Crystal L. Mackall, M.D., is a professor of pediatrics and of medicine, as well as associate director of the Stanford Cancer Institute and co-medical director of the Stanford Laboratory for Cell and Gene Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. As part of her role in the Department of Pediatrics, Mackall serves as program leader in pediatric cancer immunotherapy.
Mackall, who previously headed the Immunology Section at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and served as chief of the Institute’s Pediatric Oncology Branch, now leads Stanford’s efforts to advance clinical trials of immune therapies for cancer, with the ultimate goal of moving them to widespread clinical use.
Mackall graduated summa cum laude from the University of Akron in Ohio and received her medical degree from Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine in Rootstown. After completing clinical training in pediatrics and internal medicine, she undertook subspecialty training in pediatric hematology/oncology at the NCI. There, she made pioneering discoveries regarding thymic function in humans and received international recognition for her work on immune reconstitution. Since 1998, she has led a cutting-edge clinical-translational research program focused on developing new immune-based therapies for childhood cancer. Mackall is credited with discovering an essential role for interleukin-7 in T-cell homeostasis and has led the clinical development of recombinant human interleukin-7, a novel immunorestorative agent. Her program also conducts translational studies of tumor vaccines, immunomodulators, experimental bone marrow transplantation and cell-based therapy for childhood cancer.
Mackall has published more than 130 manuscripts and numerous book chapters on immunology and immunotherapy. She serves as editor-in-chief of Frontiers in Pediatric Oncology and associate editor of Blood. She is chair of the Scientific Subcommittee on Immunology and Host Defense for the American Society of Hematology and serves on numerous advisory boards. Mackall is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and has been recognized with several NCI Director’s Awards for her achievements. In addition to her scientific research, Mackall is internationally recognized as an expert in the treatment of pediatric sarcomas and has been recognized annually since 2006 as a Best Doctor in America. She is board certified in internal medicine, pediatrics and pediatric hematology-oncology.