By Merin C. MacDonald
Department of Medicine oncologist passionate about bringing CAR T cell therapy to patients in Central Massachusetts
Inspired to go into medicine by watching her parents, both physicians, dedicate their lives to helping patients, Poorva Bindal, MD, an assistant professor of medicine and oncologist in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, remembers the first time she considered becoming an oncologist. “In my high school in India, I attended a seminar given by one of the authors of a renowned pathology textbook,” she recalled. “He discussed the molecular biology behind the pathogenesis of cancer and I was so deeply enraptured by how cells behave. I couldn’t take my mind away from the pathways that lead to the development of this ever-evolving disease and how we can use this knowledge to help our patients.”
During medical school, Dr. Bindal’s interest in oncology grew when she worked with a community oncologist in an underserved area in rural India. This “deeply immersive” experience was profoundly fulfilling and solidified her decision to become an oncologist. Beyond having a clinical practice, her interest in cancer cellular biology led her to pursue training in the United States to develop as a clinical investigator in oncology.
Dr. Bindal completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, where she also served as a chief medical resident. She then went on to complete a clinical and research fellowship in hematology and oncology at Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston where she trained with international leaders in the field of cellular therapy. In 2022, she was thrilled to join the faculty at UMass Chan Medical School/UMass Memorial Health and the growing research program in cellular therapeutics.
“During my fellowship, I developed a very keen interest in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. I was working in the lab on mouse models to study combinatorial strategies to overcome resistance and relapse after CAR T cell therapy. I also had the opportunity to bring some of this exciting work into our clinic in the form of an early-phase clinical trial,” said Dr. Bindal. “When the opportunity to help expand the research program for cellular therapeutics at UMass was brought to my attention, it was a no-brainer. I felt so welcome when I spoke to the leadership in the Department of Medicine. I quickly found my home here and have had the pleasure of working with an exceptional team that has made the tremendous growth of our CAR T cell therapy program possible over the past three years. It truly takes a village!”
Dr. Bindal cares for patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma and her primary area of professional interest is cellular-based therapies, specifically CAR T cell therapy for hematologic malignancies and non-hematologic conditions. She also leads the Cellular Therapeutics Task Force which aims to streamline processes and facilitate interdepartmental collaboration. “CAR T cell therapy is very rapidly evolving and we offer all of the FDA-approved CAR T cell products to our patients here at UMass,” said Dr. Bindal. “We serve patients who have very unique needs but may not want to travel far to be able to get the care that they need. We are looking to fulfill an area of unmet need where we have clinical trials and these novel treatments available to our patients at their doorstep.” The Cellular Therapeutics Task Force is also facilitating the launch of CAR T cell therapy clinical trials in the Division of Rheumatology and the Department of Neurology for conditions like lupus, systemic sclerosis, and myasthenia gravis.
“My vision for UMass is to be recognized as the leading institution and referral center for not just Central Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Western Massachusetts, but for it to emerge as one of the national leaders in cellular therapeutics,” said Dr. Bindal. “Most importantly, we want to provide our patients with the highest standard of care by utilizing cutting-edge medical advancements.”
We thank Dr. Bindal for the passion that she brings to patient care, clinical research, and leadership in the Department of Medicine!