Hematology

1. Translational research in hematologic diseases, with a focus on sickle cell disease.
2. Clinical studies on curative therapies, particularly allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with non-myeloablative conditionings in adults with sickle cell disease.
3. Long term effects of curative therapies in patients with sickle cell disease. From immune reconstitution, to SCD-related organ complications and quality of life.
4. Clinical research aimed at improving the diagnostic algorithms and treatment of patients with sickle cell disease.

Erfan Nur is a clinical hematologist at the Amsterdam University Medical Center (AUMC), specializing in hematologic disorders with a focus on sickle cell disease and stem cell transplantation. Nur obtained his medical degree from the Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, and completed his PhD 2011 (Vasculopathy in Sickle Cell Disease). After his residency in internal medicine, he specialized further in clinical hematology, joining AUMC where he now serves as the program director for the largest hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy program in the Netherlands.

Nur’s research investigates the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease, examining the role of oxidative stress and inflammation in disease progression. Based on pathophysiological insights, his work aims to improve diagnostic procedures and therapeutic interventions, including disease-modifying therapies and cure with non-myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. He is actively involved in several clinical trials and research projects that explore novel therapeutic strategies in sickle cell disease. Nur’s clinical and research efforts aim to refine therapeutic protocols and enhance the outcomes of stem cell transplantation. Notably, Nur’s research includes the first non-myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation protocol in the Netherlands as a curative treatment for adults with sickle cell disease. This novel approach has resulted in excellent outcomes, with event-free survival and overall survival of >95% in adult with sickle cell disease. Furthermore, Nur investigates the effect of transplantation on sickle cell disease-related organ complications. The findings of his research have been showcased at prominent scientific conferences, including the American Society of Hematology (ASH 2022), the European Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT 2023), and the European Hematology Association (EHA 2024), and were published in key hematological journals.

Since 2020, Nur holds a research position as a Principal Investigator at Sanquin Research, where his team conducts translational studies on hemoglobinopathies and immune reconstitution after transplantation. He supervises multiple PhD students working on various clinical and translational research at Amsterdam UMC and Sanquin Research. He actively contributes to scientific working groups on hemoglobinopathies, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and aplastic anemia/PNH.

Activities

• Clinical Hematologist, Amsterdam UMC
• Program Director, Stem Cell Transplantation (SCT), Amsterdam UMC
• Principal Investigator, Sanquin Research
• Board Member, Hemoglobinopathy Working Party, EBMT
• Active and leading role in global collaborations on stem cell transplantation in sickle cell disease
• Author of scientific topics on curative therapies in sickle cell disease for UpToDate