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Dr. Dinesh Pendharkar is one of the senior-most Medical Oncologists in the country and is Director, of Sarvodaya Cancer Institute with More than 30 Years of Experience in the Field of Oncology.
Dr. Dinesh exhibits a profound dedication to the field of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cell Separation. His journey began in 1981 at Tata Memorial Hospital, where he ventured into cell separation techniques utilizing a cell separator. Stem cell therapy captured his interest early on, and he delved into this domain starting in 1981. Notably, he contributed to a project centered on chemotherapy and stem cell rescue in chronic myeloid leukemia from 1981 to 1985.
In 1983, Dr. Dinesh broadened his horizons by visiting the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in Vienna, Austria. Subsequently, he pursued a Fellowship in Bone Marrow Transplantation at the University of Ulm, Germany, in 1986. His involvement in the organizational aspects of Bone Marrow Transplantation extended to various institutions, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi from 1985 to 1987 and the Cancer Care Trust from 1990 to 2000.
Dr. Dinesh's quest for knowledge led him to make short visits to gain insights into Bone Marrow Transplantation in different parts of the world. He explored primed blood transplantation in Amsterdam at the Free University in 1998 under the guidance of Dr. Ossenkopel and furthered his knowledge at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London in 1996. His thirst for expertise took him to Singapore General Hospital in 1995, where he completed a Fellowship in transplantation.
In 1998, Dr. Dinesh achieved a significant milestone by successfully performing transplantation in a rural setting with limited resources, a notable accomplishment documented in the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India (JAPI) and presented at the Indian Hematology Society.
Dr. Dinesh's pioneering spirit is evident in his early focus on CAR T cell therapy in India. He organized the first dedicated meeting on this topic in 2012 and made short visits to the CAR T department of MSKCC in New York since 2013, where he was mentored by Dr. Renier Brentjens, MD.
Currently, Dr. Dinesh holds the position of Director of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy at Sarvodaya Hospital, with a particular emphasis on Sickle cell disease. He established a state-of-the-art, NABH accredited transplant unit with the most experienced and extensive transplant team. Dr. Dinesh's work extends to serving rural tribal areas with a high prevalence of disease, collaborating closely with state governments. His substantial body of work includes multiple publications related to sickle cell disease, cementing his reputation as a leading figure in the field.
