Neuro-Oncology Branch
Mission
The Neuro-Oncology Branch (NOB) develops an integrated clinical, translational and basic research program that engages the strengths and resources of both the NCI and NINDS for the purpose of developing novel experimental therapeutics for children and adults with tumors of the central nervous system.
Overview
The clinical section of the NOB:
- Plans and conducts clinical trials utilizing strategies based on pre-clinical investigations
- Collaborates with other NCI-sponsored collaborative clinical trials groups for the purpose of synergizing the strengths of these groups (i.e., large patient accrual, outstanding data management) with some of the unique capabilities of the NIH intramural program (i.e., capability of doing highly novel, technically demanding and expensive pilot trials)
- Provides expert multidisciplinary consultative services to any patient with a primary brain tumor
- Fosters the training and development of clinical fellows and other trainees in adult and pediatric oncology, neurology, radiation oncology and neurosurgery
The research section of the NOB:
- Identifies potential molecular targets in gliomas and translates these findings into new therapies for patients with malignant gliomas
- Explores the translational and therapeutic potential of stem cell biology in gliomas
- Has created a national, multi-institutional effort to prospectively molecularly characterize over 1000 gliomas: the Glioma Molecular Diagnostic Initiative (GMDI), along with the construction of a data warehouse, with the associated bioinformatics tools, to hold and analyze GMDI and other high-throughput molecular brain tumor data: The REpository of Molecular BRAin Neoplasia DaTa ("REMBRANDT")
Investigator
Howard Fine, M.D.
Branch Chief
Neuro Oncology Branch, NCI
Dr. Howard A. Fine is currently chief of the Neuro-Oncology Branch at NCI's Center for Cancer Research, and of the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and his M.D. from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. Dr. Fine completed both his internship and his residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of The University of Pennsylvania. Three years later he completed his fellowship in medical oncology at Harvard Medical School's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Mass. Read more
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