The National Bleeding Disorders Foundation, a leading U.S. organization dedicated to improving care for people with bleeding disorders, has announced its 2025 NBDF-Takeda Clinical Fellowship Awardees: Deeksha Katoch, MBBS, and Peter Zhao, MD.
Supported by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, the NBDF-Takeda Clinical Fellowship Program provides advanced clinical training in hematology, with a focus on hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. The program has supported more than 43 physicians to date, helping address a growing national need for specialists trained in bleeding disorders care.
“The number of hematologists treating bleeding disorders is declining,” said Halli Benasutti, PhD, director of research grants at the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation. “These fellowships support physicians at a critical point in their careers and help ensure continued access to high-quality care for people living with these conditions.”
Through the program, licensed physicians receive mentored, hands-on training at highly qualified hemophilia and thrombophilia treatment centers across the United States. Each award recipient may receive up to $100,000 per year for up to two years to support clinical training and research development.
Investing in the Next Generation of Care
The NBDF-Takeda Clinical Fellowship Program plays an important role in strengthening the pipeline of physicians specializing in hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. By investing in mentored training for clinicians, the program helps expand access to expert care, advance research, and improve outcomes for individuals and families affected by these conditions.
Meet the 2025 Awardees
Deeksha Katoch, MBBS
Deeksha Katoch, MBBS, is a third-year pediatric hematology-oncology fellow at the Yale School of Medicine, where her clinical and research focus is in benign hematology and inherited bleeding disorders. Upon completing her fellowship, she will join the faculty at the Yale Hemophilia Treatment Center.
Dr. Katoch earned her medical degree from Government Medical College in Jammu, India, and served as a medical officer in the Indian Air Force, where she cared for patients in underserved regions. She later completed her pediatric residency and chief residency at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn before joining Yale in 2023. She is also pursuing a Master of Health Science in Clinical Informatics and Data Science to strengthen her work with large-scale health data.
As an NBDF-Takeda Clinical Fellow, Dr. Katoch will train in the care of patients with hemostatic and coagulation disorders under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Bona, Dr. Stephanie Prozora, and Dr. Michael Recht. Her research will focus on access to care for patients with inherited bleeding disorders, with particular attention to geographic and socioeconomic factors that influence outcomes.
She has received recognition from several leading organizations, including the American Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network and the American Society of Hematology. Her long-term goal is to build a career as a clinician-investigator focused on improving access to comprehensive care for underserved populations.
Peter Zhao, MD
Peter Zhao, MD, was born in Jinan, China, and moved to the United States at age 4. He grew up in Houston, Texas; Richmond, Virginia; and Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Zhao earned his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Emory University before attending medical school at Washington University in St. Louis.
He completed his internal medicine residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University and subsequently worked as a hospitalist focused on bone marrow transplant patients. Dr. Zhao is currently a first-year fellow in the Hematology Track of the Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program at Washington University School of Medicine.
As an NBDF-Takeda Clinical Fellow, Dr. Zhao is pursuing specialized training in hematology with an interest in bleeding disorders care and research. His clinical experience and academic training position him to contribute to the growing need for physicians dedicated to treating patients with bleeding disorders.
About the NBDF-Takeda Clinical Fellowship Program
The NBDF-Takeda Clinical Fellowship Program provides critical support for physicians pursuing careers in bleeding disorders care. With exclusive funding from Takeda, the program enables NBDF to select new physician fellows for training, helping to build a stronger, more sustainable workforce in this specialized field. NBDF is grateful to Takeda for its continued partnership and commitment to advancing care for people living with bleeding disorders.
More information about the NBDF-Takeda Clinical Fellowship program can be found here.