Saad Usmani, MD, has been named Chief of the Myeloma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). He joins MSK from the Levine Cancer Center in North Carolina and succeeds C. Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, who previously served in this role for six years.
Dr. Usmani is a hematologic oncologist with more than 14 years of experience specializing in the care of patients with multiple myeloma and other disorders affecting plasma cells. As a translational investigator, Dr. Usmani has worked individually and as part of teams that have shed new light on the biology, pathogenesis, and therapy of these disorders and has been involved with the clinical development of several therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for patients with multiple myeloma and other blood cancers. His research has brought to the forefront the racial disparities impacting the treatment and response to multiple myeloma.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Usmani to the MSK community. His expertise in patient care, his research on the use of minimal residual disease testing to guide treatment decisions, his passion for developing new approaches for patients with high-risk disease, and his outstanding track record as a mentor and team builder position him for great success,” explained Deb Schrag, MD, Chair of the Department of Medicine at MSK. “Dr. Usmani is not one to shy away from a challenge. He has hit the ground running, and the Myeloma Service will thrive under his leadership.”
Outside of the clinic and the lab, Dr. Usmani can be found training for a race or an endurance event to raise funds for cancer research. He completed the 2021 New York City Marathon as a member of MSK’s Fred’s Team and has previously run the Boston Marathon and completed the Mount Everest Base Camp trek.
Dr. Usmani reflected on his new role, stating: “My goal is to broaden the scope of research we do through the whole spectrum of the disease, nurture the career and research goals of my faculty, and leverage MSK’s regional sites to increase the Myeloma Service presence and access to care for patients.”
Dr. Usmani completed his medical education in Pakistan before completing an internal residency training at Sinai-Grace Hospital/Wayne State University, in Detroit, and a hematology and medical oncology fellowship at the University of Connecticut. He received his master’s in business administration from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.