Damiano Rondelli MD

Dr. Damiano Rondelli was born in Italy. He grew up in Ravenna, then graduated at the Medical School of the University of Bologna, Italy, where he also completed a fellowship in Hematology. He started his research on hematopoietic stem cell transplant immunology as Research Associate at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA. In 1995 he became an Assistant Professor at the University of Bologna and focused his clinical work on blood cancers and transplantation of blood and marrow stem cells.

In 2002 he joined the University of Illinois at Chicago as Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program and is currently the Michael Reese Professor of Hematology and Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology and Director of BMT. He is the Principal Investigator of multiple clinical studies in stem cell transplantation for blood cancers and for sickle cell anemia. His lab research is focused on mechanisms of stem cell rejection and strategies for immune tolerance.

He also serves as Associate Director for Global Partnerships in the UIC Center for Global Health. His global health interest has focused on supporting the development of a Global Bone Marrow Transplant (GlobalBMT) program in non-for profit public or private institutions of low-middle income countries, such as MS Ramaiah Hospital in Bangalore (India), Civil Service Hospital in Kathmandu (Nepal), University College Hospital in Ibadan (Nigeria), Hermanos Amejieiras Hospital in Havana (Cuba), San Andres University in La Paz (Bolivia).