Mark James Levis, M.D., Ph.D.

Headshot of Mark James Levis
  • Program Leader, Hematologic Malignancies and Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Professor of Oncology
Male

Expertise

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), Hematology Oncology, Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) ...read more

Research Interests

Kinase Inhibitors; Targeting the FLT3 Signaling Pathway as a Treatment for Acute Leukemia ...read more

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Insurance Information

Main Phone

Outside of Maryland & Washington D.C.

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International Patients

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Locations

Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center

Appointment Phone: 410-955-8964
401 N. Broadway
Baltimore, MD 21231
Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center - Google Maps

The Bunting Blaustein Cancer Research Building

1650 Orleans Street
Baltimore, MD 21287
The Bunting Blaustein Cancer Research Building - Google Maps

Background

Mark J. Levis, M.D., Ph.D., professor of oncology, medicine and pharmacology in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, co-directs the Hematologic Malignancies and Bone Marrow Transplantation Program and directs the Adult Leukemia Service at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. In addition to his role within the Kimmel Cancer Center, he serves on the faculty for the Johns Hopkins Graduate Training Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, a Ph.D. program that prepares scientists to conduct laboratory research at the cellular and molecular level that is designed to have a direct impact on the understanding of human diseases.

Dr. Levis has expertise in acute and chronic myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and myelodysplastic syndromes.

Dr. Levis received his medical degree at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, where he also earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins, followed by fellowships in medical oncology.

Dr. Levis is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the European Hematology Association. He is an ad hoc member of the Oncology Drug Advisory Committee, as well as an ad hoc manuscript referee for peer-reviewed journals such as New England Journal of Medicine; Leukemia; Clinical Cancer Research; and The American Journal of Hematology.

Dr. Levis has earned numerous awards, such as the Daniel Nathans Research Award from Johns Hopkins University, the Osler Housestaff Teaching Award, the Director's Teaching Award in Clinical Science, and the Advanced Clinical Research Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Dr. Levis’ laboratory research focuses on the development of molecularly-targeted therapies for leukemia. He is actively involved in the pre-clinical and clinical development of small molecule inhibitors of protein kinases, including FLT3. The research involves studying the biochemical effects of these inhibitors on samples taken from leukemia patients, with the broad goal of identifying and validating novel molecular therapeutic targets in these hematopoietic malignancies. While Dr. Levis plays a key role in the pre-clinical development of these therapies, he is particularly interested in translating this research to the bedside of his patients by using correlative studies to incorporate these novel therapies into existing treatments. In addition to his work in both the clinic and the laboratory, Dr. Levis has also conducted talks, mentorship and teaching lectures, and published extensively in the top journals in his field, including Leukemia; Blood; and the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Titles

  • Program Leader, Hematologic Malignancies and Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Professor of Oncology
  • Professor of Medicine

Departments / Divisions

Centers & Institutes

Education

Degrees

  • MD; University of California San Francisco School of Medicine (1994)

Residencies

  • Internal Medicine; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (1997)

Fellowships

  • Medical Oncology; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2002)

Research & Publications

Research Summary

Our broad research goals are to identify and validate novel molecular therapeutic targets in hematopoietic malignancies. We are interested in the identification and pre-clinical development of novel targeted therapies, and, in particular, the “translational” step of this research by using correlative studies to incorporate these novel therapies into existing treatments. Our research is of particular interest to those who wish to be involved in directly translating the results of laboratory bench work into meaningful benefits for patients.

Currently, we are actively involved in the pre-clinical and clinical development of small molecule kinase inhibitors targeting the FLT3 signaling pathway in acute myeloid leukemia. 

The active projects in the lab include:

  1. Characterization of cytotoxic responses of different hematologic malignancies to FLT3 and KIT kinase inhibition;
  2. Examination of the interaction of bone marrow stroma and stroma-derived cytokines on the efficacy of these inhibitors;
  3. Examination of the differential effect of FLT3 inhibition versus combined FLT3/KIT inhibition on acute myeloid leukemia and bone marrow progenitor cells; and
  4. Correlative laboratory studies using blood and marrow samples from patients treated with FLT3 inhibitors, with the aim of developing predictive models for clinical response.

Clinical Trial Keywords

FLT3 Inhibitor

Selected Publications

View all on PubMed

Perl AE, Altman JK, Cortes J, Smith C, Litzow M, Baer MR, Claxton D, Erba H, Gill S, Goldberg S, Jurcic J, Larson RA, Liu C, Ritchie E, Schiller G, Spira A, Strickland S, Tibes R, Ustun C, Wang ES, Stuart R, Rollig C, Neubauer A, Martinelli G, Bahceci E, Levis M.  Selective inhibition of FLT3 by gilteritinib in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia.  Lancet Oncol. 2017; 18(8):1061-1075. PMID28645776

Levis MJ, Perl AE, Altman JK, Gocke CD, Bahceci E, Hill J, Liu C, Xie Z, Carson AR, McClain V, Stenzel TT, Miller JE.  A next-generation sequencing-based assay for minimal residual disease assessment in AML patients with FLT3-ITD mutations.  Blood Adv. 2018 Apr 24;2(8):825-831. PMID:29643105

Cortes JE, Khaled S, Martinelli G, Perl AE, Ganguly S, Russell N, Krämer A, Dombret H, Hogge D, Jonas BA, Leung AY, Mehta P, Montesinos P, Radsak M, Sica S, Arunachalam M, Holmes M, Kobayashi K, Namuyinga R, Ge N, Yver A, Zhang Y, Levis MJ. Quizartinib versus salvage chemotherapy in relapsed or refractory FLT3-ITD acute myeloid leuaemia (QuANTUM-R): a multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label, phase 3 trial.  Lancet Oncol. 2019; 20(7):984-997.  PMID 31175001

Perl. AE, Martinelli G, Cortes, JE, Neubauer A, Berman E, Paolini S, Montesinos P, Baer MR, Larson RA, Ustun C, Fabbiano F, Erba HP, Di Stasi A, Stuart R, Olin R, Kasner M, Ciceri F, Chou W-C, Podoltsev N, Recher C, Yokoyama H, Hosono N, Yoon S-S, Lee J-H, Pardee T, Fathi A, Liu C, Hasabou N, Liu X, Bahceci E, Levis MJ. Gilteritinib versus chemotherapy for FLT3-mutated relapsed/refractory AML.  N Engl J Medicine. 2019; 381(18):1728-1740. PMID: 31665578

Levis M, Shi W, Chang K, Laing C, Pollner R, Gocke C, Adams E, Berisha F, Lameh J, Lesegretain A.. FLT3 inhibitors added to induction therapy induce deeper remissions. Blood. 2020. 135(1):75-78. PMID:31722002

Contact for Research Inquiries

Cancer Research Building
1650 Orleans Street
Baltimore, MD 21287 map
Phone: 410-502-3629
Fax: 410-614-1005

Academic Affiliations & Courses

Graduate Program Affiliation

Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM)

Activities & Honors

Honors

  • Clinical Scholar of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Memberships

  • Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

    Clinical Scholar

  • American Society of Hematology

    Member

  • American Society of Clinical Oncology

    Member

  • European Hematology Association

    Member

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