As a specialist in blood and bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapies, Velayati enhances the nationally recognized program, which is designated as a National Marrow Donor Program transplant center. This status gives UC Davis patients access to more than 41 million registered stem cell donors worldwide and more than 810,000 units of donated cord blood. The program participates in national clinical trials through cooperative groups supported by the National Cancer Institute.
Velayati manages blood and bone marrow transplantation treatments as well as cellular therapies. His research interests center on immunotherapy and other cell therapies that harvest a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer.
“Dr. Velayati’s arrival marks a significant step forward in our mission to provide advanced and compassionate care to patients with complex blood cancers,” said UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center Director Primo “Lucky” Lara Jr. “His expertise in cellular therapies and commitment to research will help us continue to lead in innovation and improve outcomes for our patients.”
Velayati’s academic background includes a medical degree from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, an MBA in health finance from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and residency at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center. He also completed fellowships in hematology and oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina and a fellowship in bone marrow transplantation and cell therapy at Stanford Medicine.
