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About Thomas James Kipps, MD, PhD

Thomas J. Kipps, MD, PhD, is a board-certified hematologist specializing in treating people with B-cell lymphomas, particularly chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common adult leukemia.

He provides comprehensive care to patients, offering the most advanced and effective diagnostic and treatment approaches, including targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and when appropriate, active surveillance (no treatment). He uses genetic testing of leukemia cells to identify genes and mutations relevant to disease progression and drug resistance for optimal treatment planning.

A distinguished professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine who joined UC San Diego Health in 1991, Dr. Kipps is internationally recognized for his contributions to the understanding of immunobiology, cell biology, and the molecular genetics of B-cell malignancies, especially CLL.

He holds the Evelyn and Edwin Tasch Chair in Cancer Research and is co-director of the Hematological Malignancies Program at Moores Cancer Center. He is also director of the Center for Novel Therapeutics (CNT) in La Jolla, which is dedicated to accelerating the development of new cancer treatments. His research lab at CNT is pursuing all research avenues to improve the prognosis for people with CLL. He believes a cure for CLL is possible.

Dr. Kipps is the author of more than 300 publications and is the principal investigator on several peer-reviewed grants. This includes the National Cancer Institute's award for the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Consortium, a collaboration with eight other cancer centers. Dr. Kipps is also the founder of this CLL consortium.

Dr. Kipps has received many awards and recognitions for contributions to blood cancer research. He is a two-time recipient of a Specialized Center of Research in Leukemia grant from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and a two-time recipient of the National Institutes of Health MERIT award, a prestigious grant that provides long-term funding to support outstanding investigators. He received the Rai Binet medal from the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia for outstanding contributions to CLL research and the Michael J. Keating Outstanding Achievement Award from the Society of Hematologic Oncology for advancing knowledge of and treatments for blood cancers.

Dr. Kipps completed fellowships in genetics and hematology and a residency in internal medicine at Stanford University Medical Center. He earned a medical degree and doctorate in immunology from Harvard University.

UC San Diego Health Links
For more information on cancer treatment at UC San Diego Health, see Cancer Care and Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Other Blood Cancers.

Medical DegreeHarvard Medical School, Boston, MAFellowshipStanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CAResidencyStanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
GenderMale
LanguagesGerman
Date Joined Staff1991-10-01
Board Certifications
HematologyAmerican Board of Internal Medicine
Conditions and Treatments
  • Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Cancer

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Meet Dr. Thomas Kipps, UC San Diego CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic

Meet Dr. Thomas Kipps, UC San Diego CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic

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For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over ten dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public.

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