Transplant and Oncology Infectious Diseases Program

“If you are anticipating a transplant or recently received one, you want to make sure that you are receiving appropriate evaluation to prevent any infections.”

Being immunocompromised (or having a weakened immune system) from cancer or a transplant can put you at risk for certain infections. If you are anticipating a transplant or recently received one, you want to make sure that you are receiving appropriate evaluation to prevent these infections. The Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Transplant Infectious Disease program’s mission is to provide comprehensive care for the evaluation and management of infections related to hematologic malignancies, bone marrow transplantation, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, left ventricular assist device and solid organ transplantation.

Our experienced clinicians are trained to treat transplant and immunocompromised patients with a multidisciplinary approach.

Our experienced clinicians, a part of the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, are trained to treat transplant and immunocompromised patients with a multidisciplinary approach. Our program works closely with, RWJUH New Brunswick Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center, Advanced Heart Failure, VAD, and Transplant program, , and the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey to ensure the best possible outcomes.

Our Clinical Services Include:

  • Pre-transplant evaluation and management
  • Patient education and counseling for pre-and post-transplant recipients
  • Post-transplant infectious disease management
    • Bone marrow transplant
    • Heart transplant
    • Kidney transplant
    • Pancreas transplant
  • Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) infection management
  • Hematologic and solid tumor related infection management

Meet Our Core Faculty:

Pinki J. Bhatt, MD

Section Chief, Transplant and Oncology Infectious Disease

Dr. Bhatt received her medical degree at Texas A&M University Health Science Center and completed her internal medicine residency at University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston. Following this, she completed her infectious disease fellowship training at ICAHN School of medicine – Mount Sinai Hospital In New York, NY with specialized training in Transplant Infectious Disease track. She was then recruited to the Division of Infectious Diseases at Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) in 2017 to lead the Division’s Transplant Infectious Disease efforts. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease. Dr. Bhatt is the Section Chief of Transplant and Oncology Infectious Disease at Rutgers-RWJMS. She has vast clinical and research experience in managing infections related to LVAD, solid organ transplant, malignancy, and bone marrow transplant. She is also involved in the development of protocols for vaccinations, antimicrobials and immune suppressants for the transplant surgery programs and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ). She is also the associate program director for the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program at Rutgers -RWJMS and truly values mentoring and inspiring young infectious disease trainees.

Anjali Majumdar, MD, FACP

Director, Transplant and Oncology Infectious Disease

Dr. Majumdar received her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College (now known as Sidney Kimmel Medical College) followed by internal medicine residency at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. After completing infectious disease fellowship at University of Maryland in 2016, she worked at MedStar Washington Hospital Center managing patients with infections related to heart and kidney transplants, left ventricular assist devices, hematologic malignancies, as well as patients living with HIV and Hepatitis C. With her experience as Medical Director of the Ryan White Part A and Disease Intervention Services programs, Dr. Majumdar is interested in examining interventions extending beyond the office and hospital setting to improve patient outcomes. She joined the Rutgers-RWJMS program in 2022 as Director of Transplant and Oncology Infectious Disease and looks forward to growing a program engaged in comprehensive care and education.

Ahmed Abdul Azim, MD

Dr. Ahmed Abdul-Azim received his medical degree from the ‘Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland’ in 2011. He completed some of his training in the Irish health care system and worked as a Clinical Tutor for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Dr. Abdul-Azim also has additional experience in the treatment of patients living with Cystic Fibrosis. In 2017, he completed his internal medicine residency in the Greater Boston Area at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center. Dr. Abdul-Azim completed his clinical infectious diseases fellowship training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He stayed on to complete an extra year of fellowship training in Infection Control and hospital epidemiology. He then joined the Rutgers RWJMS Division of Infectious Diseases as an assistant professor in 2020. Dr. Abdul-Azim spends most of his clinical time helping treat patients living with cancer and bone marrow transplant recipients who develop infections. He is also part of the RWJUH antimicrobial stewardship team, and he serves as core teaching faculty for RWJMS medical students as well as the RWJMS Infectious Diseases fellowship program.

Meena Azeem, MD

Dr. Azeem attended medical school at Dow Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan and completed internal medicine residency at Wayne State University. She completed infectious disease fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine where she gained experience managing infections in the immunocompromised: blood cancers including those with bone marrow transplants, patients with heart, lung, kidney, pancreas, and liver transplants, as well as LVAD-associated infections. She joined Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital/Rutgers in 2022, and she manages infections in immunocompromised patients, people living with HIV, viral hepatitis, and general infectious disease syndromes. Dr. Azeem is passionate about antibiotic stewardship to improve patient care. Dr. Azeem is board-certified in infectious disease and internal medicine.

Elizabeth Schmidt, PA-C

Elizabeth received her masters in Physician Assistant studies at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. After graduating she worked at University Hospital in Newark, NJ caring for patients with HIV/AIDS. Following this, she then spent 7 years at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center caring for immunocompromised leukemia and bone marrow transplant patients with infections. She joined the infectious disease service at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University (RWJMS) in 2020. Since joining the program at Rutgers -RWJMS she has enjoyed caring for patients with solid and hematologic malignancies as well as mentoring and teaching ID fellows and students. Her extensive experience and knowledge in immunocompromised hosts makes her a very valuable member of our transplant infectious disease team

To make an appointment with our transplant infectious disease physicians, call 732-235-7060