Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York, United States
I am a board-certified neurologist and neuro-oncologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant brain tumors. My translational research efforts focus on the molecular pathogenesis of primary central nervous system lymphomas and the identification of molecular determinants of drug response with the goal of translating pre-clinical observation into the development of clinical trials. I have established pre-clinical models of PCNSL and identified the critical role of the B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling axis and its central nodule Bruton Tyrosine Kinases (BTK) in PCNSL. Based on these findings, I have established an investigator-initiated clinical trial using ibrutinib, a BTK inhibitor, for recurrent/refractory PCNSL and secondary CNS lymphoma (SCNSL). A promising response to single-agent ibrutinib was seen in 75% of patients, even in tumors without mutations affecting the BCR pathway. Based on our findings, the NCCN guidelines for the treatment of recurrent/refractory PCNSL now includes ibrutinib. I have also contributed pre-clinical and clinical glioblastoma data.
