Carl E. Allen, MD, PhD
- Cancer and Blood Disorders
Milton and Allene Nirken Chair in Pediatric Oncology, Texas Children's Hospital
Vice Chair of Research, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
Co-Director, Histiocytosis Program
Co-Director, Lymphoma Program
Director of Research, Global Hematology-Oncology Pediatric Excellence (HOPE)
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine
Office location:
1102 Bates Avenue
Houston, TX 77030
Get to know Carl E. Allen, MD, PhD
Personal Statement
Dr. Carl Allen is the Milton and Allene Nirken Chair in Pediatric Oncology at Texas Children's Hospital and co-director of the Texas Children’s Cancer Center Histiocytosis and Lymphoma Programs, where he leads a team of over 30 clinicians and scientists dedicated to improving the outcomes of children and adults with histiocytic disorders, lymphoma and lymphoproliferative disorders.
After completing his MD and PhD at Ohio State University College of Medicine in 2002, Dr. Allen went on to a pediatrics residency at Columbus Children’s Hospital. He completed his fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. It was during this fellowship at Texas Children’s that Dr. Allen developed his clinical and research interests in rare pediatric blood disorders. The Histiocytosis Program is dedicated to care of patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and the more rare histiocytic disorders (Rosai-Dorfman disease, Erdheim Chester disease, juvenile xanthogranuloma). The Fayez Sarofim Lymphoma Program is dedicated to care of children with lymphoma and lymphoproliferative disorders. Together with Dr. Forbes (Allergy and Immunology Division), Dr. Allen has created the Immune Dysregulation and Lymphoproliferation (iLEAD) clinic with focus on the unmet needs of children with complex hematologic and immunologic disorders. At the Histiocytosis and Lymphoma Programs, rare blood disorders are not rare. In addition to serving the greater Houston community, these teams care for patients from around Texas and around the world.
Dr. Allen holds leadership positions in the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Histiocyte Society, the American Society for Hematology and the Children’s Oncology Group. He is co-founder and co-director of the North American Consortium for Histiocytosis (NACHO). Most recently, he was appointed to lead the Research Division for Texas Children’s Global Hematology and Oncology Pediatric Excellence program, which is developing pediatric hematology and oncology services with partners in Uganda, Malawi and Botswana.
His clinical special interests include: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), lymphoma, lymphoproliferative disorders, stem cell transplantation and global pediatric hematology and oncology.
Education
| School | Education | Degree | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor College of Medicine | Fellowship | Pediatric Hematology-Oncology | 2008 |
| Columbus Hospital Program | Residency | Pediatrics | 2005 |
| Ohio State University College of Medicine | Medical School | Doctor of Medicine | 2002 |
| Ohio State University College of Medicine | PhD | Doctor of Philosophy | 2002 |
Organizations
| Organization Name | Role |
|---|---|
| American Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) | Member |
| American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) | Member |
| American Society of Hematology (ASH) | Member |
| American Society for Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) | Member |
| Children’s Oncology Group (COG) | Associate Director of Research |
| Histiocyte Society | Steering Committee |
| Steering Committee | Nikolas Symposium |
| North American Consortium for Histiocytosis | Co-PI |
| Pediatric Hematology and Oncology | Editor-in-Chief |
Board Certification
American Board of Pediatrics - Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Awards
2008 John Pritchard Fellowship, 18th Nikolas Symposium
2009 Scholar Award, Junior Faculty, Basic Research, American Society of Hematology (ASH)
2010 Young Investigator Award, American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (ASPHO)
2013 Norton Rose Fulbright Faculty Excellence Award, Baylor College of Medicine
2014 “First” Prize for Research Faculty, Baylor College of Medicine
2018 Early Career Award, Ohio State University College of Medicine Alumni Association
2018 Elected to the American Pediatric Society
2018 Nesbit Lecturer, University of Minnesota
2019 Michael E. DeBakey MD Award for Excellence in Research, Baylor College of Medicine
* Texas Children’s Hospital physicians’ licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician’s office and were not verified by Texas Children’s Hospital.
Highlights
Research Area:
Histiocytosis
Lymphoma
Bone Marrow Transplant / Stem Cell Transplant
Dr. Carl Allen is an associate professor of pediatric hematology-oncology. He is co-director of the Texas Children’s Cancer Center Histiocytosis and Lymphoma Programs with clinical and research focused on understanding aberrant immune function in human diseases, including histiocytic disorders, lymphoproliferative disorders and lymphomas.
The goal of his research is to improve outcomes for patients, with projects ranging from discovery of basic mechanisms of pathogenesis through implementation of multi-institutional clinical research trials.
As Director of Research for the Global Hematology-Oncology Pediatric Excellence (HOPE) Program, Dr. Allen is working with the Global HOPE team to create research infrastructure for translational research and ultimately clinical trials at the Centers of Excellence in Botswana, Uganda, and Malawi.
Research interests
Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH)
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)
Lymphoma
Tumor immunology
Lymphocyte development
Dendritic cell biology