Benjamin Watkins, MD

Research Program

Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics
Phone Number

404-785-1200
Email Address

benjamin.watkins@emory.edu

Biography

Benjamin K. Watkins, MD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Watkins' clinical interest is in bone marrow transplantation for hematologic malignancies, graft-versus-host disease and late effects of transplant. Since 2015, he has become involved in international pediatric oncology.

Dr. Watkins is a member of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.

Education

Dr. Watkins completed his medical degree and pediatric residency from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas. He completed a pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine and a blood and marrow transplant fellowship at Seattle Children's Hospital and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

Titles & Roles

Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics

Emory University School of Medicine
Director of Global Oncology Program

Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center

Research

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Dr. Watkins' lab focuses on understanding the mechanisms driving GVHD and developing new approaches to prevent the disease.

One of the major barriers to the prevention and treatment of GVHD is a poor understanding of the mechanisms driving the disease. His group uses longitudinal immune profiling through flow cytometry and RNAseq to identify the pathways involved in the development of GVHD. The overall goal is to identify biomarkers of GVHD that are present before the appearance of the clinical symptoms so that prevention and treatment can be modified accordingly.

Dr. Watkins is the local principal investigator of multiple clinical trials for the treatment and prevention of acute and chronic GVHD.

Publications

Dr. Watkins has numerous first author publications and presentations at national meetings describing his work.

Title/Journal	Authors	Publication Date
The Adverse Event Landscape of Stem Cell Transplant: Evidence for aGVHD Driving Early Transplant Associated Toxicities. Transplantation and cellular therapy	T Takahashi, B Watkins, B Bratrude, D Neuberg, K Hebert, K Betz, A Yu, SW Choi, J Davis, C Duncan, R Giller, M Grimley, AC Harris, D Jacobsohn, N Lalefar, N Farhadfar, MA Pulsipher, S Shenoy, A Petrovic, KR Schultz, GA Yanik, BR Blazar, JT Horan, A Langston, LS Kean, M Qayed	06/04/2024
D-dimer and sinusoidal obstructive syndrome-novel poor prognostic features of thrombotic microangiopathy in children after hematopoietic cellular therapy in a single institution prospective cohort study. American journal of hematology	ML Schoettler, K French, A Harris, E Bryson, L Deeb, Z Hudson, J Obordo, S Chandrakasan, S Parikh, B Watkins, E Stenger, M Qayed, S Chonat, A Westbrook, J Switchenko, KM Williams	01/03/2024
Compassionate Use Narsoplimab for Severe Refractory Transplantation-Associated Thrombotic Microangiopathy in Children. Transplantation and cellular therapy	ML Schoettler, S Patel, E Bryson, L Deeb, B Watkins, M Qayed, S Chandrakasan, T Fitch, K Silvis, J Jones, S Chonat, KM Williams	01/03/2024
Overlap chronic GVHD is associated with adverse survival outcomes compared to classic chronic GVHD. Bone marrow transplantation	L Gorfinkel, S Raghunandan, B Watkins, K Hebert, DS Neuberg, B Bratrude, K Betz, A Yu, SW Choi, J Davis, C Duncan, R Giller, M Grimley, AC Harris, D Jacobsohn, N Lalefar, N Farhadfar, MA Pulsipher, S Shenoy, A Petrovic, KR Schultz, GA Yanik, BR Blazar, JT Horan, A Langston, LS Kean, M Qayed	21/02/2024
Novel approaches to acute graft-versus-host disease prevention. Hematology. American Society of Hematology. Education Program	B Watkins, M Qayed	08/12/2023
Short-Course Empiric Antibiotics in Children Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Transplantation and cellular therapy	PA Patel, MF Teherani, Y Xiang, V Bernardo, S Chandrakasan, KP Goggin, A Haight, E Horwitz, WH Liang, SH Parikh, ML Schoettler, K Spencer, E Stenger, B Watkins, KM Williams, K Leung, P Jaggi, M Qayed	01/12/2023
Abatacept for graft versus host disease prophylaxis in patients 60 years and older receiving mismatched unrelated donor transplantation for hematologic malignancies. Bone marrow transplantation	S Raghunandan, M Qayed, BK Watkins, M Graiser, L Gorfinkel, A Westbrook, S Gillespie, B Bratrude, A Petrovic, Y Suessmuth, J Horan, LS Kean, AA Langston	01/11/2023
Abatacept for the prevention of graft versus host disease in pediatric patients receiving 7/8 HLA-mismatched unrelated transplant for hematologic malignancies: a real-world analysis. Bone marrow transplantation	S Raghunandan, L Gorfinkel, B Bratrude, Y Suessmuth, K Hebert, D Neuberg, KM Williams, ML Schoettler, AA Langston, LS Kean, M Qayed, J Horan, BK Watkins	01/11/2023
Severe refractory hemorrhagic cystitis after hematopoietic cell transplantation responds to recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor-Case report and review of the literature. Pediatric blood & cancer	C Hughes, A Harris, B Watkins, M Qayed, S Parikh, E Horwitz, E Stenger, KM Williams, ML Schoettler	01/10/2023
Higher abatacept exposure after transplant decreases acute GVHD risk without increasing adverse events. Blood	T Takahashi, M Al-Kofahi, M Jaber, B Bratrude, K Betz, Y Suessmuth, A Yu, DS Neuberg, SW Choi, J Davis, C Duncan, R Giller, M Grimley, AC Harris, D Jacobsohn, N Lalefar, N Farhadfar, MA Pulsipher, S Shenoy, A Petrovic, KR Schultz, GA Yanik, BR Blazar, JT Horan, B Watkins, A Langston, M Qayed, LS Kean	24/08/2023
Abatacept for the prevention of GVHD in patients receiving mismatched unrelated transplants: a real-world analysis. Blood advances	S Raghunandan, L Gorfinkel, M Graiser, B Bratrude, Y Suessmuth, S Gillespie, AL Westbrook, KM Williams, ML Schoettler, LS Kean, J Horan, AA Langston, M Qayed, B Watkins	22/08/2023
A retrospective review on the histopathological pattern of childhood malignant solid tumors in Ethiopia. Pediatric blood & cancer	RH Ayele, YG Yimer, Y Bekuretsion, LM Muhe, SA Patel, SA Cunningham, D Hailu, B Watkins	01/08/2023
Abatacept GVHD prophylaxis in unrelated hematopoietic cell transplantation for pediatric bone marrow failure. Blood advances	EO Stenger, B Watkins, K Rogowski, KY Chiang, A Haight, K Leung, M Qayed, S Raghunandan, Y Suessmuth, L Kean, J Horan	23/05/2023
Sickle cell disease is a risk factor for transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy in children. Blood advances	M Schoettler, E Stenger, K Spencer, D Lutterman, S Rumbika, J Jones, A Haight, S Parikh, M Qayed, B Watkins, L Krishnamurti, KM Williams, S Chonat	09/05/2023
BCMA CAR-T induces complete and durable remission in refractory plasmablastic lymphoma. Journal for immunotherapy of cancer	S Raghunandan, M Pauly, WG Blum, M Qayed, MV Dhodapkar, M Elkhalifa, B Watkins, M Schoettler, E Horwitz, S Parikh, S Chandrakasan, K Leung, E Bryson, L Deeb, JL Kaufman, D Worthington-White, A Alazraki, JM Schecter, D Madduri, CC Jackson, E Zudaire, A Taraseviciute-Morris, A Babich, T Nesheiwat, M Vogel, N Lendvai, L Pacaud, KM Williams	01/05/2023
Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage after hematopoietic cell transplantation- response to treatments and risk factors for mortality. Frontiers in oncology	ML Schoettler, CE Dandoy, A Harris, M Chan, KM Tarquinio, S Jodele, M Qayed, B Watkins, P Kamat, T Petrillo, J Obordo, CS Higham, CC Dvorak, A Westbrook, MS Zinter, KM Williams	01/01/2023
Pulmonary Manifestations and Vascular Changes in Pediatric Transplantation-Associated Thrombotic Microangiopathy. Transplantation and cellular therapy	ML Schoettler, BD Saldana, L Berkenkamp, S Chonat, B Watkins, SJ Rotz, D Simons, E Graf, C Rossi, J Cheng, YA Hammers, H Rytting, KM Williams	01/01/2023
Case Report: The First Case Report of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Cambodia. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene	S Lyvannak, K Sreynich, S Heng, M Thyl, A Chandna, N Chanpheaktra, N Pises, P Farrilend, J Jarzembowski, V Leventaki, J Davick, C Neunert, F Keller, LS Kean, B Camitta, K Tarlock, B Watkins	17/08/2022
Controversies and expectations for the prevention of GVHD: A biological and clinical perspective. Frontiers in immunology	B Watkins, KM Williams	01/01/2022