Frederick Appelbaum, MD

Dr. Fred Appelbaum studies the biology and treatment of leukemias, lymphomas and other blood cancers and sees patients with these disorders. He has made numerous landmark contributions to his field. Notably, he helped develop Fred Hutch’s renowned program in blood stem cell transplantation. He also participated in the Hutch’s pioneering work to develop targeted antibody-based cancer therapies. Beyond his own research, Dr. Appelbaum has been a national leader in the conduct of clinical trials. In his current leadership role at the Hutch, Dr. Appelbaum sets the vision and standards for clinical research across the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children's Cancer Consortium and oversees faculty affairs.

Research Interests

Dr. Appelbaum was the lead author of the first paper to describe the successful use of autologous bone marrow transplantation, a therapy now used in more than 30,000 patients annually. He was also a key contributor to the discovery and development of gemtuzumab ozogamicin, known commercially as Mylotarg, the first antibody-drug conjugate approved by the Food and Drug Administration.