Jamie Margolis, Ph.D., Sr. Vice President, Donor & Product Operations, NMDP

What is your current role?

I have had the great honor to work at NMDP for over 16 years, delivering on a mission that is dedicated to saving lives through cell therapy. In my current role, I am responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of the teams accountable for the NMDP adult donor Registry and its associated members and donors. Along with key partners, the team oversees the management and facilitation of all member, adult donor and cord blood operations, from the point of identification of the best graft source for the waiting patient to the collection and recovery of blood stem cells or delivery of cord blood products.

Why did you join the TRUST?

I have participated in TRUST events over many years as an opportunity to expand my knowledge and my connections, and am now a proud member and future (in 2026) Board member of the TRUST.

What has been your favorite part of being a member of the TRUST?

One of my top strengths is learner, and therefore I am always seeking new ways to expand and deepen my knowledge not only in my specific area of work but more broadly as well. To have an opportunity to learn through an incredibly supportive network of people is an opportunity I am forever grateful for.

What is the best career advice you’ve received?

The best career advice I have received is to stay forever curious- ask questions, take on projects/initiatives, and say yes as often as possible to new opportunities. We have all heard the saying that the only constant is change, so the adaptability and agility that come from continuous learning will help you more easily navigate those changes.

Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that influenced your leadership or professional path?

A pivotal time in my career came when we were managing operational impacts of Hurricane Sandy. Alongside an incredible team, I was working to ensure that despite all of the logistical challenges that we would still be able to deliver all graft sources to waiting patients without delay. Most patients have started myeloablative prep prior to the cells being delivered, so timely delivery of the life saving cells is critical. From a career standpoint, this particular contingency event stood out, despite that fact we had managed many before and many since, but during Hurricane Sandy I was a relatively new leader and was tasked with operational accountabilities for the event. I very quickly learned that in some of the hardest times, is when the collective team shines brightest and the answers to decisions are crystal clear- we do what is right on behalf of waiting patients, always. We delivered every single one of those products, as we have for every other event we have navigated, and we do it together, on behalf of the patients we serve.

What emerging trend in health care are you most excited about and why?

While this is very specifically in the space of blood stem cell transplant, what is wildly exciting to me is the research that has done to create a path forward that allows for mismatch unrelated donor transplants to be done, importantly with equal patient outcomes compared to matched donor transplants. This research and adoption is so exciting because it dramatically closes a gap in availability of donors specifically for ethinically diverse patients in finding a suitable match on the Registry. Every searching patient should have a graft source that meets their need for transplant, and this is a giant leap toward realizing that goal.  

How do you balance the demands of your professional and personal life?

I don’t have any unique perspective or ideas on professional and personal life balance; we all know how difficult it is to strike that elusive balance so it is all about doing the best we can. Prioritization is key, both professionally and personally, so you can ensure you have the time and space to accomplish those priorities. That said, the necessary complement to  prioritization is flexibility as we all know that the best laid plans are only valid for the moment and we need to be able to pivot as needs necessitate both professionally and personally- so embrace it!

What strategies do you use to build effective teams and promote collaboration?

Building trust through transparency. We use the Lencioni model and that foundation of trust is critical to be able to have the healthy debate to align on best path forward to deliver on our shared goals. To build and foster trust, we create deliberate space at meetings for healthy team topics as it is a constant investment to foster trust- one and done will not work when building team health, it is a forever investment to be able to achieve lofty goals together.

Words of wisdom to live by?

Favorite quote: “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you” Ruth Bader Ginsburg