Dr. Ayalew Tefferi is a world-renowned hematologist and leading authority in the field of myeloid malignancies at Mayo Clinic Rochester. He currently serves as a Professor of Medicine and Consultant in Hematology at Mayo Clinic, where he has established himself as a preeminent clinician-scientist over several decades. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dr. Tefferi completed his medical education at the University of Athens in Greece before immigrating to the United States as a political refugee in 1982. Following comprehensive hematology training at Mayo Clinic Rochester, he joined the faculty and has since become one of the most influential figures in blood cancer research and clinical care.
Dr. Tefferi's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed the understanding and treatment of chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms, including polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis. His extensive body of work, comprising over 1000 peer-reviewed publications, has provided critical insights into the pathophysiology, natural history, and optimal management strategies for these complex blood disorders. His research has been instrumental in developing new therapeutic approaches that have directly improved patient outcomes and informed international treatment guidelines for myeloproliferative disorders. The widespread adoption of his clinical and research findings by hematologists worldwide has established him as a transformative figure whose work bridges the gap between laboratory discovery and clinical application.
Beyond his research achievements, Dr. Tefferi has made significant contributions to medical education as a dedicated mentor and prolific educator, earning multiple teaching awards including the prestigious William Summerskill Award and induction into the Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame. He serves in editorial roles for leading hematology journals such as Blood, Leukemia, and Mayo Clinic Proceedings, shaping the scientific discourse in his field. Dr. Tefferi continues to advance the frontiers of hematology through ongoing clinical trials and collaborative research initiatives focused on rare myeloid disorders including systemic mastocytosis and eosinophilic disorders. His current work aims to refine risk stratification models and develop targeted therapies that promise to further improve survival and quality of life for patients with challenging blood malignancies.
