Karen Kuhn Ballen MD

Oncology•Falls Church, VA

Hematologic Oncology

Professor of Medicine, UVA School of Medicine and Section Chief, Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplants

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3300 Gallows RdFalls Church, VA 22042
Phone+1 571-423-5699
Fax+1 617-724-1126

Education & Training

Mass General Brigham/Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteFellowship, Hematology and Medical Oncology, 1989 - 1992
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterResidency, Internal Medicine, 1986 - 1989
Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthClass of 1986

Certifications & Licensure

VA State Medical License 2016 - 2026
MA State Medical License 1989 - 2018
American Board of Internal Medicine Internal Medicine
American Board of Internal Medicine Hematology
American Board of Internal Medicine Medical Oncology

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

America's Top Doctors Castle Connolly, 2012-2014
Boston Magazine Castle Connolly, 2011-2013
America's Top Doctors for Cancer Castle Connolly, 2011-2013

Clinical Trials

Study of Unrelated Cord Blood Transplantation Using Tacrolimus and Sirolimus Start of enrollment: 2005 Aug 01
Completed
Phase 2
Study of Velcade and Thalidomide in Patients With Myelodysplasia Start of enrollment: 2005 Jun 01
Terminated
Phase 1
Phase I Study of Sequential Cord Blood Transplants Start of enrollment: 2003 May 01
Completed
Phase 1
Safety Study of Parathyroid Hormone in Patients Needing Additional Stem Cell Mobilization. Start of enrollment: 2004 Jul 01
Completed
Phase 1
Study of Parathyroid Hormone Following Sequential Cord Blood Transplantation From an Unrelated Donor Start of enrollment: 2006 Sep 01
Terminated
Phase 2
A Phase II Study of Parathyroid Hormone Following Sequential Unrelated Cord Blood Transplant Start of enrollment: 2006 Sep 01
A Phase 1 Dose Escalating Trial of Bortezomib in Combination With Lenalidomide in Patients With Myelodysplasia Start of enrollment: 2007 Nov 01
Completed
Phase 1
Study of Cordycepin Plus Pentostatin in Patients With Refractory TdT-Positive Leukemia Start of enrollment: 2008 Jun 01
Unknown status
Phase 1, Phase 2
Treatment of Older Adults With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Start of enrollment: 2009 Aug 01
Completed
Phase 2
A Multicenter Access and Distribution Protocol for Unlicensed Cryopreserved Cord Blood Units (CBUs)
RECRUITING
Reduced Intensity Double Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation Start of enrollment: 2011 Dec 01
Completed
Phase 2
Double Cord Versus Haploidentical (BMT CTN 1101) Start of enrollment: 2012 Jun 01
Completed
Phase 3
The PUMA Trial is a Trial of a Single ProHema Modulated-Cord Blood (CB) Unit as Part of a Double CB Transplant in Patients With Hematologic Malignancies. Start of enrollment: 2012 Jul 01
Terminated
Phase 2
Safety Study of Unlicensed IND Cord Blood Units Manufactured by the National Cord Blood Program for Unrelated Transplantation Start of enrollment: 2012 Feb 01
Recruiting
Phase 2
Lenalidomide Plus Chemotherapy for AML Start of enrollment: 2012 Sep 01
Completed
Phase 1
Phase I Study of MLN 9708 in Addition to Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Older Adults Start of enrollment: 2014 Dec 01
Completed
Phase 1
Palliative Care Oncology in Patients with Relapsed, Refractory, and High-Risk Leukemias or MDS Start of enrollment: 2020 Aug 19
RECRUITING
PHASE2
HLA-Mismatched Unrelated Donor Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation With Reduced Dose Post Transplantation Cyclophosphamide GvHD Prophylaxis Start of enrollment: 2023 Dec 08
RECRUITING
PHASE2
Roles: Contact, Principal Investigator
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Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Purpura Fulminans fromin an Immunocompromised Host.
Indumathy Varadarajan, Natalie Pham, Karen Ballen
Case Reports in Oncology. 2024-10-29
1 citations
Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Outcomes After Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation.
Karen Ballen, Tao Wang, Naya He, Jennifer M Knight, Sanghee Hong
Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. 2024-10-01
2 citations
Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity and outcomes of patients with graft-versus-host disease: a CIBMTR analysis.
Nosha Farhadfar, Nahid Rashid, Karen Chen, Jakob DeVos, Tao Wang
Blood Advances. 2024-09-24

Journal Articles

The European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Consensus Recommendations for Donor Selection in Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Leo Luznik, Karen Ballen, Asad Bashey, Hillard M Lazarus, Bipin N Savani, Rizwan Romee, Ephraim J Fuchs, Nature

Abstracts/Posters

Development of HHV-6-Specific Immunity after Cord Blood Transplantation in Adults Depends on Reconstitution of Thymopoiesis and Regeneration of CD4+ T Cells
Karen K. Ballen, 61st Annual American Society of Hematology Meeting, Orlando, FL, 12/8/2019
Blockade of IL-15 Utilizing Bnz-1, a Selective _-Chain Inhibiting Peptide, Is Safe and Has Clinical Activity in Patients with T-Cell Large Granular Lymphocytic Leukemi...
Karen Ballen, 61st Annual American Society of Hematology Meeting, Orlando, FL, 12/8/2019
Distance Does Not Matter: Excellent Survival Outcomes for Leukemia Patients in Rural Appalachia
Karen K. Ballen, 61st Annual American Society of Hematology Meeting, Orlando, FL, 12/9/2019

Lectures

Lost to Follow-up Rates Are Higher in Pediatric Than Adult Survivors, but Not By Transplant Type: A Report from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplan...
2018 ASH Annual Meeting - San Diego, CA - 12/1/2018
Phase I Study of the Antibody-Drug Conjugate Brentuximab Vedotin Combined with Re-Induction Chemotherapy in Patients with CD30-Expressing Relapsed/Refractory Acute Mye...
2018 ASH Annual Meeting - San Diego, CA - 12/1/2018

Press Mentions

Overall Survival Improving for Umbilical Cord Blood TransplantOctober 8th, 2024
Umbilical Cord Blood Transplants Improve Cancer Survival Rates in All RacesOctober 2nd, 2024
Survival Gap Eliminated for Black Cord Blood Recipients with Blood Cancers, Study FindsOctober 1st, 2024
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