After 22 years of exceptional service, Dr. Robert Brodsky will step down as Director of the Division of Hematology effective September 1.
An internationally recognized leader in hematology, Dr. Brodsky has made pioneering contributions to the understanding and treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD), leading a nationwide study that found that low-dose haploidentical, or half-matched, bone marrow transplant can cure individuals with severe SCD. In 2025, he received a $7.8M grant from the National Institutes of Health to study thrombotic microangiopathies over five years, along with Dr. Shruti Chaturvedi.
Under his leadership, the Division of Hematology has expanded its clinical programs, strengthened its research portfolio, and enhanced its national and international reputation. He has been deeply committed to building multidisciplinary collaborations, fostering innovation in translational research, and securing competitive funding to support the division’s growth. In addition, Dr. Brodsky has been a dedicated educator and mentor, training and inspiring numerous fellows, junior faculty, and physician-scientists who have gone on to successful careers of their own. In 2016, he became the inaugural director of the DOM’s Physician Scientist Pathway, aiming to recruit, inspire, develop, and retain physician scientists from the Osler Medical Residency and the Bayview Internal Medicine Residency Program.
Outside of Hopkins, Dr. Brodsky has served as secretary, vice president, and president of the American Society of Hematology and met with U.S. senators to support funding to improve access to treatment centers for patients with sickle cell disease. Dr. Brodsky’s commitment to excellence, intellectual rigor, and compassionate patient care has left an enduring impact on our department, institution, and the field of hematology. While he will be transitioning from his leadership role, we are pleased that he will continue to contribute to our mission through his ongoing clinical, research, and teaching activities.
We’d like to express our deep gratitude to Dr. Brodsky for his outstanding leadership and service. We’d also like to thank Dr. Rakhi Naik, who has graciously agreed to serve as interim director of the Division of Hematology beginning September 1. Dr. Naik has led the Hematology Fellowship Track and has been the division’s associate director since 2024, and I am confident that the division will be in great hands during this transition. Please join us in thanking Dr. Brodsky for more than two decades of exceptional leadership and welcoming Dr. Naik to this interim role.
