Ruyan Rahnama, MD, PhD, MSc

Instructor in Pediatric Oncology with clinical and research focus in childhood leukemia and the development of novel engineered cell therapies using natural killer cells as an effector platform.
Education
PhD, 08/2024 - Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Fellowship, 06/2022 - Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Johns Hopkins University/ National Institute of Health
Residency, 06/2019 - General Pediatrics, New York Presbyterian / Columbia University Medical Center / Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
MD, 05/2016 - Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
MSc, 08/2012 - Global Health, University of California, San Francisco
BA, 05/2010 - Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
Honors and Awards
  • Hyundai Hope on Wheels Young Investigator Award, 2025-2027
  • Department of Pediatrics K12 Award, UCSF, 2025-2027
  • Third Year Fellowship Award, St. Baldrick's Foundation, 2024
  • Fellowship Award, St. Baldrick's Foundation, 2022

  1. Choe J, Chakravarti S, Holl NJ, Zinsky MT, Jones DG, Guchhait S, Rahnama R, Vorri SC, Amaral A, Lucas CG, Raabe EH, Bonifant CL. B7-H3-targeted natural killer cells effectively kill atypical teratoid / rhabdoid tumors and extend survival in orthotopic xenografts. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2026. PMID: 41648287


  2. Holl NJ, Fearnow A, Christodoulou I, Vorri SC, Rahnama R, Choe J, Ghosal A, Ng WI, Vyas V, Song HW, Varadhan R, Bonifant CL. Early cytokine and chemokine signals shape the anti-AML activity of bispecific engager-secreting T cells. Volume 111 of Issue 2. Haematologica 2025. PMID: 40931866


  3. Rahnama R, Kizerwetter M, Yang H, Christodoulou I, Guaraca C, Holl NJ, Choe J, Vorri SC, Zinsky M, Jones DG, Garcia Espinoza N, Kuo YH, Zahurak M, Varadhan R, Spangler JB, Bonifant CL. Single-chain variable fragment affinity tuning can optimize anti-AML CAR-NK cell functionality. Volume 13 of Issue 2. Journal for immunotherapy of cancer 2025. PMID: 39915004


  4. Murphy J, Sundby RT, Resch EE, Rahnama R, Lemberg KM, Maalouf A, Suru A, Fixler J, Ladle BH, Rhee DS, Levin AS, Pallavajjala A, Gocke C, Ladra MM, Groves ML, Acharya S, Gross JM, Llosa NJ, Pratilas CA. Brain Metastasis in Pediatric Patients with Osteosarcoma. Volume 31 of Issue 11. Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) 2024. PMID: 39590147


  5. Vorri SC, Holl NJ, Leeming M, Apostolova P, Marple A, Ravich JW, Canbaz A, Rahnama R, Choe J, Modi A, Fearnow AD, Walsh STR, Pearce EL, Varadhan R, Bonifant CL. Activation of Cell-Intrinsic Signaling in CAR-T Cells via a Chimeric IL7R Domain. Volume 4 of Issue 9. Cancer research communications 2024. PMID: 39186002


  6. Rahnama R, Bonifant CL. Engineering builds multipotency for iPSC-NKs. Volume 140 of Issue 23. Blood 2022. PMID: 36480219


  7. Rahnama R, Christodoulou I, Bonifant CL. Gene-Based Natural Killer Cell Therapies for the Treatment of Pediatric Hematologic Malignancies. Volume 36 of Issue 4. Hematology/oncology clinics of North America 2022. PMID: 35773048


  8. Christodoulou I, Rahnama R, Ravich JW, Seo J, Zolov SN, Marple AN, Markovitz DM, Bonifant CL. Glycoprotein Targeted CAR-NK Cells for the Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Volume 12. Frontiers in immunology 2021. PMID: 35003077


  9. Christodoulou I, Ho WJ, Marple A, Ravich JW, Tam A, Rahnama R, Fearnow A, Rietberg C, Yanik S, Solomou EE, Varadhan R, Koldobskiy MA, Bonifant CL. Engineering CAR-NK cells to secrete IL-15 sustains their anti-AML functionality but is associated with systemic toxicities. Volume 9 of Issue 12. Journal for immunotherapy of cancer 2021. PMID: 34896980


  10. Rahnama R, Mohraz M, Mirzazadeh A, Rutherford G, McFarland W, Akbari G, Malekinejad M. Access to harm reduction programs among persons who inject drugs: findings from a respondent-driven sampling survey in Tehran, Iran. The International journal on drug policy 2014. PMID: 24974367


  11. Wang M, Rahnama R, Cheng T, Grotkopp E, Jacobs L, Limburg S, Kim HT, Kuo AC. Trophic stimulation of articular chondrocytes by late-passage mesenchymal stem cells in coculture. Volume 31 of Issue 12. Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society 2013. PMID: 24038580


  12. Rahnama R, Wang M, Dang AC, Kim HT, Kuo AC. Cytotoxicity of local anesthetics on human mesenchymal stem cells. Volume 95 of Issue 2. The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume 2013. PMID: 23324960


  13. Cheng T, Maddox NC, Wong AW, Rahnama R, Kuo AC. Comparison of gene expression patterns in articular cartilage and dedifferentiated articular chondrocytes. Volume 30 of Issue 2. Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society 2011. PMID: 21809379