Dr. Jamie E. Chaft

Dr. Jamie E. Chaft is Associate Attending Physician on the Thoracic Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she coordinates a unified care pathway for people facing lung and other thoracic cancers. Medical oncologists, thoracic surgeons, radiation oncologists, pulmonologists, radiologists, pathologists, genetic counselors, pharmacists, social workers, and survivorship experts meet in early-morning conferences that review imaging, molecular findings, and symptom reports before the clinic doors open, ensuring that every patient receives a single, coherent plan for the day. A real-time electronic record, accessible through a secure portal, displays laboratory trends, appointment logistics, and supportive-care resources in plain language, reducing confusion and travel delays. Multilingual educators clarify terminology, while financial navigators outline insurance benefits and trial opportunities so families can make informed, cost-conscious decisions. Telehealth follow-ups allow people managing work or caregiving duties to remain closely connected to their team without frequent trips to Manhattan. By combining meticulous molecular analysis with clear communication and streamlined logistics, Dr. Chaft delivers care that feels both scientifically rigorous and personally respectful, giving patients confidence that recommendations arise from collective expertise devoted to their well-being. 

 

Dr. Chaft’s research bridges laboratory discovery and surgical oncology, concentrating on perioperative immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer. She co-leads trials that add pembrolizumab to standard platinum chemotherapy before and after resection, tracking circulating tumor DNA, radiographic change, and pathologic response to refine risk-adapted strategies. Investigators collect blood, tumor, and lymph-node samples at multiple time points, building a living biobank that pairs genomic, transcriptomic, and immunophenotypic data with clinical outcomes. Insights from these studies already inform practice: perioperative pembrolizumab has improved event-free survival and is now considered for early-stage tumors with high relapse risk. A separate flagship protocol evaluates pembrolizumab combinations for patients with driver-negative disease, embedding spatial-transcriptomic mapping to reveal mechanisms of immune escape. By continually testing how checkpoint modulation interacts with surgery and adjuvant therapy, Dr. Chaft shortens the timeline between scientific observation and tangible benefit, offering patients therapies tailored to the evolving biology of their tumors.

 

Beyond bench research, Dr. Chaft champions education and outreach that translate complex findings into understandable guidance. She mentors fellows on ethical trial design, biomarker interpretation, and empathic consultation skills, ensuring the next generation values both analytic rigor and human connection. Conference lectures, podcast interviews, and live-stream town halls distill emerging data on neoadjuvant immunotherapy, EGFR-targeted strategies, and survivorship planning into clear take-home messages for clinicians and patients worldwide. Partnerships with advocacy organizations yield bilingual toolkits that explain molecular testing, smoking-cessation resources, and financial assistance options, while collaboration with media teams produces animated videos demystifying surgical pathways and chemotherapy side effects. By embedding education into her daily routine, Dr. Chaft empowers communities to recognize early symptoms, seek timely evaluation, and engage in shared decision-making, assuring patients that their care team communicates openly and keeps pace with rapid advances.