Internationally renowned childhood cancer and genetic disease expert, Mitchell S. Cairo, M.D., is a trailblazer whose life’s work is dedicated to improving outcomes for children battling cancer. As both a clinician and a researcher, Dr. Cairo seamlessly integrates his expertise in basic science, translational research, and clinical practice to advance treatments for childhood lymphomas, leukemias, sickle cell anemia, and more. His research spans a wide array of fields, including stem cell biology, immunotherapy, developmental therapeutics, and regenerative medicine. Dr. Cairo was a pioneer in the use of cord blood stem cells for treating pediatric malignant and non-malignant disease, the use of cord blood stem cells for potential regenerative therapy, and stem cell transplantation for sickle cell disease.
Dr. Cairo is also chief of pediatric hematology, oncology, and stem cell transplantation, and director of the Children and Adolescent Cancer and Blood Diseases Center at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center.
In 1982, Dr. Cairo co-founded the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, a renowned international organization that has raised more than $46 million to lead cutting-edge research, education, and lifesaving advancements for children with cancer.
His funding record is impressive. Dr. Cairo is the recipient of multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health, Federal Drug Administration, U.S. Army, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Children’s Cancer Fund, Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, Hyundai Hope On Wheels program, among others. Most recently, he secured a $2.6 million grant from the FDA to explore an innovative treatment for babies born with cytomegalovirus infection, the most common infectious cause of birth defects in the United States.
Dr. Cairo also led the Childhood and Adolescent Lymphoma Cell Therapy Consortium (CALCTC), a pioneering collaboration of eight multi-disciplinary academic centers to facilitate targeted cell-based translational research in poor-risk and rare lymphomas.
A prolific contributor to medical literature, Dr. Cairo boasts nearly 500 peer-reviewed publications and has delivered more than 1,300 national and international presentations. His expertise is sought globally, and he holds memberships in numerous prestigious scientific societies.
Education
- Fellowship, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Indiana University
- Residency, Pediatrics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Harbor General Hospital
- Chief Resident, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
- M.D., University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
- B.A., University of Wisconsin
Areas of Expertise
- Malignant and Non-Malignant Hematology
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
- Lymphoma and Leukemia
- Cell Biology
- Basic, Clinical, and Translational Research
- Pediatrics
- Genetics
- Pediatric Cancer
Publications
- Gauthier J, Ahn KW, Patel J, et. al. "CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy for Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A CIBMTR Analysis." American journal of hematology, (), (2025) . doi: 10.1002/ajh.70033
- Hochberg J, Oesterheld J, Gardenswartz A, et. al. "Mitoxantrone in combination with clofarabine (MITCL) in children, adolescents and young adults with relapsed/refractory acute leukaemia: final results of a phase I/II trial." EClinicalMedicine, 83(), (2025) 103211. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103211
- Xavier AC, Liao Y, Cairo MS, et. al. "Persistent Epstein-Barr virus viremia in NK-/T-cell lymphoma: bad boys for life!" Haematologica, (), (2025) . doi: 10.3324/haematol.2025.287922
- Liao Y, Cairo MS. "CAR-NK's balancing act: when scFv affinity is not too tight, not too loose… but just right?" Journal for immunotherapy of cancer, 13(5), (2025) . doi: 10.1136/jitc-2025-012139
- LeHanka AM, Kebede AM, Amirmokhtari N, et. al. "Differences in Observed Outcomes and Toxicities for Adolescent and Young Adult Patients With Aggressive Mature B-Cell Lymphomas Treated at an Adult Versus Pediatric Cancer Center." Pediatric blood & cancer, 72(6), (2025) e31664. doi: 10.1002/pbc.31664
- Chu Y, Tian M, Saini U, et. al. "Combinatorial immunotherapy with anti-ROR1 CAR NK cells and an IL-21 secreting oncolytic virus against neuroblastoma." Molecular therapy. Oncology, 33(1), (2024) 200927. doi: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200927
- Anderson-Crannage M, Hirani R, Pan J, et. al. "Knockout of IL-1R1 Reduced Inflammation and Improved Survival in a Mouse Model of Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa." The Journal of investigative dermatology, 145(7), (2025) 1813-1816. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2025.01.010
Memberships and Affiliations
- Society of Pediatric Research (SPR)
- American Pediatrics Society (APS)
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
- Eastern Society for Pediatric Research (ESPR)
- American Society of Hematology (ASH)
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
- American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT)
- American Association of Immunologists (AAI)
- International Society for Experimental Hematology (ISEH)
- American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
- American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO)
- Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
- Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMTC)
- Coalition of Geriatric Services (COG)
