Karin Gaensler

Karin Gaensler, MD, is a Physician Scientist at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), affiliated with the Hematological Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Program and the Helen Diller Family Cancer Center. Her clinical expertise focuses on treating hematological malignancies through chemotherapy and bone marrow/stem cell transplantation.

Education:

• B.A. in Biology from Swarthmore College (1977)
• M.D. from Harvard Medical School (1981)
• Residency in Internal Medicine at UCSF (1981-1984)
• Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at UCSF (1984-1987)

Research Focus: Dr. Gaensler leads pioneering work in immunotherapies targeting minimal residual disease in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) through engineered autologous whole-cell vaccines. Her lab develops gene transfer and stem cell transplantation techniques, with active projects on IL-15/IL-15Rα/CD80-expressing AML vaccines. She collaborates with UCSF, UCLA, UC Davis, and King's College London in a consortium advancing these therapies.

Publication Trends: Her recent articles (2015-2025) predominantly explore hematologic malignancies, stem cell transplantation outcomes, geriatric oncology, and novel immunotherapies. Over 60% focus on clinical applications of leukemia treatments, with emerging themes in nanoparticle delivery systems and biomarker-driven therapies.

Awards:

• American Cancer Society Fellowship (1988-1990)
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellowship (1991-1992)
• NIH Physician Scientist Award (1992-1997)

Grants & Collaborations: Secured significant funding including CIRM TRAN-1 (2018-2023), Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (2017-2022), and multiple NIH grants. Leads a multi-institutional team developing AML vaccines with researchers from UCSF, UCLA, and King's College London.