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Boonyaratanakornkit
Jim Boonyaratanakornkit, MD, PhD

Jim Boonyaratanakornkit, MD, PhD

Infectious Disease

  • Physician, Fred Hutch
  • Assistant Professor, Immunology and Vaccine Development Program, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutch
  • Assistant Professor, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine
Boonyaratanakornkit Lab

About

Dr. Jim Boonyaratanakornkit is an infectious disease specialist and virologist at Fred Hutch who cares for patients at heightened risk of serious infections. He researches how to prevent and treat viral illnesses in people with weakened immune systems.

Background

Dr. Boonyaratanakornkit’s clinical work and research focus on preventing and treating viral infections that affect people whose immune systems need extra support, including those who have cancer, are immunocompromised or have received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. His work addresses infections of the respiratory system, blood, skin, eyes and other parts of the body that can become severe in vulnerable patients. 

He is driven by a long‑standing fascination with the immune system, the body’s own army of cells dedicated to fighting infection, and how to help it work better when disease or treatment weakens its defenses.

In his laboratory, Dr. Boonyaratanakornkit studies how B cells and antibodies respond to respiratory viruses using advanced immune-based methods to understand the body’s natural protective responses. By applying these insights, he works to develop new vaccines, antivirals and immunotherapies, which are treatments designed to strengthen or guide the immune system. He closely collaborates with medical oncologists and hematologists in the clinic to determine the best treatment option for individual patients with infections such as respiratory syncytial virus, human parainfluenza virus and cytomegalovirus. 

Dr. Boonyaratanakornkit’s goal is to help patients safely navigate a difficult period in their lives using the growing collection of tools available to fight infection with antibiotics, new immunotherapies and antivirals.

Area of Clinical Practice 
Infectious disease

“The most important thing I can provide a patient is the sense that they matter.”

— Dr. Boonyaratanakornkit

What type of research do you conduct?

I’m involved in research on respiratory viruses. Respiratory viruses, such as the common cold, can take a toll on our cancer patients, especially our transplant patients whose immune systems are not working properly. My goal is to develop new vaccines and treatments for these viruses in our cancer patients, so that we have other treatments to offer if our patients get sick. When a patient does get sick from a virus or infection, I make sure to discuss options with the patient’s medical oncologist or hematologist, and as a team, we determine the best treatment option for the patient.

Getting to know my patients

Every fourth Sunday, I volunteer at Behnke Family House. Because we see patients from all over the country, many patients and their families don’t have homes in Seattle, so we offer housing for them while they are in treatment. I volunteer, because it’s important to help patients feel at home as much as possible, no matter where they are from. I serve brunch at Behnke Family House and it’s great to sit down with patients and their families and get to know them outside of the hospital, outside of their disease. I really enjoy connecting with them on a more personal level and sharing a meal together.

Diseases Treated

Blood Stream Infections

Endocarditis

Eye Infections

Meningitis

Osteomyelitis

Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

Research Interests

Dr. Boonyaratanakornkit studies viruses that afflict patients with cancer, immunocompromised and transplant patients, people with chronic medical conditions, infants, children, and older adults. He leverages highly sensitive techniques to identify protective responses against viruses and develop immune-based therapies. He studies rare B cells targeting common viruses, like respiratory syncytial virus, metapneumovirus, parainfluenza viruses, coronaviruses, and herpes viruses. He also studies how antibodies can be engineered to enhance their ability to prevent and treat viral infections in vulnerable patients.

Languages

English

Education and Experience

Fellowship, Infectious Diseases, University of Washington School of Medicine

Residency, Internal Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center

MD, University of California, San Francisco

PhD, Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Maryland

BA, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Board Certification

Infectious Disease, 2017; Internal Medicine, 2014; American Board of Internal Medicine

Awards

RSV Vaccines for the World Travel Award

Joel Meyers Endowment from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Clinical Trials

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch physicians. Many of these trials at Fred Hutch have led to FDA-approved treatments and have improved standards of care globally. Together, you and your physician can decide if a study is right for you. 

Find a Clinical Trial Led by Dr. Boonyaratanakornkit

Publications

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by other physicians and selected for publication to the United States National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world. See scientific papers this Fred Hutch physician has written. 

View Dr. Boonyaratanakornkit's Publications

Your Care Team

At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in your disease. Your team includes physicians, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs. You also have access to experts like registered dietitians, social workers, acupuncturists, psychiatrists and more who specialize in supporting people with cancer or blood disorders. 

Meet Other Providers

Insurance

Fred Hutch accepts most national private health insurance plans as well as Medicare. We also accept Medicaid for people from Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. We are working to ensure that everyone, no matter what their financial situation, has access to the care they need.

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Stories

All news
Laying the groundwork for a new cancer-preventive vaccine
Laying the groundwork for a new cancer-preventive vaccine Fred Hutch scientists garner large NCI award to uncover secrets of immune response to virus behind Kaposi sarcoma November 18, 2024
Going long: Viruses linger with lasting impact
Going long: Viruses linger with lasting impact Herpes, HIV, Epstein-Barr and other viruses hang around, causing potential long-term health woes. Should ‘long COVID’ surprise us? April 10, 2023
Two rare antibodies, one drug, four viruses
Two rare antibodies, one drug, four viruses Researchers discover antibodies to block RSV, other viruses that put transplant patients at risk March 6, 2023

Contact Information

206.667.5427