CIBMTR proudly announces that Najla El Jurdi, MD, as the new Scientific Director of the Graft-versus-Host Disease Working Committee, effective July 1, 2025, as we bid farewell to Stephanie Lee, MD, MPH, who has served in this role since 2021. Dr. Lee continues in her role as Co-Scientific Director of the Immunobiology Working Committee.
Dr. El Jurdi is an Associate Research Physician and Head of the GVHD and Late Effects Unit at the National Cancer Institute. She received her MD from the American University of Beirut and was previously a faculty member at the University of Minnesota from 2018-2024.
Dr. El Jurdi has extensive experience with clinical trials in acute and chronic GVHD, translational research in the role of the microbiome, and retrospective analysis of GVHD data. For the past two years, she has been a CIBMTR Page Scholar working with the GVHD Working Committee. Dr. El Jurdi is looking forward to working with the GVHD Working Committee Chairs, statisticians, study principal investigators and wider transplant community to advance knowledge about GVHD. When she is not working, she enjoys exploring with her two young children the parks and beaches in the Washington, D.C.; Maryland; and Virginia.
“It was a great privilege to be a CIBMTR Page Scholar and to be mentored by Stephanie (Dr. Lee) and Steve (Steve Spellman). I’m honored to continue contributing to the transplant community in this role and look forward to being part of the CIBMTR team," says Dr. El Jurdi.
Please help us in welcoming Dr. El Jurdi!