Stella T. Chou, MD

Stella T. Chou, MD, is an associate professor of pediatrics and chief, Division of Transfusion Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her medical degree at New York Medical College and completed her residency and fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at CHOP. Dr Chou also completed a fellowship in transfusion medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Her research focuses on improving red blood cell matching using innovative tools, with a particular interest in sickle cell disease. Her work has demonstrated that inheritance of variant blood group antigens in patients with sickle cell disease contributes to their high rate of red cell antibody formation. Her research laboratory uses induced pluripotent stem cells and primary human cells to model blood diseases and to examine their underlying pathophysiology. Ongoing work focuses on the genetic matching of red cells and creating customized induced pluripotent stem cells with rare blood group antigen combinations as renewable sources of red blood cell reagents to improve antibody identification and donor red cell matching. Since transfusion therapy remains a critical treatment for hemoglobinopathies, her goal is to identify new approaches to minimize alloimmunization, reduce complications, and improve therapy. 

For her innovative research, she was a recipient of the National Blood Foundation Hall of Fame Award in 2018. She has received numerous other awards and honors, including the National Blood Foundation Young Investigator Scholarship in 2011. Dr Chou is a member of several professional organizations, committees, and panels, including the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, the American Association of Blood Banks, and the Clinical Transfusion Medicine Committee (an AABB committee). She is an associate editor of Hematology: American Society of Hematology Education Program. She has published extensively and is an invited lecturer on sickle cell disease and other related topics.