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Carpenter
Paul A. Carpenter, MBBS
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Paul A. Carpenter, MBBS

Hematology

  • Clinical Director, Long Term Follow-Up Clinical Service, Fred Hutch
  • Attending Physician, Outpatient Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, Fred Hutch
  • Professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch
  • Affiliate Investigator, Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutch
  • Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine
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About

Dr. Paul Carpenter is a Fred Hutch physician who specializes in pediatric blood and marrow transplantation, providing long-term care for transplant survivors. He leads research to prevent and improve treatment of graft-versus-host disease and other post-transplant complications.

Background

Dr. Carpenter is the clinical director of the Adult Long-Term Follow-up Program at Fred Hutch and an attending physician at Seattle Children’s. His clinical expertise is in supporting patients as they recover and manage complications that can arise months or years after a transplant.

A major focus of Dr. Carpenter’s research is developing better treatments for short- and long-term graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). He leads clinical trials testing new treatments for this disease and studies ways to reduce the long-term side effects of GVHD therapies and prevent relapse after treatment. His research is closely connected to what he sees in patient care, aiming to improve both survival and quality of life for transplant survivors.

As clinical director for Fred Hutch Long-Term Follow-Up Program, Dr. Carpenter leads a team that supports transplant survivors and their primary care physicians in managing post-treatment complications as patients resume daily life. The LTFU Program also serves as a model for training transplant physicians. In addition, Dr. Carpenter co-chairs the Committee on Practice Guidelines for the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, helping develop clinical practice guidelines for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation that reflect the latest scientific evidence.

Area of Clinical Practice
Pediatric blood and marrow transplantation

“It’s important to listen to patients and families — they bring valuable insight and ideas to the table.”

— Dr. Carpenter

Tell us about an interaction with a patient that had an impact on you.

There’s a young patient I’ve worked with for a long time who has graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This complication can develop after a bone marrow transplant when the transplanted cells attack the recipient’s healthy cells, causing serious illness or even death. During one of our appointments, the patient’s mother showed me a research article about an experimental therapy, wondering if it would help. There was a chance it could be beneficial for pediatric patients, so we worked hard to get the therapy, and ultimately her child survived. Other patients in similar condition were also able to benefit from this therapy. It’s important to listen to patients and families — they bring valuable insight and ideas to the table.

What do you want patients to know about working with you?

My approach to care is based on four key elements: being an attentive listener, empowering patients and families, maintaining open communication and keeping quality of life at the forefront of any treatment decisions. I also try to focus on what we can control versus what we can’t, breaking down large, overwhelming problems into more manageable pieces and setting realistic expectations about milestones and the pace of improvement. For me, one of the most enjoyable aspects about this area of medicine are the long-term relationships I develop with patients and families. It’s rewarding to explain complex health information while also helping people work through difficult decisions about care and treatment.

Diseases Treated

Congenital Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia

Dyskeratosis Congenita

Immune Deficiency Diseases

Neuroblastoma

Osteopetrosis

Scleroderma

Severe Congenital Neutropenia

Thalassemia

Diamond-Blackfan Anemia

HIV Malignancies

IPEX Syndrome

Neutropenia

Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria

Severe Combined Immune Deficiency

Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome

Current Projects

Dr. Carpenter is participating in a multi-site trial that will collect and analyze samples from pediatric HCT patients in order to validate biomarkers of acute and chronic GVHD. Enrollment recently completed on a phase I/II clinical trial to determine if giving patients nilotinib 100 days after HCT is effective in reducing relapse in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemias. Data analysis is beginning on a national multicenter trial he is leading that compared two chronic graft-versus-host disease drug regimens.

Languages

English

Education and Experience

Fellowship, Human Immunogenetics, Fred Hutch; Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Washington

Residency, Pediatrics, Sydney Children's Hospital

Internship, General Medicine, Concord Repatriation General Hospital

MBBS, Medicine and Surgery, University of Sydney

BSc, Medicine, University of Sydney

Board Certification

General Pediatrics (non-ABMS)

Awards

Seattle Magazine's 2023 Top Doctors Award
Dr. Carpenter has received this peer-nominated award for exceptional patient care.

Seattle Met's 2021 Top Doctors Award
Dr. Carpenter has received this peer-nominated award for exceptional patient care.

Clinical Trials

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch physicians and researchers. 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. Carpenter

Publications

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians and researchers conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by others in their field 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. Carpenter'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.

More About Insurance

Stories

All news
How I learned that it's the strangers who save you
How I learned that it's the strangers who save you August 28, 2017
'None of us practices in a vacuum'
'None of us practices in a vacuum' Ali Johany Award recognizes Paul Carpenter's outstanding collegial approach to patient care and clinical research September 21, 2006

Contact Information

206.667.2535

206.667.1034