James Godfrey, M.D.

(877) 460-4673
James_Godfrey
Hematologist
Clinical Expertise
Lymphoma
Research Area
Cellular and Immunotherapy in Patients with Lymphoma
Appointments
Assistant Professor, Division of Lymphoma, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Clinical Teams
Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Lymphoma
James Godfrey, M.D., is passionate about researching the immune system’s response to lymphoma, and then rapidly converting those discoveries into real treatments for real patients. “Despite the clinical success of immunotherapies,” he explained, “our understanding of the factors that determine patient responsiveness to these treatments in lymphoma remains limited.” He has an active research laboratory where he addresses these important questions, and is currently running several clinical trials to test the effectiveness of immunotherapies such as pembrolizumab (known as Keytruda) in various forms of the disease.
 
Dr. Godfrey received his medical degree and completed his residency at The Ohio State University. He continued his training with a fellowship in hematology and oncology at University of Chicago. He’s been the recipient of a long list of research awards and grants, and has published his work in a number of prominent research journals. He’s now eager to continue his research efforts at City of Hope. “By joining the committed and pioneering research team at City of Hope,” he said, “our goal is to now facilitate research discoveries that bridge the gap between cutting-edge basic science breakthroughs and the development of meaningful clinical interventions that can positively impact the health and well-being of our patients.”
Location
Education & Experience
Board Certifications

  • 2020, California State Medical License

  • 2018, Medical Oncology Board Certification

  • 2015, Illinois State Medical License

  • 2015, American Board of Internal Medicine

Degrees

  • 2008-2012, M.D., The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

  • 2004-2008, B.S., Biological Sciences. Chapman University, Orange, CA

Fellowship

  • 2015-2018, Clinical Fellow, Department of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Residency

  • 2012-2015, Residency, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Professional Experience

  • 2020-present, Assistant Professor, Division of Lymphoma, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

  • 2018-2020, Clinical Instructor, Department of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Awards & Memberships
Awards

  • 2018, Cancer Research Foundation Young Investigator Award

  • 2018, ASH Research Training Award for Fellows

  • 2018, Janet Rowley University of Chicago Research Day Abstract Award Winner

  • 2017, ASH Clinical Research Training Institute Participant

  • 2017, ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation Merit Award for Oral Abstract

  • 2017, Adaptive Biotechnologies Young Investigator Award

  • 2014, Clara Bloomfield Award for Excellence in Hematology Research, Ohio State University

  • 2012, Magna Cum Laude, The Ohio State University College of Medicine

  • 2008, Magna Cum Laude, Chapman University

  • 2008, American Physiological Society Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research

Memberships

  • 2018-present, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer

  • 2017-present, American Association for Cancer Research

  • 2015-present, American Society of Clinical Oncology

  • 2015-present, American Society of Hematology

Publications

  • Godfrey J and Benson D. The role of natural killer cells in immunity against multiple myeloma. Leuk and Lymphoma. 2012; 53:1666-76.

  • Godfrey J, Bishop MR, Syed S, Hyjek E, and Kline J. PD-1 blockade induces remissions in relapsed classical Hodgkin lymphoma following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. J Immunother Cancer. 2017; 5:11.

  • Curran EK, Godfrey J, and Kline J. Mechanisms of Immune Tolerance in Leukemia and Lymphoma. Trends Immunol. 2017 Jul;38(7):513-525.

  • Roth, L, Leonard J, Godfrey J, et al. Outcomes of adults and children with primary mediastinal B- cell lymphoma treated with dose-adjusted EPOCH-R. Br J Haematol. 2017 Dec;179(5):739-747.

  • Godfrey J, Smith SM, Hamadani M et al. Autologous versus matched sibling donor or matched unrelated donor allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in follicular lymphoma patients with early chemoimmunotherapy failure: A Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research analysis. Cancer. 2018 Jun;124(12):2541-2551.

  • Godfrey J, Leukam MJ, Smith SM. An update in treating transformed lymphoma. Best Pract Res Clin Haematol. 2018 Sep;31(3):251-261

  • Godfrey J, Nabhan C, Karrison, K, et al. Phase I study of lenalidomide plus dose-adjusted EPOCH-R in patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas with deregulated MYC and BCL2. Cancer. 2019 Jun 1;125(11):1830-1836.

  • Van Slambrouck C, Huh J, Godfrey J, et al. Diagnostic utility of STAT6(YE361) expression in classical Hodgkin lymphoma and related entities. Mod Pathol. 2019 Dec 10.

  • Godfrey J, Tumuluru S, Bao R, et al. PD-L1 gene alterations identify a subset of diffuse large B- cell lymphoma harboring a T cell-inflamed phenotype. Blood. 2019 May 23;133(21):2279-2290.

  • Kline J, Godfrey J, and Ansell S. The immune landscape and response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy in lymphoma. Blood. 2020 Feb 20;135(8):523-533.

  • Merryman RW, Carreau NA, Godfrey J, et al. Impact of Treatment Beyond Progression with Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Hodgkin Lymphoma. Oncologist. 2020;25(6):e993-e997.

  • Carreau N, Diefenbach C, Godfrey J, et al. Checkpoint blockade treatment sensitizes relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma to subsequent therapy. Br J Haematol. 2020 Oct;191(1):44-51

  • Carreau N, Diefenbach C, Godfrey J, et al. Checkpoint Blockade Treatment May Sensitize Hodgkin Lymphoma to Subsequent Therapy. Oncologist. 2020 Oct;25(10):878-885.

  • Trujillo J, Godfrey J*, Bishop M, et al. Primary resistance to CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma. Blood. 2021 Jun 17;137(24):3454-3459.

  • MacNabb B, Tumuluru S, Godfrey J, et al. Dendritic cells can prime anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses through major histocompatibility complex cross-dressing. Immunity. 2022 Jun 14;55(6):982-997.

  • Kambhampati S, Mei M, Godfrey J, et al. PD-1 blockade after Avelumab in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2022 Oct;22(10):e893-e897.

  • Godfrey J, Liu H, Tallarico M, et al. Pembrolizumab for the treatment of relapsed hematologic malignancies following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Blood Advances. 2023 Mar 28;7(6):963-970.

  • Song J, Nwangwu, He, Godfrey J, et al. Low T-cell proportion in the tumor microenvironment is associated with immune escape and poor survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Haematologica. 2023 Jan 12.

  • Major A, Yu J, Godfrey J, et al. Efficacy of checkpoint inhibition after CAR-T failure in aggressive B-cell lymphomas: Outcomes from 15 U.S. institutions. Blood Advances. 2023. In press.

  • Mei M, Chen L, Godfrey J, et al. Pembrolizumab Plus Vorinostat Induces Responses in Patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma Who Are Refractory to Prior PD-1 Blockade. Blood. 2023. In press.

  • Godfrey J*, Chen X, Sunseri N, et al. TIGIT is a key inhibitory checkpoint receptor in lymphoma. JITC. In press.

  • Godfrey J, Mei M, Chen L, et al. Results from a phase I trial of pembrolizumab plus vorinostat in relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Haematologica. In press.

  • Ong S, Pak S, Mei M, Godfrey, et al. Bendamustine is a well-tolerated alternative to fludarabine as lymphodepletion for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. American Journal of Hematology. In press

Ratings & Reviews
Ratings and reviews below are gathered from the Press Ganey Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG CAHPS) survey. CG CAHPS is a standardized survey that is used to measure a patient's experience in the physician office setting. Ratings are an average of all responses to questions about a provider's care, with five stars being the highest.
Ratings
5.0
Provider explain in way you understand
5.0
Provider listen carefully to you
5.0
Spend enough time with you
4.9
Recommend this provider office
4.9
Know important info medical history
4.9
Show respect for what you say
4.9
Rate provider 0-10
Reviews
10/09/23
Thank you for your kind and compassionate care. I am so impressed with each and every person at the COH. Dr. Godfrey worked tirelessly to assure the best care. - Verified patient
09/16/23
Docto and staff are very , kind , profesional, caring, and prompt - Verified patient
01/11/23
Excellent service - Verified patient
01/11/23
Excellent service - Verified patient
11/29/22
Dealing with Dr. Godfrey and his office is a wonderful experience. [...] - Verified patient