Repurposing Cord Blood for Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine

Carolinas Cord Blood Bank
Robertson Clinical and Translational Cell Therapy Program
Duke Translational Medicine Institute
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC, USA

Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, is an internationally renowned expert in pediatric hematology/oncology, pediatric blood and marrow transplantation and umbilical cord blood banking. 

She is Director of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.  Dr. Kurtzberg is also the Director of the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank at Duke, Co-Director of the Stem Cell Laboratory, and Chief Scientific Officer of the Robertson Clinical and Translational Cell Therapy Program.  Dr. Kurtzberg earned her medical degree from New York Medical College, internship at Dartmouth Medical Center and residency at Upstate Medical Center. Dr. Kurtzberg then completed her fellowship at Duke University Medical Center in pediatric hematology-oncology.  She joined faculty at Duke in 1983 and is currently the Jerome Harris Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and a Professor of Pathology at Duke. Dr. Kurtzberg has earned renown in the field of basic research due to her role in the development of several anti-leukemia drugs and for her pioneering work in umbilical cord blood banking and transplantation.  Her other work includes the study of actions of recombinant hematopoietic growth factors, the use of umbilical cord blood in human blood stem cell transplantation, the ex vivo expansion of stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood, and the use of cord blood to correct genetic and acquired brain injuries.  Dr. Kurtzberg has published almost 400 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and 30 chapters for textbooks. Since 1988, Dr. Kurtzberg has mentored 29 post-doctoral fellows in her research laboratory and has served as preceptor to 69 medical students in laboratory and clinical environments. Dr. Kurtzberg holds positions on a number of scientific advisory boards, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation. Dr. Kurtzberg is a member of several national and international committees, and currently co-chairs the National Marrow Donor Program Cord Blood Committee and is a member of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy Board of Directors.  Her current research focuses on the uses of cord blood treatment of children with malignant and genetic diseases.