Leonard N. Chen, MD, PhD

MD, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan
PhD, Georgetown University Medical Center

Dr. Chen is a board-certified clinical pathologist and transfusion medicine specialist with a research background in immunogenetics. He is a Staff Clinician in Blood Services Section (BSS), Department of Transfusion Medicine (DTM), Clinical Center. He is the Program Director of the NIH Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine Fellowship.

He received MD degree from Taipei Medical University in Taiwan. Having decided to become a physician-scientist, he went to Georgetown University Medical Center (Washington, DC) to study immunogenetics on multiple sclerosis. After obtaining his PhD in immunology, he continued his research in T-cell activation and antigen recognition as a postdoctoral fellow before transitioning to be a physician-scientist in the department of radiation oncology at Georgetown University Hospital where he conducted several basic and translational research projects as well as undertook several clinical trials in cancer research.

During his residency at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, he developed interest in transfusion medicine. He published a review on serological weak-D phenotypes and several articles stemmed from his clinical research and case reports. His research on G-CSF stimulated HPC/A donors during his transfusion medicine fellowship at NIH DTM won the 2020 AABB Future Leader Fellow Award.

His research interests including therapeutic apheresis, cell-based immunotherapy, transfusion transmitted diseases, blood group antigens and molecular genetics.

• NIH Clinical Center CEO Award "Rapid Implementation of Pediatric ECP for Urgent In-house Provision of Care"
• NIH Clinical Center SuperSTARS Award, 2021
• AABB Future Leader Transfusion Medicine Fellow Scholarship Award, 2020
• NIH Clinical Center CEO Award "COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Donor Program Team", 2020
• NIH Clinical Center CEO Award "Blood safety and availability during COVID-19 Team", 2020
• Joise King HeRO Award, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, 2017

M. Gedda, P. Danaher, L. Shao, M. Ongkeko, L. Chen, A. Dinh, M. Sall, O. Reddy, C. Bailey, A. Wahaba, I. Dzekunova, R. Somerville, V. De Giorgi, J. Ping, K. West, S. Panch, D. Stroncek. Longitudinal Transcriptional Analysis of Peripheral Blood Leukocytes in COVID Convalescent Donors. (2022) J. Transl Med. 20, 587 (PMID 36510222)

M. Miller, J. Long, K. Conry-Cantilena, L. Chen, K. West-Mitchell, V. De Giorgi. Transfusion. 2024 Jul 5. Seasonal Increase in Syphilis Screening Reactivity Rates in Whole Blood Donors, United States, (2024) 2011-2023. (PMID: 38966907)

A. Alswied, D. Daniel, L. Chen, K. West-Mitchell, CD34+ Cell Yield Among Healthy Donors: Large-Scale Model Development and Validation. (2024) J. Clin Apher, Jun; 39(3):e22135, (PMID: 38924158)

M. Gedda, P. Danaher, L. Shao, M. Ongkeko, L. Chen, A. Dinh, M. Sall, O. Reddy, C. Bailey, A. Wahaba, I. Dzekunova, R. Somerville, V. De Giorgi, J. Ping, K. West, S. Panch, D. Stroncek. Longitudinal Transcriptional Analysis of Peripheral Blood Leukocytes in COVID Convalescent Donors. (2022) J. Transl Med. 20, 587 (PMID 36510222)

TL. Tsai, L. Chen, TL. Ma, C. Cantilena, WA. Flegel, KA. West-Mitchell. Transfusion of red cells from donors with hereditary haemochromatosis improve haemoglobin increments in patients. (2023) Brist J Haem. (PMID 37460301 )

L. Chen, K. West-Mitchell, C. Cantilena, The observed increased pro-BNP post G-CSF mobilization occurred among donors with both peripheral access and central access for apheresis collection. (2022) J Clin Apher. 2022 Dec;37(6):614 (PMID: 36370385)

L. Chen, C. Montemayor-Garcia, K. West, C. Cantilena. Increased Serum Pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide in Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Donors Stimulated with G-CSF. (2022) J. Clin Apheresis (PMID: 35301751)

Y. Yu, D. Esposito, Z. Kang, J. Lu, A. Remaley, V. De Giorgi, L. Chen, K. West, L. Cao. mRNA vaccineinduced antibodies more effective than natural immunity in neutralizing SARS CoV 2 and its high affinity variants. (2022) Sci Reports 12, 2628 (PMID: 35173254)

V. De Giorgi, K. West, A. Henning, L. Chen, M. Holbrook, R. Gross, J. Liang, E. Postnikova, J. Trenbeath, S. Pogue, T. Scinto, H. Alter, C. Cantilena. Naturally Acquired SARS-CoV-2 Immunity Persists for Up to 11 months Following Infection. (2021) J. Infect Disease 224(8):1294-1304 (PMID: 34089610)

P. Dayand Borge and L. Chen, Chapter 2: Physiology of Donor Apheresis and Donor Reactions, Apheresis: Principles and Practice, 4th ed (AABB 2021) (ISBN 978-1-56395-416-0)

L. Chen, N. Collins-Johnson, N. Sapp, A. Pickett, K. West, D.F. Stroncek, S.R. Panch. How do I Structure Logistical Processes in Preparation for Outsourcing of Cellular Therapy Manufacturing? (2019) Transfusion 59(8):2506-2518 (PMID: 31135995)

SG. Sandler, L. Chen. Serologic Weak D Phenotypes: A Review and Guidance for Interpreting the RhD Blood Type Using the RHD Genotype. (2017) British J Haematology 179(1): 10-19 (PMID: 28508413)