Catherine Lai, MD, MPH, is the director of Leukemia at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Board certified in hematology, medical oncology, and internal medicine, Dr. Lai specializes in detecting, monitoring, and treating acute leukemia in adults. Previously at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), she focused on clinical trials in acute leukemias. Under Dr. Lai’s leadership, the leukemia program offers acute leukemia patients advanced and highly specialized care, including clinical trials with immunotherapy. Dr. Lai’s clinical expertise complements a multidisciplinary team of specialists dedicated to MedStar Georgetown’s Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy Program, which is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) and offers treatment with stem cell transplants (autologous and allogeneic) and CAR-T cell therapy. Dr. Lai’s research focuses on novel therapeutics, designing and conducting clinical trials, and health outcomes for leukemia patients.


Dr. Lai’s main areas of clinical expertise include: 

• Acute myeloid leukemia 
• Acute lymphoid leukemia 
• Chronic myeloid leukemia 
• Myelodysplastic syndrome