Rajesh Behl, MD

RAJESH BEHL, M.D.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Address: Alta Bates Summit Comprehensive Cancer Center

2001 Dwight Way

Berkeley, CA 94704

Telephone : (510) 204-1591

Fax: (510) 204-6440

CURRENT JOB DESCRIPTION/RESPONSIBILITIES :

Medical Director, Alta Bates Summit Comprehensive Cancer Center (ABSMC)
Chair, Hematology Malignancy Program of Distinction, Sutter Health
Co-Director, Hematologic Malignancy and Cellular Therapies, ABSMC
Chair, Cancer Committee, ABSMC
Chair, Oncology Service Line, ABSMC
Core Faculty, Internal Medicine Residency Program, ABSMC
Member, Medical Oncology Advisory Committee, Sutter Health

EDUCATION:

1993 MBBS, Maulana Azad Medical College (University of Delhi)

Post Graduate Training:

1992 Compulsory Rotating Internship, L.N.J.P.N. Hospital, New Delhi, India

1992 Resident House Officer, Department of Medicine, L.N.J.P.N. Hospital, New Delhi, India (Jan-June)

1992 Resident House Officer, Department of Psychiatry, G.B. Pant. Hospital, New Delhi, India (Jul-Aug)

1992 Resident House Officer, Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns, L.N.J.P.N. Hospital, New Delhi, India (Oct- Dec)

Internship. Internal Medicine. Long Island College Hospital, New York
1. Residency: Internal Medicine: University of Minnesota Hospitals and Clinics, Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Academic Pathway Program)

1. Clinical Fellow in Hematology-Oncology, Washington University School

of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri

1999-2001 Postdoctoral Research, Division of Stem Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. Advisor: Timothy J. Ley

LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION:

1993 Licensure, Medical Council of India (Certificate # MCI/11327)

1995 ECFMG Certificate (# 0-497-018-2, valid indefinitely)

1998 Board Certified in Internal Medicine (ABIM) August 1998

1998 Missouri State Licensure (#115246)

Board Certified in Medical Oncology (ABIM) November 2004
Massachusetts full MD license (#223551)

2006 California License (A96509)

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL and COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS:

2014: Core Faculty, Internal Medicine Residency Program, ABSMC

2022- Co-Chair Elsevier ClinicalPath ITP Committee

2022- Chair Hematological Malignancy Program of Distinction, Sutter Health

2022-2024 Co-Chair, Integrated Network Cancer Program Committee, Sutter Health

2022- Chair, Oncology Service Line, ABSMC

2018-2022 Site Lead for Oncology, EBMG/SEBMF

2016- Member, Medical Oncology Advisory Committee, Sutter Health

2016- Chair, Oncology Committee, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Berkeley, CA

2015- Medical Director, Alta Bates Summit Comprehensive Cancer Center,

Berkeley, CA

2015-2016 Chair, Department of Medicine, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Berkeley,

2013-2014 Vice-Chair, Department of Medicine, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Berkeley, CA USA

2012-2013 Co-Medical Director, Malignant Hematology Program, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Berkeley, CA USA

2012-2013 Member, Credentials Committee, Alta Bates Hospital, Berkeley

2007- Member of Transfusion Committee, Alta Bates Summit Comprehensive Cancer Center

2007-2014 Member Compensation Committee, SEBMG

2007-2011 Medical Director, Alta Bates Summit Blood & Marrow Transplantation Program, Berkeley, CA USA

Aug 2006- Alta Bates Summit Comprehensive Cancer Center, Berkeley, CA USA

2005-2006 Adams Fellow in Hematopoietic Transplantation. Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA USA

1. Faculty Fellow/Assistant Professor, Centre for Human Genetics, Bangalore, India

2002-2005 Visiting Faculty, Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore, India

2003-2005 Consultant, Hematology, St. Johns Medical College Hospital, Bangalore, India

OUTREACH ROLES:

2023- Board Member, MyCancerHaven, a patient-centric platform for cancer.

2012-2016: Volunteer Physician, Rota Care Free Clinic , Richmond, California

2004-2005 Member, Ethics Committee, Avestha Gengraine Technologies Pvt Limited.

2002 Member, Opinion Leaders Network. Genome Policy Forum jointly organized between the Joint Centre for Bioethics, Canada and the Indian Council for Medical Research

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

2021 Associate Member, American Society of Clinical Oncology

2021 Associate Member, American Society of Hematology

1998 American College of Physicians

1998 Associate Member, American Association for Cancer Research

1998 St. Louis Oncology Society

HONORS AND AWARDS:

2022 WebMD Preferred Provider

2022 Healthgrades Honor Roll

2018-2024 San Francisco Magazine Top Doctors (Medical Oncology)

2016-2024 Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor

2012-2024 Bay Area Consumer’s Checkbook Top Doctors (Cancer)

2012-2016 Castle Connolly Top Doctor

1999 Nabi travel award for exceptional fellows. American Society of Hematology Annual Session, New Orleans, Louisiana.

1999 American Association of Cancer Research Scholarship for the Workshop “Molecular Biology in Clinical Oncology”, Aspen, Colorado, July 1999.

1998 Winner Associates Research Competition. American College of Physicians 79th National Session, San Diego, California.

1997 American Society of Hematology Travel Merit award. ASH Annual Session, San Diego, California.

1996 Clinical Research Center Study grant, University of Minnesota.

RESEARCH, TRAINING AND CLINICAL CONTRIBUTIONS:

A. Narrative Report of Research, Teaching and Clinical Contributions:

While in India, the majority of my time was in research, studying targeted correction of mutations within the hemoglobin gene in human hematopoietic stem cells using direct gene delivery methods and recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors. Clinically, I was on the faculty at St John's Medical College Hospital, a major teaching hospital in India, where I was instrumental in starting the first BMT unit in the state of Karnataka.

As Medical Director of the Alta Bates Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is among the highest volume cancer centers in the Bay Area I have been responsible for quality, safety and outcomes at the center. I was instrumental in securing the for the first time the ASCO QOPI certification at the cancer center and we continue to maintain. In addition, under my direction the Cancer Center has continued to be maintain its numerous other accreditations, including CARF, NSABP and FACT. Here I have set up and direct the first community CAR-T cell therapy program in the Bay Area. I have developed and standardized protocols that allow us to perform the procedure largely in the outpatient setting. I was the recipient of the largest single donation and cumulative program directed philanthropy support in the history of the EBPMG for this program.

As Chair of the Cancer Committee for ABSMC, I have overseen the unbroken maintenance of Commission on Cancer accreditation of our cancer program by the American College of Surgeons and later as the Co-chair of the Sutter Integrated Network Cancer Program Committee, helped secure the first system wide COC acrreditation of the entire Sutter network of cancer centers.

In 2016, I floated the idea of phone app-based management of oral chemotherapy and, subsequently have led the initiation and design of a unique app for management and helped secure one of the largest grants for this project from Astra Zeneca. This oral chemo initiative has been recognized bt the American Association of cancer centers and, in late 2024, this will be evaluated in a Sutter system wide clinical trial.

I am Principal investigator of several cancer drug trials at the ccc and am spearheading the first Allogeneic CAR-T cell trial in the Sutter system.

As Chair of the Hematology Program of Distinction, I oversee the standardization of processes in Hematology programs within the Sutter System, and as Core faculty of the new Internal medicine residency program at ABSMC am involved in curriculum development and training of residents.

D. Report of Teaching

Local, Regional and National; Contributions:

1998 Speaker: Garibaldi Conference. University of Minnesota.

1998 ACP annual session 1998. Invited to speak on submitted abstract.

2000 Instructor, Hematology Block, Washington University School of Medicine.

2001 Instructor Free Medical Students Weekend Clinic, Washington University School of Medicine.

2001 Speaker. Washington University School of Medicine Annual Immunology retreat.

2001 American Society of Hematology annual session, Orlando, Florida. Invited to speak on submitted abstract.

2002 Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Seminar; Molecular Pathogenesis of Graft versus Host Disease.

2002 Tata Cancer Center, Bombay, India Seminar: Role of Orphan Granzymes in Graft versus Host Disease. June 30, 2002.

2002 Bangalore Childrens’ Hospital. Continuing Medical Education programme. November 10, 2002. Cellular immunity and HIV.

2002 Taking Biotechnology to the Bedside. Genome Policy Executive course. Conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research and University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics. Kumarakom, Kerala. Invited to lecture to National Opinion leaders

2004 Lecture. Stem-Sem meeting on Stem Cell Biology. L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. January 2004.

2004 Lecture. “Future of Biotechnology and Chemical Sectors in India”. US-India Business council symposium organized by United States Department of Energy at Asia Society, New York. June 10, 2004.

2004 Cancer Biology Lecture Series. Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore.

2008 Grand Rounds Highland Hospital: Treatment of Anemia

2013 Alta Bates Hospital Grand Rounds. Focus on Rare Forms of Acute Myeloid Leukemias 03/28/13

2016 Invited Lecture: Steps to Success: Implementing Oral Oncolytics Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC). 33^rd National Oncology Congress St. Louis, MO

2016 Treating Blood Dyscrasias of Young Adults; Myer Lecture Series

Case Based Discussion: Myer Lecture Series, Tang Health Center at UC Berkeley

2020 ABSMC Grand Rounds POEMS Syndrome 09/28/20

2021 Blood dyscrasias of Young Adults. Tang Health Center UC Berkeley 04/28/16

2021 Virtual SEBMG Journal Club; Anemias, with focus on Iron Deficiency 06/14/21

2021 Sutter Health Virtual Grand Rounds CAR-T Cells 12/17/21

2023 Presentation Oral Oncology project Sutter Health Research Symposium 08/25/23

2024 Ask the Expert- real World Case Study Kymriah ; Novartis. Orlando, FL 02/21/24

2024 Sutter Health Oncology Excellence Day. Presentation re: Cellular Therapy Program of Distinction . Half Moon Bay, CA.

2024 Grand Rounds Epic Care (Virtual) CAR- T cells in the East Bay 4/29/24

2024 Lecture How I Treat Adult ALL. Faculty, ANCO Hematology Malignancy Conference, Monterey, CA 05/04,2024

2024 Member American Society of Hematology, ASH 2024 Education Program Planning Committee

2004 Panelist MDS session APPOS San Francisco (08/17/24)

Peer Review:

2000 American Family Physician (Peer reviewed journal for the American Academy of Family Physicians)

2002 Journal of Genetics

2002 Current Science

Other Leadership Roles:

2014 Board of Directors My Cancer Haven

2004 Member, Ethics Committee. Avestha Gengraine Technologies Pvt. Limited.

2002 Member of Opinion Leaders network. Genome Policy Forum Jointly organized between the Joint Centre for Bioethics, Canada and the Indian Council for Medical Research.

2004 Member, Ethics Committee. Avestha Gengraine Technologies Pvt. Limited.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Original Reports:

Behl R, Klein MB, Dandelet LA, Bach RR, Goodman JL, Key NS; Induction of tissue factor procoagulant activity in myelomonocytic cells inoculated by the agent of Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis. Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 2000; 83:114-8

Kaufman RM, Lu ZH, Behl R, Holt JM, Ackers GK, Ley TJ; Lack of neighborhood effects from a transcriptionally active phosphoglycerate kinase-neo cassette located between the murine ß-major minor genes. Blood, 2001: 98(1); 65-73.

Revell P*, Grossman WJ*, Thomas DA*, Cao X*, Behl R*, Ratner JA, Lu ZH, Ley TJ. Granzyme B and the Downstream Granzymes C and/or F Are Important for Cytotoxic Lymphocyte Functions. J Immunol. 2005 Feb 15;174(4):2124-31. * Equal contributors.

Koreth R, Cutler CS, Djulbegovic B, Behl R, Schlossman, RL, Munshi NC, Richardson PG, Anderson KC, Soiffer RJ, Alyea EP . Upfront high dose therapy and single autologous transplantation versus non-myeloablative therapy for de-novo multiple myeloma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2007 Feb;13(2):183-96.

Meliotos A Dimopolous et al Addition of elotuzumab to lenalidomide and dexamethasone for patients with newly diagnosed, transplantation ineligible multiple myeloma (ELOQUENT-1): an open-label, multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial. Lancet Haematol 2022 Jun;9(6):e403-e414.

Reviews, Chapters, Editorials:

Sharma HS, Mouton CP, Behl R. Selected diseases in elderly persons. Edition 233, home study self-assessment program, Kansas City, MO: American Academy of Family Physicians, October 1998.

Blinder MA, Behl R. Coagulation Disorders in Cancer. The Washington Manual of Oncology, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publishers 2002; pp 441-447

Behl R. Treating Medical Disorders: challenges and recommendations. Issues in Medical Ethics 2003 Vol. XI (2), 52-53.

Abstracts:

Behl R, Klein MB, Goodman JL, Key NS; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis. Two case reports and a possible mechanism. ACP annual session 1997, Minneapolis, MN.

Behl R, Klein MB, Dandelet LA, Bach RR, Goodman JL, Key, NS; Induction of Tissue Factor Procoagulant activity in HL-60 cells inoculated by the agent of Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis. Blood, 1997; 90 (10), Suppl. 1:451a.

Behl R, Klein MB, Dandelet LA, Goodman JL, Key NS; Induction of Tissue Factor Procoagulant activity in HL-60 cells inoculated by the agent of H.G.E. 15^th International Congress on Thrombosis, Antalya, Turkey, October 16-21, 1998.

Behl R, Thomas DA, Ley TJ; Orphan Granzymes are important for Graft Versus Host Disease in a complete MHC mismatched model of murine graft versus host disease, Washington University School of Medicine Annual Immunology retreat, 2001

Behl R, Thomas DA, Lu ZH, Johnson HD, Ritchie J, Ley TJ; Orphan Granzymes downstream of Granzyme B are important for Graft Versus Host Disease in a complete MHC mismatched model of murine graft versus host disease, American Society of Hematology annual session, Orlando, Florida, December, 2001. Oral presentation.

Pampa KJ Behl R. Derivation of Human Embryonic Stem cells Using Human Feeder Cell Layers. Indian Society of Developmental Biology. Annual Meeting. Bangalore. November 2004.

Chacko A, Patil R, Upadhayay A, Arya D, Nagrajan A, Khatri R, Krishna S, Sowdhamini R, Ross C and Behl R High Throughput Exome Sequencing Approach To Analyse Events Within a Good Responder CML Patient Under Imatinib At Diagnosis and Under Remission. Blood, Volume 122, Issue 21, 15 November 2013, Page 5161

Dolezal MV Leong V Behl R Monitoring oral anticancer therapy adherence in cancer patients using web based application guided communication compared with nurse counseling at a community cancer center. Journal of Cinical Oncology 35, no.5- Suppl (Feb 10, 2017) 88-88

Westin, J Behl R et al ALPHA3: A Pivotal Phase 2 Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of First-Line (1L) Consolidation With Cemacabtagene Ansegedleucel (Cema-Cel) in Patients With Large B-Cell Lymphoma (LBCL) and Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) After Response to Standard Therapy. Submitted to SOHO 2024