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Biernacki
Melinda Biernacki, MD

Melinda Biernacki, MD

Hematology-Oncology

  • Physician, Fred Hutch
  • Assistant Professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch
  • Member, Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center (IIRC), Fred Hutch
  • Affiliate Investigator, Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutch
  • Assistant Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine
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About

Dr. Melinda Biernacki is a board-certified physician and researcher who sees patients with blood cancers at the Fred Hutch. Her research focuses on blood and marrow transplantation and immunotherapy.

Background

Dr. Biernacki is a hematologist-oncologist who cares for people with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. Complex blood diseases like these often involve blood stem cell transplantation and immune-based treatments.

In addition to clinical care, Dr. Biernacki is a researcher focused on improving transplantation and immunotherapy for myeloid malignancies. Much of this work is still in the research phase, but it is closely connected to patient care, with the goal of translating discoveries from the laboratory into future treatment options. Dr. Biernacki is particularly interested in challenging and complex diseases and finds it rewarding to unravel how these conditions work to improve outcomes for patients.

Dr. Biernacki’s research centers on harnessing the power of T cells, a type of immune cell that plays a key role in recognizing and destroying cancer cells. This includes identifying new cancer-specific targets for developing T cell–based immunotherapies. She also aims to improve blood stem cell transplantation by enhancing donor T cells’ ability to attack cancer while reducing their effects on healthy tissues, with the aim of making these treatments safer and more effective.

Area of Clinical Practice
Blood and marrow transplantation, immunotherapy

“When you’re going through something life-altering, I want to meet you where you are, reach out a hand and let you know we’ll get through this together.”

— Dr. Biernacki

What do you value about your work?

I have multiple family members who have been affected by cancer — including, when I was really young, my grandfather, who had metastatic melanoma. He was enrolled in a clinical trial, and unfortunately the treatment didn’t work for him. Now, many years later, I’ve come of age as a medical oncologist in the time of immunotherapies, including options that might have helped him.

One of the things I love about Fred Hutch is that we’re on the leading edge. Working in the clinic means I have the ability to offer you new therapies, and I can also go back to my colleagues in the lab and collaborate with them on research to understand more about how the therapy works and how we can make it better. 

What do you hope it’s like for a patient to work with you?

Communication is really important to me. My goal is to make the complicated process of getting a bone marrow transplant or immunotherapy understandable to anyone who walks through the door. I want to help you know what you can expect your experience to be like.

I had a patient once who was doing poorly after a second transplant. He was down in the dumps, and every day when I saw him, I would try to get him to smile. Finally, one day I got him to crack by telling a bad joke. It was an important moment of connection. Treatment is a partnership between the two of us with shared decision-making, and as your physician, I want to connect with you on a human level.

Diseases Treated

Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia 

Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Languages

English

Education and Experience

Fellowship, Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington

Residency, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Internship, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Brown University

MD, University of Connecticut School of Medicine

Undergraduate Degree, Reed College

Board Certification

Internal Medicine, 2013, recertified 2024; Medical Oncology, 2017, recertified 2024; American Board of Internal Medicine

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. Biernacki

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. Biernacki'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
Experimental, precision strategy targets unique cancer protein found in certain acute myeloid leukemia cases
Experimental, precision strategy targets unique cancer protein found in certain acute myeloid leukemia cases Lab study shows promise of aiming genetically engineered T-cell therapy at a gene fusion August 28, 2020

Contact Information

206.667.7770

206.667.4475