Shira N Dinner

Shira N Dinner, MD is an Associate Professor in Hematology and Oncology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, specializing in hematologic malignancies with emphasis on acute leukemias and adolescent/young adult (AYA) cancers. She practices at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and directs research at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Her educational background includes:

• MD from University of Chicago (2007)
• Internal Medicine Residency at University of Chicago (2010)
• Hematology-Oncology Fellowship at Stanford University Hospitals (2013)

Dr. Dinner's research focuses on translational hematology-oncology, particularly relapsed/refractory leukemias and AYA-specific therapeutic challenges. Her work integrates novel targeted agents (BTK inhibitors, CDK9 inhibitors, venetoclax), minimal residual disease monitoring, and digital health solutions to overcome treatment barriers in immunocompromised populations. She pioneers human-centered interventions to address chemotherapy adherence gaps in young patients.

Her 2025 publications reveal dominant themes in combination targeted therapies for myeloma/AML, immunodeficiency-associated malignancies, and digital adherence tools. These studies emphasize biomarker-driven approaches and patient-specific treatment optimization across hematologic cancers.

Award recognition includes:

• National Cancer Institute Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award (2017)

As principal investigator for 6 active clinical trials (including NCT04530565 and NCT05289687), she leads phase II/III studies evaluating daratumumab for T-ALL MRD, OBI-3424 for relapsed T-ALL, and levocarnitine prophylaxis. Her grant funding spans NCI cooperative groups (ECOG-ACRIN, Alliance) and industry partnerships with Gilead/Kite and Rigel Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Dinner co-chairs the ECOG Adolescent and Young Adult Committee and serves as Executive Officer for Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, driving national AYA oncology initiatives through the Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center's multidisciplinary leukemia program.