Niketa C. Shah, MD

I am thrilled to be back in New Jersey, my second home, especially at Rutgers Cancer Institute where I am spearheading the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant/Stem Cell Transplant and Pediatric Cellular Therapy Program.  

I started my medical career at NHL Municipal Medical College in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, where I completed my medical school. Following my pediatric residency at Seth KM School of Postgraduate and Research in Ahmedabad. Later, I gained valuable experience in pediatric cancer at the leading Cancer Institute, Gujarat Cancer, and Research Institute, in my hometown. It was there that my passion for the field of Pediatric Hematology Oncology truly began to flourish. 

I then completed my fellowship in Pediatric Hematology Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. I then pursued my second Pediatric Residency in New Jersey, which I completed at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and St. Barnabas Hospital, and an additional Bone Marrow transplant fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Following the completion of my fellowships, I joined Phoenix Children's Hospital as a Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Physician and stayed there for six years. 

In 2016, I moved back to the Northeast to assume the role of Director of the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy program at Yale University and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. During my tenure, I successfully led, stabilized, and expanded the Yale program. Key factors contributing to growth there included the expansion of different graft sources, the addition of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR T)-cell therapy, and the establishment of a sickle cell disease transplant program. Working with the sickle cell disease population has been particularly rewarding for me. During my time at Yale, I also opened multiple national Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant clinical research protocols, contributing to advancements in knowledge and treatment options in the field. 

Offering stem cell transplants and cellular therapies to our pediatric patients near their homes, eliminating the need for patients and families to travel outside of New Jersey for treatment is essential. Through collaboration with my esteemed colleagues in both pediatric hematology oncology and adult stem cell transplant, my continued vision is to bring forth different curative options for sickle cell disease and other childhood diseases.  

I find immense fulfillment in the field of pediatric bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy. With recent advances in the field of pediatric transplant and cellular therapy, we can help families regain hope and work towards realizing their dreams for their children's future.