Find an MSK Doctor or Cancer Specialist
Memorial Sloan Kettering hematologic oncologist Urvi Shah

Urvi A. Shah, MD

Myeloma Specialist

My Role at MSK

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Multiple myeloma and other plasma-cell diseases
  • Smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM)
  • Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)

My Specialties

  • Clinical trials
  • Immunotherapy
  • Healthy dietary changes
View all
Dr. Shah's Office Information
Languages: English
Request an Appointment
Our Care Advisors can answer many of your questions. They will connect you with the best healthcare provider for your needs.
Back to top
English
Share

About Me

What I Do at MSK
  • Assistant Attending Physician
Get To Know Me

I am a board-certified hematologist-oncologist with expertise in diagnosing and treating plasma cell disorders. These include multiple myeloma, smoldering myeloma, and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), among others. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), I work as part of a multidisciplinary team that cares for people with these cancers.

Read more

During my oncology fellowship training, I needed chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma. My firsthand experience on the other side of the doctor-patient relationship has helped me relate to patients in a more compassionate and empathic way. I find that clear, effective communication with patients, family members, and doctors can be crucial to prevent unnecessary stress and help with recovery.

I conduct clinical and translational research on plasma cell disorders and am currently involved in several clinical trials that are developing and testing new treatments. At MSK, our patients have access to the latest treatments, including immune-based therapies for plasma cell disorders. Sometimes this access is achieved through a clinical trial, but it can also be part of our standard care. I value patients’ goals for their cancer treatment very strongly. I work closely with them to come up with a care plan that suits their needs and also allows for the best possible treatment strategy.

I believe it is important to treat patients with a holistic approach. Therefore, my research focuses on studying the effect of modifiable risk factors (such as nutrition, obesity, and diabetes) on cancer development or progression (most specifically myeloma). I lead the NUTRIVENTION (nutrition intervention) trials, through which we study the impact of dietary interventions and supplements in plasma cell disorders. We study how these interventions influence insulin resistance, body composition, the gut microbiome, and the immune system to reduce the risk of cancer progression and improve outcomes.

In my free time, I enjoy painting with mixed media, cooking, staying active, and being outdoors, especially hiking trails around New York City.

 

My Role at MSK

A myeloma specialist is a doctor with special training in diagnosing and treating myeloma.

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Multiple myeloma and other plasma-cell diseases
  • Smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM)
  • Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)

My Specialties

  • Clinical trials
  • Immunotherapy
  • Healthy dietary changes
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Grant Medical College

Residencies

  • Internal Medicine - Tufts Medical Center

Awards and Honors

  • Castle Connolly: Top AAPI Doctor (2024)
  • Top Doctors New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly (2023)
  • American Society of Hematology Scholar Award (2023-2025)
  • Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)
  • Rising Star Award, Castle Connolly (2021, 2022)
  • Paul Calabresi K12 Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology, NCI (2021-2024)
  • Career Development Award, International Myeloma Society (2021-2023)
  • Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Training Workshop, National Cancer Institute (NCI, 2021)
  • Clinical Research Training Institute (CRTI) Award, ASH (2020)
  • Future Leaders in Hematology Award, Celgene (2019)
  • Shark Tank Audience Choice Award, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2019)
  • Henry L. Moses Prize for Best Clinical Paper, Montefiore Medical Center (2019)
  • ASCO/AACR Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop (2018)
  • Second Place, Outstanding Fellow Research Award, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center Research Symposium (2018)
  • American Society of Hematology (ASH) Abstract Achievement Award (2017)
  • ECOG-ACRIN Young Investigator Symposium Distinction Award for Translational Research (2017)
  • Chief Fellow, Hematology Rotation, Montefiore Medical Center (2017)
  • Outstanding Emergency Department Resident Award, Tufts Medical Center (2015)

Fellowships

  • Adult Cancer Immunotherapy - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • Hematology and Medical Oncology - Montefiore Medical Center & Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Board Certifications

  • Internal Medicine
  • Medical Oncology
  • Hematology

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA and NYC retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Anthem BCBS and other BCBS licensee plans

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

See updates

Anthem BCBS Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

See updates

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage (Medicare Choice PPO Network and VIP Prime Network Only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

Women talking
New Patients
Scheduling an appointment is easy. Click or call 646-497-9062— we’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Make an Appointment
Current Patients
Request an appointment by logging on to MyMSK or calling your doctor’s office. If you aren’t registered for MyMSK, call 646-227-2593 for your Enrollment ID.

Contact and Location

Dr. Shah sees patients at one location.

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
530 East 74th Street New York NY 10021
Get Directions

Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

See all Myeloma Service doctors

Clinical Trials

Smiling doctors in the lab
Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

Search clinical trials

Research and Publications

Shah UA, Maclachlan KH, Derkach A, Salcedo M, Barnett K, Caple J, Blaslov J, Tran L, Ciardiello A, Burge M, Shekarkhand T, Adintori P, Cross J, Pianko MJ, Hosszu K, McAvoy D, Mailankody S, Korde N, Hultcrantz M, Hassoun H, Tan CR, Lu SX, Patel D, Diamond B, Shah G, Scordo M, Lahoud O, Chung DJ, Landau H, Usmani SZ, Giralt S, Taur Y, Landgren CO, Block G, Block T, Peled JU, van den Brink MRM, Lesokhin AM. Sustained Minimal Residual Disease Negativity in Multiple Myeloma is Associated with Stool Butyrate and Healthier Plant-Based Diets. Clinical Cancer Research. 2022

Malik M, Sweeney NW, Jafri M, Derkach A, Chmielewski C, Adintori PA, Mailankody S, Korde N, Tan CR, Hassoun H, Hultcrantz M, Hillengass J, McCann SE, Iyengar N, Usmani S, Giralt SA, Landgren O, van den Brink MRM, Ahlstrom J, Lesokhin AM, D’Souza AD, Chimonas S, Shah UA. Nutrition perceptions, needs and practices among patients with plasma cell disorders. Blood Cancer J. 2022, Apr. PMCID: PMC9021216

Shah UA*, Rögnvaldsson S*, Derkach A, Björkholm M, Turesson I, David Y, Hultcrantz M, Tan C, Hassoun H, Korde N, Lesokhin A, Mailankody S, Kristinsson SY, Landgren CO. Diabetes mellitus and risk of plasma cell and lymphoproliferative disorders in 94,579 cases and 368,348 matched controls. Haematologica. 2021 Sep; PMCID: PMC8719074

Read more

Shah UA, Iyengar N. Plant-Based and Ketogenic Diets As Diverging Paths to Address Cancer: A Review. JAMA Oncol. 2022 Aug 1;8(8):1201-1208

Shah UA. Cancer and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Facing the “C words.” JAMA Oncology. 2020 Sep;6:1330-1331. 

Shah UA, Chung E, Giricz O, Pradhan K, Kataoka K, Gordon-Mitchell S, Bhagat T, Mai Y, Wei Y, Ishida E, Choudhary G, Joseph A, Rice R, Gitego N, Bartenstein M, Goel S, Mantzaris I, Shastri A, Parrish C, Derman O, Binder A, Gritsman K, Kornblum N, Braunschweig I, Bhagat C, Hall J, Graber A, Ratner L, Wang Y, Ogawa S, Verma V, Ye BH, Janakiram M. North American ATLL has a Distinct Mutational and Transcriptional Profile and responds to epigenetic therapies. Blood 2018 Aug 13, PMID: 30104217.

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Shah’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Urvi A. Shah discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
    Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)
  • American Society of Hematology
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb
    Professional Services and Activities
  • British Society for Haematology
    Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)
  • Dava Oncology
    Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)
  • HealthTree Foundation
    Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)
  • i3 Health
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Intellisphere, LLC
    Professional Services and Activities
  • International Myeloma Foundation
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Janssen Oncology, Inc.
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Janssen Research & Development, LLC
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Mashup Media, LLC
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Medscape
    Professional Services and Activities
  • MJH Associates
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Phillips Group Oncology Communications, Inc.
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Plant Based Health Professionals UK
    Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)
  • Plant Powered Metro New York
    Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)
  • Red Med Ed LLC
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
    Professional Services and Activities

If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


View all disclosures

Related topics: