Dr. Alexa Meara earned her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 2008. She completed her internal medicine residency at East Carolina University (ECU) and Vidant Medical Center from 2008 to 2011, serving as Chief Resident in Internal Medicine from 2011 to 2012. Following her chief year, she was appointed Associate Program Director for Internal Medicine at ECU (2012–2013).
Dr. Meara pursued fellowship training in Rheumatology at The Ohio State University (OSU) from 2013 to 2015 and subsequently completed two additional years of research fellowship, earning a Master of Medical Science degree (2015–2017). She is currently an Associate Professor in the Division of Oncology The James Cancer Hospital at OSU Wexner Medical Center..
Her clinical practice includes directing a specialized Immunotherapy Management Clinic, focused on managing autoimmune complications arising from cancer immunotherapy. Her research centers on understanding immune-related adverse events (irAEs), with the goal of classifying and treating these autoimmune sequelae while preserving the antitumor efficacy of immunotherapy.
Through this work, Dr. Meara co-founded the Alliance for Support and Prevention of Immune-Related Adverse Events (ASPirE), a collaborative network of academic physicians dedicated to education and evidence generation in this emerging field. She also established The Foundation for Autoimmune Cancer Support, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that amplifies the patient voice and fosters community at the intersection of autoimmune disease and cancer—redefining survivorship as thrivorship.
In addition to her clinical and research roles, Dr. Meara teaches pre-clinical learners the fundamentals of history-taking and physical examination and serves as a Success Coach for residents and fellows through the Graduate Medical Education office.