Published on January 16, 2026
ASTCT Spotlight: Robert Korngold, PhD
by Robert Korngold, PhD
This member spotlight features ex-officio ASTCT Board member Dr. Robert Korngold Ph.D., editor-in-chief for the Transplantation and Cellular Therapy journal. Korngold, a retired research scientist in the hematopoietic cell transplantation space and former deputy director for the Center for Discovery & Innovation with Hackensack Meridian Health, reflects on his research career inspiration and provides useful insight for up-and-coming and established researchers and practitioners.
ASTCT: What inspired you to pursue a career in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT)?
Robert Korngold (RK): As a graduate student earning my PhD in Immunology at the University of Pennsylvania, I entered the laboratory of Dr. Jonathan Sprent, who already had an interest in murine models for MHC-mismatched graft-versus-host disease. At the time, in 1976, it was still uncertain as to the cause of GVHD occurring in MHC-matched situations. This challenging question was very intriguing to me, and I set out to test whether donor T cells were responsible for the disease. That led to a career of studying the role of T cell subsets in causing GVHD pathology and approaches to try and separate GVHD effects from donor graft-versus-tumor responses in murine models.
ASTCT: What keeps you motivated to stay involved with ASTCT as editor-in-chief of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy?
RK: Since I retired from my institutional appointment at the beginning of 2022, continuing as editor-in-chief has kept me in touch with the progress in the field, and continued development of the society.
ASTCT: What are three of the most important things you’ve learned in your career as a researcher and institutional leader?
RK: As a researcher, you have to have thick skin and fortitude to handle problems that you encounter in pursuing your work, while at the same time be appreciative of your staff and colleagues. Failure at both the experimental level and funding level is a norm, and it should only encourage you to work harder to achieve your goals and ultimate success. As an institutional leader, it is always important to push research development and investment into building research infrastructure and recruitment of talented scientists. Young investigators should be encouraged and supported at every level and be given the opportunity to launch their careers.
ASTCT: Why should a transplantation and cellular therapy researcher or practitioner join an organization like ASTCT?
RK: Simply put, ASTCT is the home for professionals in HCT and cellular therapy, so it is the best place to meet and engage people in the field and to learn from each other. Even though basic scientists have always been a smaller portion of the society, it has always been extremely important to learn about clinical issues in the field, so that one can target their research to try to solve those problems. On the other hand, clinicians can be helped by exposure to research approaches that can expand the breadth of their programs and improve patient care.
ASTCT: Outside of your work as editor-in-chief of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, what’s something you enjoy doing that might surprise your colleagues or ASTCT members?
RK: Not much of a surprise, but I try to stay fit, play pickleball, enjoy chess, reading, word and number puzzles, and spend as much time with my family as possible.
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