Skip to main content

Madhurima Koka, MD, PhD

Academic Title:

Associate Professor

Primary Appointment:

Pathology

Administrative Title:

Director, Pathology Residency Program

Location:

NBW, 53

Phone (Primary):

410-328-5563

Phone (Secondary):

410-328-5555

Fax:

410-328-5508

Education and Training

Education

  1. M.D. - University of Illinois at Chicago. Date of completion: 5/2010
  2. Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy - Immunology. University of Chicago. Date of completion: 6/2004
  3. B.A. - Biological Sciences. University of Chicago. Date of completion: 6/1999

Professional Experience

  • Clinical and Research Fellow - Division of Hematopathology.Department of Pathology. Johns Hopkins Hospital. July 2014- June 2015
  • Chief Resident - Department of Pathology. University of Maryland Medical Center. May 2012 - April 2013
  • Resident - Department of Pathology. University of Maryland Medical Center.Jul. 2010 – Jun. 2014
  • Graduate Assistant - Department of Microbiology. University of Illinois at Chicago.Sept 2006- May 2007
  • Post-doctoral Fellow - Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Northwestern University.Aug 2005 - Jul 2006
  • Post-doctoral Fellow - Division of Gastroenterology. University of California at San Francisco. June 2004 - June 2005
  • Post-baccalaureate Fellow -Vaccine Institute, National Cancer Institute. National Institutes of Health. Sept 1999 - August 2000
  • Junior Research Technician -Nephrology, Department of Medicine. University of Chicago. Sept 1997- June 1999

Biosketch

I have a very strong interest in the potential targets of immunomodulating agents in leukemias and lymphomas.  

Research/Clinical Keywords

Leukemia, Lymphoma, Myelodysplastic syndrome, Benign hematology

Highlighted Publications

Koka R, Bade N, Sausville E, Zou Y. Unique episomal amplification of BCR-ABL1 gene fusion in a case of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Under review

Koka R, Mainor CB, Banerjee A, Baer MR, Zou YS. Concomitant amplification of the MLL gene on a ring chromosome and a homogeneously staining region (hsr) in acute myeloid leukemia: mechanistic implications. Leukemia and Lymphoma. 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10428194.2016.1233539

Shapiro SC, Oduyebo I, Koka R, Gelber AC. Rash and Fever: Clues to an Elusive Hematologic Malignancy. Am J Med. 2016 Apr;129(4):e5-8. PMID: 26763755

Rosenblatt P, Koka R, Chen Q, Papadimitriou JC, Sausville EA, Emadi A. Schistocytes, echinocytes, iron deficiency anemia, and thrombocytopenia - hematologic manifestations of splenic angiosarcoma.Arch Iran Med. 2013 Oct;16(10):602-5. PMID: 26763755

Allen PB, Koka R, Kleinberg ME, Baer MR. Scedosporium apiospermum soft tissue infection as the initial presentation of acute myeloid leukemia: a case report.J Clin Oncol. 2013 Mar 1;31(7):e98-100. PMID: 23319688

Additional Publication Citations

French AR, Sjölin H, Kim S, Koka R, Yang L, Young DA, Cerboni C, Tomasello E, Ma A, Vivier E, Kärre K, and Yokoyama W.KARAP/DAP12 signaling directly augments IL-15 stimulation of natural killer cell proliferation. Cutting Edge: Journal of Immunology. 2006;177(8):4981-90. PMID: 17015680

Burkett P*, Koka R*, Chien M, Chai S, and Ma A (* Both authors contributed equally to this work) Coordinate Expression and Trans Presentation of IL-15Ralpha and IL-15 Supports NK Cell and Memory CD8+ T Cell Homeostasis. Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2004;200(7)825-34. PMID: 15452177

Koka R, Burkett P, Chien M, Chai S, Boone DL, and Ma A. Cutting edge: Murine dendritic Cells Require IL-15Ralpha to Prime NK Cells. Journal of Immunology. 2004;173(6):3594-8. PMID: 15356102

Kawamura T, Koka R, Ma A, Kumar V Differential Roles for IL-15 receptor chain in NK cell development and Ly49 Induction. Journal of Immunology. 2003;171(10):5085-90. PMID: 14607906

Koka R, Burkett P, Chien M, Chai S, Chan F, Lodolce J, Boone D, Ma A. Interleukin (IL)-15Ra-deficient Natural Killer Cells Survive in Normal but not IL- 15Ra-deficient Mice. Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2003;197(8):977-984. PMID: 12695489

Burkett PR, Koka R, Chien M, Chai S, Chan F, Ma A, Boone DL. IL-15R alpha expression on CD8+ T cells is dispensable for T cell memory. Proceedings at the National Academy of Sciences U S A. 2003;100(8):4724-9. PMID: 12671073

Lodolce JP, Burkett PR, Koka RM, Boone DL, Ma A. Regulation of lymphoid homeostasis by interleukin-15.Cytokine Growth Factor Reviews. 2002;13(6):429-39. Review. PMID: 12401478

Lodolce J, Burkett P, Koka R, Boone D, Chien M, Chan F, Madonia M, Chai S, Ma A. Interleukin-15 and the regulation of lymphoid homeostasis. Molecular Immunology. 2002;39(9):537-44. Review. PMID: 12431387

Sun Y, Chen HM, Subudhi SK, Chen J, Koka R, Chen L, Fu YX. Costimulatory molecule-targeted antibody therapy of a spontaneous autoimmune disease. Nature Medicine. 2002;8(12):1405-13. PMID: 12426559

Ahlers JD, Belyakov IM, Terabe M, Koka R, Donaldson DD, Thomas EK, Berzofsky JA. A push-pull approach to maximize vaccine efficacy: abrogating suppression with an IL-13 inhibitor while augmenting help with granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor and CD40L. Proceedings at the National Academy of Sciences U S A. 2002;99(20):13020-5. Epub 2002 Sep 13. PMID: 12232042

Belyakov IM, Wang J, Koka R, Ahlers JD, Snyder JT, Tse R, Cox J, Gibbs JS, Margulies DH, Berzofsky JA. Activating CTL precursors to reveal CTL function without skewing the repertoire by in vitro expansion. European Journal of Immunology. 2001;31(12):3557-66. PMID: 11745375

Koka RM, Huang E and Lieske J. Adhesion of uric acid crystals to the surface of renal epithelial cells. American Journal of Physiology: Renal Physiology. 2000; 278:F989-F998. PMID: 10836987

Invited Review

Koka R, Vuica-Ross M. Primary Lymphomas of the Thyroid: Diagnostic Modalities and Challenges. Pathology Case Reviews. 2015 Oct; 20(5):pg.223-226.

Koka R, Ioffe OB. Breast carcinoma: is molecular evaluation a necessary part of current pathological analysis? Semin Diagn Pathol. 2013 Nov;30(4):321-8. PMID: 26763755

Ma A, Koka R, Burkett P. Diverse functions of IL-2, IL-15 and IL-7 in lymphoid homeostasis. Annual Reviews in Immunology. 2006;24:657-79. Review. PMID: 16551262

Burkett PR, Koka R, Chien M, Boone DL, Ma A. Generation, maintenance, and function of memory T cells. Advances in Immunology. 2004;83:191-231. Review. PMID: 15135632

Book Chapters

Practical Thoracic Pathology: Diseases of the Lung, Heart and Thymus. Burke, Aubry, Maleszewski, Alexiev and Tavora. 2017.

Part 1: Lung. Section 14: Lymphoid lung lesions

  • Chapter 88. Primary extranodal Marginal zone lymphoma.
  • Chapter 89. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  • Chapter 90 Lymphomatoid granulomatosis
  • Chapter 91. Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Chapter 92. Histiocytic tumor proliferations of the lung

Part 2: Mediastinum. Section 6. Hematologic neoplasms

  • Chapter 127 Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma.
  • Chapter 128 Thymic extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue
  • Chapter 129 Precursor T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia
  • Chapter 130 Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Chapter 131 Histiocytic and dendritic cell neoplasms
  • Chapter 132 Anaplastic large cell lymphoma
  • Chapter 133 Mediastinal gray zone lymphoma

Clinical Specialty Details

  • Hematopathology
  • Surgical Pathology
  • Flow cytometry

Professional Activity

Service to Profession

  1. Reviewer - Pathology: Research and Practice. August 2016 – Present
  2. Junior Reviewer - Laboratory Investigation. May 2014 – Present

Professional Associations

  • American Society of Hematology. 2017-2018.
  • Pathology Student Interest Group. 2011-2014.
  • American Society for Clinical Pathology. 2012-Present.
  • American Association for Clinical Chemistry. 2011- Present.
  • College of American Pathologists. 2010 - Present.
  • Maryland Society of Pathologists. 2010 - Present.
  • American Medical Student Association. 2006-2010.