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Daria V Babushok, MD/PhD

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology-Oncology)

  • Attending Physician, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Attending, Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant Service , Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Attending, Classical Hematology Consultation Service , Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Attending, Housestaff Liquid Oncology Service , Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Attending, Outpatient Bone Marrow Failure Clinic , Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Department: Medicine
Division: Hematology-Oncology


Graduate Group Affiliations


Contact Information

Biomedical Research Building II/III, Room 808
421 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-360-0561
Lab Phone: 215-573-0667
Fax: 215-615-5888


I3H Keywords

  • Autoimmunity
  • Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Transplantation Immunity

Publications

Pubmed Link


Links


Education

  • BA (Biology, Chemistry)
    Bryn Mawr College, 2000
  • PhD (Cellular and Molecular Biology)
    University of Pennsylvania, 2007
  • MD (Medicine)
    University of Pennsylvania, 2008

Post-Graduate Training

  • Internal Medicine Intern
    Massachusetts General Hospital, 2008 - 2009
  • Internal Medicine Resident
    Massachusetts General Hospital, 2009 - 2011
  • Hematology-Oncology Fellow
    Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2011 - 2014
  • Advanced Fellow, Hematopoiesis
    University of Pennsylvania, 2014 - 2015
  • Chief Resident in Medicine
    Massachusetts General Hospital, Newton Wellesley Hospital, 2010 - 2011

Certifications

  • Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2012
  • Hematology, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2014

Description of Clinical Expertise

Bone marrow failure syndromes (inherited and acquired), acquired aplastic anemia, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, telomere biology disorders, clonal hematopoiesis, MDS/AML predisposition syndromes, MPN predisposition syndromes, myeloproliferative neoplasms

Description of Research Expertise

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
The Babushok Lab conducts basic and translational research to understand the fundamental mechanisms by which bone marrow can fail, how bone marrow failure can lead to pre-malignant genetic changes and myelodysplastic syndrome and leukemia, and the relationship between our immune system and bone marrow failure and clonal hematopoiesis.

We use state-of-the-art genome analysis, molecular biology and immunogenetic analyses, as well as in vitro and in vivo models to study the mechanisms of immune-mediated marrow failure and the factors that lead to the development of clonal hematopoiesis in bone marrow failure and aging.

KEYWORDS:
Clonal hematopoiesis, bone marrow failure, aplastic anemia, PNH, telomere biology disorders, germline predisposition, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and leukemia

ROTATION PROJECTS:
We are always looking for talented individuals who are passionate about science. There are opportunities to contribute at every level, and we welcome inquiries from undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, and medical students, residents, and fellows. Please contact Daria.Babushok at uphs.upenn.edu to discuss research opportunities.

SEE BABUSHOK LAB WEBSITE

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS:
Bolormaa Munkhbileg, MD MS – Postdoctoral Fellow
Deepanshu Maheshwari, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow

HEMATOLOGY-ONCOLOGY FELLOWS:
Gabriel Aleixo, MD – Hematology-Oncology Fellow
Aaron Cheng, MD – Hematology-Oncology Fellow
Lukas Ronner, MD, MS – Hematology-Oncology Fellow

GRADUATE STUDENTS:
Yiwei Wang, MS - IGG rotation student

MEDICAL STUDENT RESEARCHERS:
Aura Enache – Medical Student
Andrew Hu - Medical Student
Sagar Gupta - MD/PhD Student

POSTBACCALAUREATE RESEARCHERS:
Alex Howe – Postbaccalaureate Researcher
Shannon Zheng – Postbaccalaureate Researcher

Description of ITMAT Expertise

Bone marrow failure syndromes
Clonal hematopoiesis
Myeloproliferative neoplasms
Benign-to-malignant transition

Selected Publications

  • Enache A, Carty SA, Babushok DV. : Origins of T-cell-mediated autoimmunity in acquired aplastic anaemia Br J Haematol. 2025
  • Sande CM, Chen S, Mitchell DV, Lin P, Abraham DM, Cheng J, Gebhard T, Deolikar RJ, Freeman C, Zhou M, Kumar S, Bowman M, Bowman RL, Zheng S, Munkhbileg B, Chen Q, Stanley NL, Guo K, Lapite A, Hausler R, Taylor DM, Corines J, Morrissette JJD, Lieberman DB, Yang G, Shestova O, Gill S, Zheng J, Simmer KS, Banaszak LG, Shoger K, Reinig EF, Peterson M, Nicholas P, Walne AJ, Dokal I, Rosenheck JP, Oetjen KA, Link DC, Gelman AE, Reilly CR, Dutta R, Lindsley RC, Brundige K, Agarwal S, Bertuch AA, Churpek JE, Tague LK, Johnson FB, Olson TS, Babushok DV. : ATM-dependent DNA damage response constrains cell growth and drives clonal hematopoiesis in telomere biology disorders. J Clin Invest 2025
  • Babushok DV, DeZern AE, de Castro CM, Rogers ZR, Beenhouwer D, Broder MS, Fanning SR, Gibbs SN, Hanna R, Maciejewski JP, Scott BL, Tantravahi SK, Wlodarski MW, Yermilov I, Patel BJ. : Modified Delphi panel consensus recommendations for management of severe aplastic anemia. Blood Adv. August 2024
  • Connor MP, Prathapa N, Frey NV, Gill SI, Hexner EO, Bruno XJ, Lai CE, Loren AW, Luger SM, Matthews AH, McCurdy SR, Perl AE, Porter DL, Zeringue A, Oved JH, Olson TS, Pratz KW, Babushok DV. : Hypomethylating agents are associated with high rates of hematologic toxicity in patients with secondary myeloid neoplasms developing after acquired aplastic anemia Haematologica August 2024
  • Brown TJ, Barrett N, Meng H, Ricciotti E, McDonnell C, Dancis A, Qualtieri J, FitzGerald GA, Cotter M, Babushok DV. : Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as a targeted therapy for bone marrow failure in Ghosal hematodiaphyseal dysplasia. Blood March 2023
  • Colden M, Kumar S, Munkhbileg B, Babushok DV : Insights into the emergence of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Front Immunol. 12 : 830172, Jan 2022 Notes: doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.830172.
  • Olson TS, Frost BF, Duke JL, Dribus M, Xie HM, Prudowsky ZD, Furutani E, Gudera J, Shah YB, Ferriola D, Dinou A, Pagkrati I, Kim S, Xu Y, He M, Zheng S, Nijim S, Lin P, Xu C, Nakano T, Oved JH, Carreno BM, Bolon YT, Gadalla SM, Marsh SG, Paczesny S, Lee SJ, Monos DS, Shimamura A, Bertuch AA, Gragert L, Spellman S, Babushok DV : Pathogenicity and impact of HLA class I alleles in aplastic anemia patients of different ethnicities JCI Insight 11 : e163040, Oct. 2022 Notes: doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.163040. Online ahead of print.
  • Shah YB, Priore SF, Li Y, Tang CN, Nicholas P, Kurre P, Olson TS, Babushok DV. : The predictive value of PNH clones, 6p CN-LOH, and clonal TCR gene rearrangement for aplastic anemia diagnosis. Blood Adv. 5(16) : 3216-3226, Aug 2021
  • Babushok Daria V, Perdigones Nieves, Perin Juan C, Olson Timothy S, Ye Wenda, Roth Jacquelyn J, Lind Curt, Cattier Carine, Li Yimei, Hartung Helge, Paessler Michele E, Frank Dale M, Xie Hongbo M, Cross Shanna, Cockroft Joshua D, Podsakoff Gregory M, Monos Dimitrios, Biegel Jaclyn A, Mason Philip J, Bessler Monica : Emergence of clonal hematopoiesis in the majority of patients with acquired aplastic anemia. Cancer genetics 208(4) : 115-28, Apr 2015
  • Babushok DV, Duke JL, Xie HM, Stanley N, Atienza J, Perdigones, N, Nicholas P, Ferriola D, Li Y, Huang H, Ye W, Morrissette J, Podsakoff G, Biegel JA, Chou S, Monos DS, Bessler M, Olson TS. : Somatic HLA Mutations Expose the Role of Class I-Mediated Autoimmunity in Aplastic Anemia and its Clonal Complications. Blood Adv 1(22) : 1900-1910, Oct 10 2017