Fellowship Details & Requirements
Lymphoma/Myeloma Fellows at MD Anderson benefit from
exposure to a diverse patient population treated at our institution each year,
including approximately 68,284 patients with lymphomas and plasma cell
malignancies. Fellows are actively involved in every aspect of patient care
under the guidance of experienced faculty preceptors. The scope of this experience extends from diagnosis to management of these diseases with the latest advances in their treatment.
In addition to standard-of-care chemo-immunotherapy regimens, other treatment strategies include monoclonal, bispecific, tri-specific,
and investigational antibody therapies, conjugated antibody recombinant T-cell and NK-cell therapies, targeted small molecules, as well as supportive care regimens to manage the toxicities associated with these novel therapies.
Eligibility, Prerequisites & Application Process
How to Apply:
The Lymphoma/Myeloma Fellowship Program accepts applications for positions from August 1 through October 31 annually.
The deadline for submission of applications for the 2025-2026 Academic
Year is October 31, 2024. The Lymphoma/Myeloma Fellowship Program academic cycle is annually from July 1 through June 30; late starts are not permitted.
All application contingencies must be finalized prior to the deadline.
Incomplete applications and late inquiries will not be accepted.
- Applications are accepted through the Lymphoma/Myeloma Educational Program
Office and are available on a highly competitive basis. - To initiate the application process, please email a current CV to lmfoucheaux@mdanderson.org with the
following documents listed below. - The application checklist provides information regarding the required
documents to submit with your application and instructions to request documents
from external entities to submit to our clinical fellowship program. - Interviews will tentatively be conducted upon completion of all application
requirements and, if chosen, to move forward in the application and selection
processes.
MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Graduate Medical Education Office requires the following documentation to process an applicant for the Lymphoma/Myeloma Fellowship Program:
Application Checklist
Application form:
- Complete the attached application form and email the application and all supporting documents to lmfoucheaux@mdanderson.org
CV (curriculum vitae):
- A written description of an individual's educational background, work experience, and related professional accomplishments
Three letters of recommendation:
- Letters must be dated no more than one year prior to the signature date on the application and must be on letterhead with original signatures.
- One of the letters must come from the CURRENT program director (IF APPLICABLE), and the other two (or three) must come from persons qualified to comment on your qualifications for the clinical appointment to which you are applying.
- Letters of Recommendation must be sent directly from the referee to our program email address leuktrain@mdanderson.org
Licensure Exam Transcripts:
Applicants must pass each step/part/level of an exam within three (3) attempts.
- M.D.s (USMLE, NBME, FLEX, SPEX exams): Submit the Federation of State Medical Boards' Examination and Board Action History Report (EBAHR). Please download the request through the following website: www.fsmb.org
- D.O.s (NBOME, COMLEX exams): Submit to the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME). Please download the request through the following website: https://www.nbome.org.
- Canadian Medical Graduates who do not have a USMLE transcript may submit the Licentiate of the Medical Council (LMCC) transcript. A Certified Statement of Registration with the LMCC is required. Please transfer your examination result documents via the following website: mcc.ca
Medical school transcripts:
- Submit unofficial official transcripts from all medical schools attended. Transcripts from the school of graduation with transfer credits may not be used in lieu of an official transcript from the original medical/dental school. An official medical school transcript is either one that comes directly from the medical/dental school to MD Anderson Cancer Center, or from the candidate directly only if received in a sealed envelope with a medical school stamp or official's signature across the seal. We do not accept copies of transcripts, notarized or otherwise.
Credential Evaluations:
- Graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. and Canada must submit a credential evaluation conducted by an accredited foreign education evaluation agency verifying degree equivalency in the U.S.
See a list of evaluation companies (Please note: The FCVS packet does not fulfill this requirement.)
Program Certificates of Completion:
- Provide Program Certificates of Completion (copies are acceptable) from all graduate medical education (GME) programs (residencies and/or fellowships) that have been completed.
Letter of Good Standing:
If you are currently in a GME program but have not yet completed it, submit a Letter of Good Standing from your program director.
- Letters of Good Standing must be dated no more than six months prior to the anticipated start date.
- Letter must include your current PGY level.
- Letter must include your program start and end dates.
Translations:
Documents in a language other than English (including Latin) must be accompanied by a Certified English translation.
ECFMG certificate:
Graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. and Canada must provide a copy of an ECFMG certificate, valid at the program start date.
A letter of application and all supporting documentation must be submitted by e-mail to Lisa Foucheaux-Heider (LMFoucheaux@mdanderson.org; 713-745-4247). Documents must be received by October 31, 2024, of the year preceding the appointment date.
Program Goals & Objectives
The fellowship aligns its goals and objectives with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's (ACGME) six core competencies to ensure comprehensive training and development of fellows in the field of Lymphoma-Myeloma.
Patient Care
Our program emphasizes providing fellows with comprehensive training in state-of-the-art clinical care for adult patients with lymphomas and plasma cell malignancies. Fellows will gain hands-on experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings, participating in the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term follow-up care of patients.
Medical Knowledge
Through structured educational activities, including lectures, journal clubs, and case conferences, fellows will acquire a thorough understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of lymphomas and plasma cell malignancies in adult patients. Fellows will also engage in research endeavors to deepen their medical knowledge and contribute to advancing the field.
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
Fellows will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills through active participation in patient care, research projects, and scholarly activities. They will receive mentorship from experienced faculty members to continually assess and enhance their clinical practice and research endeavors.
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Fellows will refine their communication skills to effectively interact with patients, families, and interdisciplinary healthcare teams. They will learn to convey complex medical information in a clear and empathetic manner, fostering meaningful relationships with patients and facilitating collaborative care.
Professionalism
Our program instills values of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct in fellows, preparing them to uphold the highest standards of patient care, research integrity, and professional responsibility. Fellows will learn to navigate challenging ethical dilemmas and demonstrate respect, compassion, and cultural sensitivity in their interactions with patients and colleagues.
Systems-Based Practice
Fellows will gain insight into the healthcare system's structure and function, learning to navigate complex healthcare environments and advocate for optimal patient outcomes. They will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to improve patient care quality, safety, and efficiency while also understanding the socioeconomic and cultural factors influencing healthcare delivery.
By integrating these core competencies into our fellowship program, we aim to produce highly skilled and compassionate Lymphoma-Myeloma specialists who are equipped to excel in clinical practice, research, and leadership roles within academic medicine. Our fellows will emerge from the program with the knowledge, skills, and professionalism necessary to make meaningful contributions to the field of lymphomas and plasma cell malignancies, and provide exceptional care to patients and their families.
MENTORSHIP
- A mentorship is a relationship between two people where the individual with more experience, knowledge, and connections is able to pass along what they have learned to a more junior individual within a certain field.
- The mentor benefits because they are able to lead the future generation in an area they care about and ensure the best practices are passed along
- The mentee benefits because they have proven they are ready to take the next step in their career and can receive the extra support needed to make that advancement.
Program Structure & Curriculum
Clinical Research: We provide a 3-day course on Clinical Research Methodology which includes the following: small group sessions with expert faculty that will focus on clinical research design, statistical design, biomarker trial design, utilizing big data, implementation and analysis, grant writing tips and strategies; and development of a clinical study design with specific aims. This will be followed by monthly follow-up meetings. Fellows will work closely with faculty members involved in clinical research and be expected to participate in clinically-based research projects; research is performed at least 2 days per week. Translational (bench-to-bedside) research opportunities are also available. Fellows are encouraged to present their research at national meetings.
| Career Development |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Implementation of Clinical Trials |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Clinical Research Principles |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinical Practice: Our program includes intense training in the care of patients with lymphoma or myeloma through working directly with faculty members. Fellows will have 6 weeks of inpatient service completed on a 1-week rotation service; the remainder of the time is spent in outpatient clinic (2 days each week). There is an option for fellows to receive intense training in the care of patients enrolled in clinical trials, including patients in CAR T-cell programs.
Mentoring: Each fellow will be assigned a research mentor and a career development mentor who are clinical faculty members. These mentors will meet regularly with the fellows during the year.
Fellows will attend daily and weekly conferences including planning clinics, research conferences, case study conferences, institutional grand rounds, and hematology grand rounds. Fellows will also attend formal didactic lectures presented by faculty members, including hematology didactic lectures, and didactic lectures on lymphoma/myeloma disease states and subtypes. During this program, Fellows will develop long-term mentoring and peer-to-peer relationships.
Trainee Success & Program Outcomes
This program averages 10 applicants per year, and fellows have enjoyed lots of success. Past graduates include faculty at the following academic institutions:
- MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Ohio State University Comprehensive Center
- University of Western Australia
- Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh
- University of Michigan Health, Rogel Cancer Center
- Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, India
Fellow Publications
Dai Chihara; 2014 - 2015
New insights into the epidemiology of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and implications for therapy.
Chihara D, Nastoupil LJ, Williams JN, Lee P, Koff JL, Flowers CR.
Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2015 May;15(5):531-44.
Rituximab plus hyper-CVAD alternating with MTX/Ara-C in patients with newly diagnosed mantle cell lymphoma: 15-year follow-up of a phase II study from the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Chihara D, Cheah CY, Westin JR, Fayad LE, Rodriguez MA, Hagemeister FB, Pro B, McLaughlin P, Younes A, Samaniego F, Goy A, Cabanillas F, Kantarjian H, Kwak LW, Wang ML, Romaguera JE.
Br J Haematol. 2016 Jan;172(1):80-8.
Incidence of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in nonendemic areas.
Yoshida N, Chihara D.
Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2015 Feb;16(2):7.
Recent advances in the treatment of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphomas.
Utsunomiya A, Choi I, Chihara D, Seto M.
Cancer Sci. 2015 Apr;106(4):344-51.
Brentuximab vedotin for treatment of systemic T-cell lymphoma.
Chihara D, Oki Y.
Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2014 Oct;14(10):1519-26.
Comparison of the incidence and trends of hematologic malignancies between Japan and the United States].
Chihara D, Ito H, Matsuo K.
Rinsho Ketsueki. 2015 Apr;56(4):366-74.
Phase II study of HCVIDD/MA in patients with newly diagnosed peripheral T-cell lymphoma.
Chihara D, Pro B, Loghavi S, Miranda RN, Medeiros LJ, Fanale MA, Hagemeister FB, Fayad LE, Romaguera JE, Samaniego F, Neelapu SS, Younes A, Fowler NH, Rodriguez MA, Wang M, Kwak LW, McLaughlin P, Dang NH, Oki Y.
Br J Haematol. 2015 Nov;171(4):509-16.
Chan Cheah; 2014- 2015
Novel treatments for T-cell lymphoma.
Cheah CY, Oki Y, Fanale MA.
Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2015:e468-78.
Targeting the programmed death-1/programmed death-ligand 1 axis in lymphoma.
Cheah CY, Fowler NH, Neelapu SS.
Curr Opin Oncol. 2015 Sep;27(5):384-91.
Central nervous system prophylaxis in non-Hodgkin lymphoma: who, what, and when?
Cheah CY, Seymour JF.
Curr Oncol Rep. 2015 Jun;17(6):25.
Vishwanath Sathyanarayanan; 2015 - 2016
Cancer immunotherapy: Strategies for personalization and combinatorial approaches.
Sathyanarayanan V, Neelapu SS.
Mol Oncol. 2015 Dec;9(10):2043-53.
Targeted therapies for Hodgkin lymphoma: results of recent trials.
Sathyanarayanan V, Hagemeister F.
Rinsho Ketsueki. 2016;57(10):2049-2053.
Lenalidomide in relapsed refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: An Indian perspective.
Lakshmaiah KC, Rachan Shetty KS, Sathyanarayanan V, Lokanatha D, Abraham LJ, Babu KG.J
Cancer Res Ther. 2015 Oct-Dec;11(4):857-61.
Deeper Insights Into Vanishing Bile Duct Syndrome in Lymphoma: A Perplexing Entity.
Sathyanarayanan V, Foo WC, Fanale M, Westin
J.Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2016 May;16(5):e65-70.
Raphael Steiner; 2016 - 2017
Carfilzomib boosted combination therapy for relapsed multiple myeloma.
Steiner RE, Manasanch EE.
Onco Targets Ther. 2017 Feb 15;10:895-907.
Acute Pancreatitis Associated with Ixazomib in a Multiple Myeloma Patient.
Steiner RE, Orlowski RZ, Lee HC.
Acta Haematol. 2018;139(1):67-70.
Maria Chaudhry; 2016 - 2017
Carfilzomib-based combination regimens are highly effective frontline therapies for multiple myeloma and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.
Chaudhry M, Steiner R, Claussen C, Patel K, Lee H, Weber D, Thomas S, Feng C, Amini B, Orlowski R, Feng L, Manasanch EE.
Leuk Lymphoma. 2019 Apr;60(4):964-970.
Samer Tabchi; 2017 – 2018
Obinutuzumab Treatment of Follicular Lymphoma.
Nair R, Tabchi S, Hagemeister F.
N Engl J Med. 2017 Dec 28;377(26):2605.
Retrospective Review of the Use of High-Dose Cyclophosphamide, Bortezomib, Doxorubicin, and Dexamethasone for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma and Plasma Cell Leukemia.
Tabchi S, Nair R, Kunacheewa C, Patel KK, Lee HC, Thomas SK, Amini B, Ahmed S, Mehta RS, Bashir Q, Qazilbash MH, Weber DM, Orlowski RZ, Alexanian R, Feng L, Manasanch EE.
Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2019 Sep;19(9):560-569.
Ranjit Nair; 2017 - 2018
The promise of CAR T-cell therapy in aggressive B-cell lymphoma.
Nair R, Neelapu SS.
Best Pract Res Clin Haematol. 2018 Sep;31(3):293-298.
Obinutuzumab Treatment of Follicular Lymphoma.
Nair R, Tabchi S, Hagemeister F.
N Engl J Med. 2017 Dec 28;377(26):2605.
Dahlia Sano; 2018 – 2019
Composite Lymphoma: Opposite Ends of Spectrum Meet.
Khan U, Hadid T, Ibrar W, Sano D, Al-Katib A.
J Clin Med Res. 2017 Mar;9(3):213-215. doi: 10.14740/jocmr2929w. Epub 2017 Jan 25.PMID: 28179969
Melody Becnel; 2019 - 2020
Lenalidomide plus rituximab (R2 ) in previously untreated marginal zone lymphoma: subgroup analysis and long-term follow-up of an open-label phase 2 trial.
Becnel MR, Nastoupil LJ, Samaniego F, Davis RE, You MJ, Green M, Hagemeister FB, Fanale MA, Fayad LE, Westin JR, Wang M, Oki Y, Forbes SG, Feng L, Neelapu SS, Fowler NH.
Br J Haematol. 2019 Jun;185(5):874-882.
Follicular Lymphoma: Past, Present, and Future.
Becnel MR, Nastoupil LJ.
Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2018 May 24;19(7):32. doi: 10.1007/s11864-018-0550-0.PMID: 29796824
Collin Chin; 2019 – 2020
Novel Agents Beyond Immunomodulatory Agents and Phosphoinositide-3-Kinase for Follicular Lymphoma.
Chin CK, Nastoupil LJ.
Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2020 Aug;34(4):743-756.
Secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis due to checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
Chin CK, Hall S, Green C, Van Hazel G, Spagnolo D, Cheah CY.
Eur J Cancer. 2019 Jul;115:84-87.
Ibrutinib for central nervous system lymphoma: the Australasian Lymphoma Alliance/MD Anderson Cancer Center experience.
Lewis KL, Chin CK, Manos K, Casey J, Hamad N, Crawford J, Ho SJ, Issa S, Grigg A, Wood P, Gandhi MK, Do B, Nastoupil L, Hawkes EA, Cheah CY.
Br J Haematol. 2020 Jul 16.
Outcomes of synchronous systemic and central nervous system (CNS) involvement of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma are dictated by the CNS disease: a collaborative study of the Australasian Lymphoma Alliance.
Wight JC, Yue M, Keane C, Johnston A, Linton K, Chin C, Wai SH, Talaulikar D, Gasiorowski R, Cheah CY, Gregory GP, Dickinson M, Minson A, Coombes C, Ku M, Lam S, Hawkes EA.
Br J Haematol. 2019 Oct;187(2):174-184.
Impact of maintenance rituximab in patients with de novo transformed indolent B cell lymphoma.
Chin CK, Rodriguez MA, Qing Y, Feng L, Samaniego F, Jain P, Noorani M, Fowler NH, Fayad LE, Westin JR, Neelapu SS, Hagemeister FB, Flowers CR, Nastoupil LJ.
Leuk Lymphoma. 2020 Dec;61(12):2985-2989.
Maliha Khan; 2020 – 2021
Overview of the Mutational Landscape in Primary Myelofibrosis and Advances in Novel Therapeutics.
Gilani JA, Ashfaq MA, Mansoor AE, Abdul Jabbar A, Siddiqui T, Khan M.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2019 Jun 1;20(6):1691-1699.
Venetoclax in the Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Evidence, Expectations, and Future Prospects.
Tariq S, Tariq S, Khan M, Azhar A, Baig M.
Cureus. 2020 Jun 29;12(6):e8908.
Outcomes of autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation in myeloma patients aged ≥75 years.
Bashir Q, Chamoun K, Milton DR, Khan M, Ahmed S, Mehta R, Popat UR, Kebriaei P, Nieto Y, Oran B, Ciurea SO, Hosing C, Khouri I, Patel K, Manasanch EE, Lee HC, Orlowski RZ, Champlin RE, Qazilbash MH.
Leuk Lymphoma. 2019 Dec;60(14):3536-3543.
Genomic analysis of primary plasma cell leukemia reveals complex structural alterations and high-risk mutational patterns.
Schinke C, Boyle EM, Ashby C, Wang Y, Lyzogubov V, Wardell C, Qu P, Hoering A, Deshpande S, Ryan K, Thanendrarajan S, Mohan M, Yarlagadda N, Khan M, Choudhury SR, Zangari M, van Rhee F, Davies F, Barlogie B, Morgan G, Walker BA.
Blood Cancer J. 2020 Jun 19;10(6):70.
Mohammad Alomari; 2021 – 2022
Improving Physician-patient and Physician-nurse Communication and Overall Satisfaction Rates: A Quality Improvement Project.
Hitawala A, Flores M, Alomari M, Kumar S, Padbidri V, Muthukuru S, Rahman S, Alomari A, Khazaaleh S, Gopalakrishna KV, Michael M.
Cureus. 2020 Apr 22;12(4):e7776.
Sushanth Gouni; 2022 – 2023
A multicenter retrospective study of polatuzumab vedotin in patients with large B-cell lymphoma after CAR T-cell therapy.
Gouni S, Rosenthal AC, Crombie JL, Ip A, Kamdar MK, Hess B, Feng L, Watson G, Ayers A, Neelapu SS, Khurana A, Lin Y, Iqbal M, Merryman RW, Strati P.
Blood Adv. 2022 May 10;6(9):2757-2762.
Statins enhance the chemosensitivity of R-CHOP in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Gouni S, Strati P, Toruner G, Aradhya A, Landgraf R, Bilbao D, Vega F, Agarwal NK.
Leuk Lymphoma. 2022 Jun;63(6):1302-1313.
Ash Gurumurthi; 2022 – 2023
The race is on: bispecifics vs CAR T-cells in B-cell lymphoma.
Gurumurthi A, Westin JR, Subklewe M.
Blood Adv. 2023 Apr 10:bloodadvances.2022009066.
Efficacy and safety of brexucabtagene autoleucel CAR T-cell therapy with BTK inhibitors in the treatment of relapsed mantle cell lymphoma with central nervous system involvement.
Lionel AC, Gurumurthi A, Fetooh A, Eldaya R, Ahmed S, Iyer SP, Nastoupil LJ, Westin J, Nair R, Fayad L, Malpica L, Tummala S, Flowers C, Neelapu SS, Wang ML, Jain P.
Leuk Lymphoma. 2024 May;65(5):669-673.
Charles Goulin; 2023-2024
Characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of mantle cell lymphoma with cutaneous involvement: a decade-long study at MD Anderson cancer center.
Zhang JR, Wu SY, Jain P, Ok CY, Yan F, Chen W, Oriabure O, Dabaja B, Gunther J, Fang P, Pinnix C, Wang ML, Gaulin C.
Leuk Lymphoma. 2024 Jul 7:1-4. doi: 10.1080/10428194.2024.2374457. Online ahead of print.
Anath Lionel; 2023-2024
CAR T-cell expansion: harmful or helpful?
Lionel AC, Neelapu SS.
Blood Adv. 2024 Jun 25;8(12):3311-3313.
Efficacy and safety of brexucabtagene autoleucel CAR T-cell therapy with BTK inhibitors in the treatment of relapsed mantle cell lymphoma with central nervous system involvement.
Lionel AC, Gurumurthi A, Fetooh A, Eldaya R, Ahmed S, Iyer SP, Nastoupil LJ, Westin J, Nair R, Fayad L, Malpica L, Tummala S, Flowers C, Neelapu SS, Wang ML, Jain P.
Leuk Lymphoma. 2024 May;65(5):669-673. d
Evolving Role of CAR T Cell Therapy in First- and Second-Line Treatment of Large B Cell Lymphoma.
Lionel AC, Westin
J.Curr Oncol Rep. 2023 Nov;25(11):1387-1396.
Program Faculty & Leadership
PROGRAM LEADERSHIP
Maria Alma Rodriguez, M. D.
Professor, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma
Program Director, Lymphoma/Myeloma Fellowship Program
Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma
Email Address: marodriguez@mdanderson.org
DEPARTMENTAL LEADERSHIP
Christopher Flowers, M.D., M.S., F.A.S.C.O.
Chair, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma
Email Address: CRFlowers@mdanderson.org
Kim Corbett, M.B.A.
Departmental Administrator
Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma
Telephone: (713) 745-4658
Email Address: kacorbett@mdanderson.org