Kenneth McClain, MD, PhD
Expert Physician
Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH)
Dr. McClain received his M.D. and Ph. D. from the University of Chicago, completed pediatric residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and post-doctoral research training in the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Child Health Institute, and National Institutes of Health. He has dedicated his clinical and research efforts on the histiocytic diseases for over 46 years beginning with his hematology/oncology fellowship at the University of Minnesota. Since 1986 he has been at the Texas Children’s Cancer Center in Houston where he is a Professor of Pediatrics. In 2001 he organized a Histiocytosis Center there and was joined by Dr. Carl Allen in 2006. Together they have developed a robust clinical program which has attracted many patients from around the world.
Due to the large number of specimens collected from patients enrolled on research studies they have developed successful translational research studies with collaborators from several other institutions. Langerhans cell Histiocytosis (LCH) patients with neurologic dysfunction have been a special research interest of his leading to innovative therapies and new biologic understanding of this problem. Dr. McClain has cared for adult patients with histiocytic diseases for nearly 30 years. He is a past president of the Histiocyte Society and been a member of the education and scientific committees as well as worked with the Adult Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), LCH, and Rare Disease committees.
