Seldin-Smith Physician-Scientist Lecturer

Dr. Sankaran studies how blood cells are made and how inherited genetic changes can lead to disease. His research has uncovered important clues about the causes of disorders such as sickle cell disease, thalassemia, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, aplastic anemia, and childhood leukemia. These discoveries have improved understanding of how these diseases develop and have helped researchers identify new approaches to treatment.

Among his most influential contributions is research that helped pave the way for new gene-based treatments for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. While still a trainee in the laboratory of Stuart H. Orkin at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard, Dr. Sankaran was first author of a landmark 2008 Science paper showing how the body switches from producing fetal hemoglobin, the form of hemoglobin used before birth, to adult hemoglobin after birth.

That discovery proved to be a major breakthrough. By identifying a key genetic regulator of this process, Dr. Sankaran and his colleagues helped establish the foundation for therapies that restore fetal hemoglobin production in people with sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. Their work ultimately contributed to the development of Casgevy, one of the first approved CRISPR-based treatments for these conditions.

As a physician-scientist, Dr. Sankaran bridges laboratory discovery and patient care. He cares for children and adults with a range of blood disorders as he works to translate scientific discoveries into new treatments, making him a leader in precision medicine.

The Sankaran Laboratory studies how blood and immune cells develop and what goes wrong in disease. The laboratory combines genetic research with laboratory studies to identify new treatment opportunities and improve care for patients.

Dr. Sankaran earned both his medical and doctoral degrees from Harvard. He completed residency training in pediatrics through the Boston Children's Hospital/Boston Medical Center Combined Residency Program, followed by a fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital.

Dr. Sankaran has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and received numerous honors for his contributions to medicine and biomedical research. His awards include the 2019 Donald Seldin-Holly Smith Award for Pioneering Research, the 2022 E. Mead Johnson Award, and the 2024 Paul-Gallin Trailblazer Prize. He is an elected member of the Association of American Physicians and the American Society for Clinical Investigation.