Rohtesh S. Mehta, MD, MPH, MS

What are you focused on at Fred Hutch?

One of the areas of my clinical and research focus has been to study the ways we can reduce the risk of Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) through improved donor and graft selection, since these factors are modifiable. I am also interested in the treatment of acute and chronic GVHD.

What are some of the things that interest you about preventing and treating GVHD?

GVHD can have significant and enduring impact on quality of life even in those who survive it. Caring for GVHD patients has been challenging in the recent past partly due to lack of therapeutics. Even though transplantations started more than half a century ago, it wasn’t until 2017 that the first drug for the treatment of refractory chronic GVHD was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Two new drugs were also approved almost back-to-back in 2021, and several new medications are currently being studied. I am very excited to be a part of changing the treatment paradigm.

Provider Background

Specialty: Medical Oncology

Area of clinical practice

Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Graft-versus-host disease

I am a medical oncologist and hematologist who sees patients at the South Lake Union Clinic, UW Medical Center – Montlake and UW Medical Center – Northwest.

I am also focused on clinical research, and have published many studies comparing different donor/graft sources through the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research registry as well as single-center analysis. In addition, I have led prospective clinical trials for the prevention of GVHD and treatment of chronic GVHD.