Home > What We Do > NMDP Leaders > NMDP Council

NMDP Council

The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Council consists of individuals from participating donor centers, cord blood banks, transplant centers, apheresis centers, collection centers and recruitment groups. The role of the council is to provide a formal mechanism for input from members of the NMDP Network, to promote direct communications among the participants in the NMDP network and the NMDP board of directors and staff, as well as to provide input and support for NMDP policies and procedures.

President - Transplant Centers

Jennifer A. Christian

Christian is NMDP Council president representing transplant centers. She has been involved with the NMDP since its inception and has contributed to many projects and initiatives. She has had the opportunity to serve as a transplant center coordinator, a donor center coordinator and a collection center coordinator. In addition, she has worked in academic centers that perform more than 140 transplants per year as well as community hospitals. With more than 20 years of experience in working directly with BMT patients and their families, she has gained a unique perspective and global appreciation for this field. Her primary focus is administrative; however, she has an in-depth understanding of both the clinical and financial issues. Her affiliation with other organizations, focusing on the treatment and research of the BMT patient, is also a benefit.

Council President-Elect - Donor Centers

Susan L. Rossmann, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Susan Rossmann is NMDP Council president-elect representing donor centers. She is the chief medical officer of the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center in Houston, Texas; an adjunct associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine; and on the pathology staff at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. Rossmann serves as vice-chair of the Scientific, Medical and Technical Committee of America's Blood Centers, and is active in the AABB, an international association of blood banks. She is also president of the Houston Society of Clinical Pathologists and chair of the Blood and Tissue Usage Committee of the Texas Medical Association. Rossmann received her Ph.D. in biological anthropology from the University of Michigan and Doctor of Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine.

Council Vice President

Gregory A. Hale, M.D.

Dr. Gregory Hale is the NMDP Council vice president and a transplant physician who has served at both a transplant center and collection center. He is the clinical director and quality management officer for the transplant program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Working directly with transplant patients, their families and donors has provided Hale with a thorough understanding of the clinical, financial, social and administrative issues that are part of hematopoietic cell transplantation. His clinical research is aimed at improving outcomes by investigating novel methods of graft-enhancement that also reduce transplant-related complications. Hale received his Doctor of Medicine from Marshall University and completed his pediatric residency at Children's Hospital of Pittsburg.