Jennifer Ann Kanakry, MD

Provider accepts MedStar Select insurance

Jennifer A. Kanakry, MD, is a board-certified hematologist specializing in cellular therapies for blood cancers, including allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, autologous stem cell transplantation, and chimeric antigen receptor T (CART) cell therapy. She is the medical director of Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

Dr. Kanakry earned her medical degree from Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She completed both her Internal Medicine residency and Hematology fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Prior to joining MedStar Georgetown, Dr. Kanakry was a senior clinician at the Center for Immuno-Oncology at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. She has served as principal and associate investigator on numerous clinical trials, leading clinical research focused on hematopoietic cell transplantation and other cellular immunotherapies for blood cancers and inborn errors of immunity. Her overall clinical research focus has been to investigate novel ways to make transplant and other cellular immunotherapies more accessible, less toxic, and more effective, focusing particularly on understudied cancers such as mature T- and NK-cell lymphomas. 

Dr. Kanakry is the author of more than 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals, as well as book chapters, and has spoken nationally and internationally on topics in hematology and oncology. She is a member of the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and participates in the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research Working Committees.

Philosophy of care

Dr. Kanakry works alongside her patients, engaging a multidisciplinary team of specialists to figure out the best path forward. Clear, consistent communication with the treatment team and patient and family are key to streamlining the process. By working together and communicating well, she strives to give her patients direction, clarity, information, and support, so they can focus on healing and hope. 

About MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute

MedStar Georgetown is part of the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute, which combines medical expertise, the latest therapies, and research across MedStar Health. Our research engine, the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Washington, D.C., region. This partnership means we provide access to cutting-edge clinical trials and the latest breakthroughs in cancer care.