Boris Pasche, MD, PhD, FACP

Rank:    Professor and Division Director 
 
Division:                 
Hematology & Oncology

Campus Address:   NP 2566

Mailing Address:   
1720 2nd Avenue South, NP2540
Birmingham, AL 35294-3300

Phone: (205) 934-9591

Email:   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


For an appointment, call (205) 934-9999 or toll free 1 (800) UAB-8816.

Departmental Affiliation(s):
Primary: Medicine

Medical Schools:
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
University of Lausanne, Switzerland

Internal Medicine Residency:
The New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center

Fellowship:
Hematology/Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Caner Center and the New York Hospital, Cornell  University Medical College

Other Education:
PhD, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

Certifications:
Board certified in Medical Oncology


Biosketch:
Positions and Employment:

November 1989- Research fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Joseph Loscalzo
May 1992 Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
January 1996- Research fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Joan Massagué
June 2000 Cell Biology Program, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research

Graduate Medical Training

June 1992-June 1994 Internship and Residency in Medicine, The New York Hospital Cornell Medical Center
July 1994-June 1997 Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer and the New York Hospital, Cornell University Medical College

Clinical Appointments

1993-2000 Assistant Physician I, The New York Hospital and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center-Cornell University Medical College
2001-2008 Attending Physician, Northwestern Memorial Hospital
2008- Attending Physician, UAB Hospitals

Academic Appointments

1989-1992 Research Fellow in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
1992-2000 Clinical Associate in Medicine, Cornell University Medical College
2001-2005 Assistant Professor of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
2002-2008 Director, Cancer Genetics Program, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
2006-2008 Associate Professor of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
2006-2007 Co-Leader, Cancer Genes and Molecular Targeting Program, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
2008 Leader, Cancer Genes and Molecular Targeting Program, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
2008- Professor of Medicine with Tenure and Director, Division of Hematology/Oncology Division, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
2008-2009 Associate Director for Translational Research, The University of Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Center
2008- Martha Ann and David L. May Endowed Chair in Cancer Research
2009-2011 Deputy Director, The University of Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Center
2010- Adjunct Professor, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Editorial Positions

2003- Contributing Editor, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
2004- Editor, The Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research
2012- Editor, Cancer Hallmarks

Grant Review Panels

2004- Member, Breast Cancer Center of Excellence, Era of Hope Scholar Award and Targeted Therapies Review Panels, Department of Defense
2007, 2012 Grant reviewer (adhoc), Istituto Toscano Tumori, Florence, Italy
2008 Member, Komen for the Cure Pathobiology-1 Review Panel
2008-2009 Adhoc member, NCI Cancer Genetics Study Section
2008 Member, AACR Colorectal Cancer Review Committee
2009 Member, Komen for the Cure, Targeted Therapies Committee
2010- Chair, Department of Defense Colorectal Cancer Review panel
2010-2016 Member, NCI Cancer Genetics Study Section
2010 Adhoc member, NCI Cancer Health Disparities Study Section
2010 Adhoc member, NCI U01 grant review panel
2011 Adhoc member, Special Emphasis Panel/Scientific Review Group
2011/05 ZCA1 SRLB‐1 (M1)
2011-2012 AACR Clinical and Translational Research Grants Scientific Review Committee
2012 Adhoc reviewer for the Swiss Cancer League

Advisory Committees

2005-2006 Member, Special Committee Investigating Allegations of Scientific Misconduct, Northwestern University Office of Research Integrity
2004-2008 Member, NU Biotechnology Laboratory Advisory Board
2003- Member, Cancer Genetics/Familial Assessment Panel: Breast and Ovarian, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
2003-2006 Member, Cancer Education Committee, Tumor Biology/Human Genetics, The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
2001- Member, Laboratory Science Gastrointestinal Committee, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)
2001-2008 Member, NUgene advisory committee
2001-2008 Member, Clinical Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
2010 Advisor and Reviewer, The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa
2010 Amgen Vectibix advisory board

Elected Memberships

2004 Fellow of The American College of Physicians-The American Society of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM)
2007 The American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI)
2012 American Clinical and Climatological Association

Additional Research Experience

1983-1986 Clinical Trial Director, Symtonic, S.A., Renens, Switzerland
1986-2001 Chief Scientific Officer, Symtonic S.A., Renens, Switzerland
1992-1996 President, Symtonic USA, Inc., New York, New York
2007- Founder and member, TheraBionic LLC, Chicago, IL
2010- Member of the Board, The Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT'IS) USA, Inc., Annapolis, MD

Teaching Experience

2001 Medical Genetics lecture, graduate program of Molecular Biology, Evanston campus
2000-2008 Cancer Genetics Lectures, part of the Molecular Medicine Course
2002-2008 Genetics of colorectal cancer, part of 1st year medical student curriculum
2002-2008 Cancer genetics lecture: Northwestern graduate program of genetic counseling
2002-2008 The genetics of breast cancer lecture as part of the "Advanced Topics in Breast Cancer Course", Northwestern University Graduate Program
2010- Cancer genetics lecture: UAB graduate program of medical sciences

Honors

1989 Young Scientist Merit Award, XIIth Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Tokyo, Japan
1991 Young Investigator Merit Award, XIIIth Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1992 Trainee Investigator Award for Excellence in Scientific Research, American Federation for Clinical Research, American Society for Clinical Investigation, American Federation for Clinical Research, Baltimore, MD
1997 First appearance in Marquis Who's Who in the East, 26th Edition
2004 First appearance in Marquis Who's Who in America, 58th Edition
2005 The Ohio State University Human Cancer Genetics Program Commemorative Medal
2008 First appearance in Marquis Who's Who in the World, 26th Edition
2009 First appearance in Marquis Who's Who in Healthcare and Medicine, 6th Edition
2009 First appearance in Castle Connolly's Top Doctors

Research Description

Studies of twins indicate that approximately 27% of breast cancers and 35% of colorectal cancers are inherited. High-penetrance tumor susceptibility genes only account for a small fraction of these common cancers. The remainder of the unexplained familial risk is presumably due to other high penetrance genes but polygenic mechanisms and low penetrance tumor susceptibility genes are likely to account for a greater proportion of familial breast and colorectal cancers. In a search for mutations of the type I TGF-β receptor (TGFBR1) we have identified a common variant, TGFBR1*6A, which has a deletion of three GCG triplets coding for alanine within a nine alanine (9A) repeat of TGFBR1 signal sequence. In normal epithelial cells TGFBR1*6A mediates TGF-β growth inhibitory signals less effectively than TGFBR1 and in cancer cells it may switch growth-inhibitory signals into growth-stimulatory signals. This important allele is emerging as a common breast and colon cancer susceptibility allele. Using a novel mouse model of Tgfbr1 haploinsufficiency we have shown that constitutively decreased Tgfbr1 signaling is a potent modifier of colorectal cancer in mice and humans. This led to the identification of TGFBR1 haplotypes associated with colorectal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer risk. We have also pioneered the use of amplitude-modulated electromagnetic field as a novel therapeutic approach in oncology. Our lab focuses on the role of the Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-β) pathway in cancer development and progression with a focus on naturally-occurring variants such as TGFBR1*6A and constitutively decreased expression of TGFBR1. We are developing novel in vitro and in vivo models of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure to assess the mechanism of action of amplitude-modulated electromagnetic fields in cancer.

Publications: See a listing of publications on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.