Frederick Appelbaum, MD

Dr. Fred Appelbaum studies the biology and treatment of leukemias, lymphomas, and other blood cancers, where he continues to see patients. He has made numerous landmark contributions to his field, most notably by helping develop Fred Hutch’s renowned program in blood stem cell transplantation. He also participated in pioneering work to develop targeted antibody-based cancer therapies and has been a national leader in the conduct of clinical trials.

In his current leadership role at Fred Hutch, Dr. Appelbaum sets the vision and standards for clinical research across the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children's Cancer Consortium and oversees faculty affairs. Beyond his administrative and clinical work, he is the author of the book, "Living Medicine: Don Thomas, Marrow Transplantation, and the Cell Therapy Revolution."

Research Interests

Dr. Appelbaum was the lead author of the first paper to describe the successful use of autologous bone marrow transplantation, a therapy now used in more than 30,000 patients annually. He was also a key contributor to the discovery and development of gemtuzumab ozogamicin, known commercially as Mylotarg, the first antibody-drug conjugate approved by the Food and Drug Administration.