and hope to expand NYU Langone’s already excellent clinical practices to deliver the highest-quality treatment and clinical trials for myeloma patients.”
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