Alberto Broniscer, MD, MS

  • Professor of Pediatrics
  • Director of Neuro-oncology

Dr. Alberto Broniscer was recruited to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM) in August 2017 as a Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology. He graduated from the São Paulo University Medical School in December 1989, where he also completed a two-year pediatric residency and an eighteen-month pediatric hematology-oncology training. Dr. Broniscer completed a two-year Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and a one-year Neuro-Oncology fellowship at St. Jude from August 1993 until June 1996. Subsequently, Dr. Broniscer completed a third year of pediatric residency in Brazil and a two-year pediatric residency in the US as was required for board certification by the American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Broniscer also completed additional Neuro-Oncology fellowships at New York University and Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Broniscer was recruited to join the faculty of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in July 2002. Dr. Broniscer was a member of the Department of Oncology, Division of Neuro-Oncology at St. Jude from July 2002 until July 2017.

Professional and Scientific Society Membership

  • Society of Neuro-Oncology, 2002-Present
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2007-Present
  • Member of the Children’s Oncology Group Central Nervous System Committee, 2008-Present
  • Member of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium Steering Committee, 2014-2016
  • Member of Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium Scientific Committee, 2014-2016, 2017-Present

Education & Training

  • MD, São Paulo University Medical School, 1989
  • Residency in Pediatrics, São Paulo University Medical School, 1990-1992
  • Training in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, São Paulo University Medical School, 1992-1993
  • Fellowship in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 1993-1995
  • Fellowship in Pediatric Neuro-oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 1995-1996
  • Residency in Pediatrics, The Federal University of São Paulo. 1997-1998
  • Residency in Pediatrics, North Shore University Hospital (Manhasset, NY), 1999-2000
  • Fellowship in Neuro-oncology, New York University, 2001
  • Fellowship in Neuro-oncology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 2001-2002
  • MS, São Paulo University Medical School, 2002

Selected Publications

Broniscer A, Leite CC, Lanchote VL, Machado TMS, Cristofani LM. Radiation therapy and high-dose tamoxife in the treatment of patients with diffuse brain stem gliomas: results of a Brazilian cooperative study. J Clin Oncol 18:1246-53, 2000

 

Broniscer A, Baker S, West AN, Fraser MM, Proko E, Kocak M, Dalton J, Zambetti GP, Ellison DW, Kun LE, Gajjar A, Gilbertson RJ, Fuller CF. Clinical and molecular characteristics of malignant transformation of low-grade glioma in children. J Clin Oncol 25:682-9, 2007

 

Broniscer A, Baker SJ, Stewart CS, Merchant TE, Laningham FH, Schaiquevich P, Kocak M, Morris EB, Endersby R, Ellison DW, Gajjar A. Phase I and pharmacokinetic studies of erlotinib administered concurrently with radiotherapy for children, adolescents, and young adults with high-grade glioma. Clin Cancer Res 15:701-7, 2009

 

Broniscer A, Baker JN, Tagen M, Onar-Thomas A, Gilbertson RJ, Davidoff AM, Panandiker AP, Leung W, Chin TK, Stewart CF, Kocak M, Rowland C, Merchant TE, Kaste SC, Gajjar A. Phase I study of vandetanib during and after radiotherapy in children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. J Clin Oncol 28:4762-8, 2010

 

Paugh BS, Broniscer A, Qu C, Miller CP, Zhang J, Tatevossian RG, Olson JM, Geyer JR, Chi SN, da Silva NS, Onar-Thomas A, Baker JN, Gajjar A, Ellison DW, Baker SJ. Genome-wide analyses identify recurrent amplifications of receptor tyrosine kinases and cell-cycle regulatory genes in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. J Clin Oncol 29: 3999-4006, 2011

 

Wu G, Broniscer A, McEachron TA, Lu C, Paugh BS, Becksfort J, Qu C, Ding L, Huether R, Parker M, Zhang J, Gajjar A, Dyer MA, Mullighan CG, Gilbertson RJ, Mardis ER, Wilson RK, Downing JR, Ellison DW, Zhang J, Baker SJ. Somatic histone H3 alterations in pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas and non-brainstem glioblastomas. Nat Genet 44:251-3, 2012

 

Broniscer A, Baker SD, Wetmore C, Pai Panandiker AS, Huang J, Davidoff AM, Onar-Thomas A, Panetta JC, Chin TK, Merchant TE, Baker JN, Kaste SC, Gajjar A, Stewart CF. Phase I trial, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of vandetanib and dasatinib in children with newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. Clin Cancer Res 19:3050-3058, 2013

 

Broniscer A, Chamdine O. Hwang S, Lin T, Pounds S, Onar-Thomas A, Shurtleff S, Allen S, Gajjar A, Northcott P, Orr BA. Gliomatosis cerebri in children shares molecular characteristics with other pediatric gliomas. Acta Neuropathol 131:299-307, 2016

 

Broniscer A, Hwang S, Chamdine O, Onar-Thomas A, Pounds S, Li T, Chi L, Gajjar A, Northcot P, Orr BA. Bithalamic gliomas may be molecularly distinct from their unilateral high-grade counterparts. Brain Pathol 28:112-120, 2018

 

Pinto EM, Hamideh D, Bahrami A, Orr BA, Lin T, Pounds S, Zambetti GP, Pappo AS, Gajjar A, Agnihotri S, Broniscer A. Malignant rhabdoid tumors originating within and outside the central nervous system are clinically and molecularly heterogeneous. Acta Neuropathol 136:315-326, 2018

 

 

Academic and Research Interests

  • Development of phase I and II clinical trials for pediatric patients with central nervous system cancers based on tumor biology
  • Study of clinical and molecular characteristics of rare pediatric central nervous sytem cancers
  • Understanding the occurrence of cancer predisposition syndromes in pediatric patients with central nervous system cancers