Photo: Jignesh Dalal (above center) with the Cross Family.

Not many physicians can say they helped develop a potential cure for a disease. Jignesh Dalal, MD,Director of Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy at UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Angie Fowler Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Institute, is one of those physicians.

Dr. Dalal spearheaded a clinical trial that developed a successful gene therapy to treat sickle cell disease. In recognition of his incredible scientific work and extraordinary patient care, he was recently named the inaugural Mary Ann Cross Chair in Pediatric and Young Adult Immunotherapy.

“This chair is named in honor of Mary Ann Cross, who bravely battled Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia for nearly 25 years,” said Dan Simon, MD President, UH Academic and External Affairs and Chief Scientific Officer, Interim President, UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute and the Ernie and Patti Novak Distinguished Chair in Healthcare Leadership. “Her son, my friend and UH colleague, Ryan Cross, along with friends Char and Chuck Fowler, Linda and Geoff Masten and Sharon Klonowski, created the Cross Out Cancer benefit to help advance immunotherapy research and program development for cancer and blood disorder patients at Angie’s Institute and the Wesley Center for Immunotherapy at UH Seidman Cancer Center.”

“I am so grateful to everyone who helped make this chair possible,” said Dr. Dalal. “The support from this endowed position will help me continue the research that is changing the course of treatment and quality of life for patients and their families.”

“This chair wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible work of our Cross Out Cancer benefit committee (pictured above), our amazing supporters and wonderful community partners,” said Ryan Cross, Mary Ann’s son and Vice President, UH Institutional Relations & Development. “I have had the honor of working with the incredible physicians at Angie’s Institute and UH Seidman for many years. Jignesh is a remarkable physician scientist and one of the most insightful, dedicated and compassionate caregivers at UH Rainbow.”

Within Angie’s Institute, Dr. Dalal has led the way in bringing a suite of clinical trials evaluating genetically modified cell therapies to UH, providing access to lifesaving, curative therapies for chronic conditions like sickle cell disease and thalassemia. The impact on patient care is immeasurable and earned UH Rainbow the designation as a Center of Excellence for the delivery of gene therapy for sickle cell disease.

Dr. Dalal added, “I hope that gene therapy will one day be able to change the lives of people around the world and the Mary Ann Cross Chair will certainly help move that dream forward.”