Gheath Al-Atrash

Gheath Al-Atrash is an Associate Professor in the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His research focuses on developing immunotherapies for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, including targeting novel antigens and studying antigen cross-presentation mechanisms. He holds a D.O. and Ph.D. from the University of North Texas Health Science Center (2002).

Research interests include immune checkpoint blockade in leukemia, mechanisms of antigen cross-presentation in solid tumors (e.g., breast cancer and melanoma), and preclinical testing of immunotherapies using human xenograft mouse models. His laboratory employs flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and molecular assays to investigate immune responses post-allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Key contributions include identifying PR1 as a myeloid leukemia target, demonstrating cross-presentation in solid tumors, and evaluating CAR-T cell therapy outcomes. Collaborations span multiple institutions, with publications in Nature Medicine, Nature Communications, and Clinical Cancer Research.

Recent work addresses MCL1-driven resistance in myelodysplastic syndromes and PD-1 blockade effects in AML. He maintains an active NIH-funded research program with over 130 peer-reviewed articles.