Jonathan R. Brody, Ph.D.

  • Professor of Surgery, School of Medicine
  • Vice Chair, Research, Surgery, School of Medicine
  • Louis Gerlinger, Jr. and Beatrice Lee Gerlinger Surgical Chair

Biography

Dr. Jonathan Brody is Vice Chair of Research and a Professor within the Department of Surgery. Dr. Brody received his Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and his thesis specialized in studying the molecular aspects of cancer and cancer genetics. He patented, with Dr. Scott Kern, novel buffers for DNA identification (DNA electrophoresis buffer), that have changed the format of this molecular biology technique used to detect DNA. He was elected Chair of the Cancer Research Program (PRCRP), Department of Defense council and serves on many international study sections, including currently being the Chair of the Tumor Biology and Genomics study section for the American Cancer Society and a permanent member of an NCI study section panel. He has published over 125 peer review publications in many top tier scientific and cancer journals. Additionally, he was an American Cancer Society Research Scholar, is NIH (NCI, R01) funded, and won the American Association of Cancer Research, Pancreatic Cancer Career Development Award in 2010.  His lab focuses on many molecular aspects of pancreatic cancer, including developing ways to target a novel pro-survival network in pancreatic cancer cells and optimizing current targeted therapies used in the clinic. His also has an interest in personalizing therapy for pancreatic cancer patients (PanCAN, RAN grant PI).

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.A., 1992, Skidmore College
    • Ph.D., 2002, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

  • Fellowship

    • Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 2002-2003
    • Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 2003-2006

Memberships and associations:

  • American Association of Cancer Research
  • American Society for Clinical Oncology
  • Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
  • Society of University Surgeons
  • American Society for Investigative Pathology

Areas of interest

  • Molecular aspects of pancreatic cancer, including developing ways to target a novel pro-survival network in pancreatic cancer cells and optimizing current targeted therapies used in the clinic.
  • Personalizing therapy for pancreatic cancer patients

Honors and awards

  • Filene Scholarship Winner, Skidmore College, 1988 – 1992
  • Chief Graduate Student, Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University, 2001 – 2002
  • Experimental-Pathologist-Trainee of the Year, American Investigative Society for Pathology, presented San Diego, CA, 2003
  • Winner of Excellence in Basic Science Research in the Pathology Department, 4th and 5th Annual Young Investigator’s Day, Johns Hopkins University, 2003
  • Jeff Pilot Innovative Project Award; Award for American Cancer Society-IRG; member of Fox-Chase SPORE grant; American Cancer Society Institutional Award; Reviewer for international Grants (Science Foundation of Ireland and Israeli Foundation), 2009
  • Outstanding Research Award, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, 2009
  • The PanCAN-AACR-Pancreatic Cancer Career Development Award, American Cancer Society Research Scholar, 2010
  • Dean’s Citation for Excellence in Education, Thomas Jefferson University, May 4, 2011
  • Dean’s Award for Faculty Mentoring, 2012
  • Nominated/Elected as Honorary Co-Chair of PurpleStride Philadelphia (PanCAN), 2015
  • Early Investigator Award for Biomedical Advancement (Jefferson), 2015 – 2016
  • American Cancer Society, special volunteer award, November 2016
  • Nominated by the Post-doctoral association for Mentor of the Year (2019)

Publications

Selected publications

  • Abemaciclib is effective against pancreatic cancer cells and synergizes with HuR and YAP1 inhibition. Dhir T, Schultz C, Jain A, Brown S, Haber A, Goetz A, Xi C, Su G, Xu L,  Posey J, Jiang W, Yeo CJ, Golan T, Pishvaian MJ, Brody JR. Molecular Cancer Research. In press.
  • ATM Dysfunction in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma and Associated Therapeutic Implications. Armstrong SA, Schultz CW, Azimi-Sadjadi A, Brody JR, MJ Pishvaian. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.  In press.
  • Multi-omic molecular comparison of primary versus metastatic pancreatic tumours. Brar G, Blais EM, Joseph Bender R, Brody JR, Sohal D, Madhavan S, Picozzi VJ, Hendifar AE, Chung VM, Halverson D, Mikhail S, Matrisian LM, Rahib L, Petricoin E, Pishvaian MJ. Br J Cancer. 2019 Jul 11. doi: 10.1038/s41416-019-0507-5. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Poly (ADP) ribose glycohydrolase can be effectively targeted in pancreatic cancer.Jain A, Agostini LC, McCarthy GA, Chand SN, Ramirez A, Nevler A, Cozzitorto J, Schultz CW, Lowder CY, Smith KM, Waddell ID, Raitses-Gurevich M, Stossel C, Gorman YG, Atias D, Yeo CJ, Winter JM, Olive KP, Golan T, Pishvaian MJ, Ogilvie D, James DI, Jordan AM, Brody JR. Cancer Research. 2019 Jul 4. [Epub ahead of print]
  • A Pilot Trial of Molecularly Tailored Therapy for Patients with Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Tesfaye AA, Wang H, Hartley ML, He AR, Weiner L, Gabelia N, Kapanadze L, Shezad M, Brody JR, Marshall JL, Pishvaian MJ. J Pancreat Cancer. 2019 May 2;5(1):12-21. doi: 10.1089/pancan.2019.0003. eCollection 2019. PMID: 31065624
  • The sustained induction of c-Myc drives nab-paclitaxel resistance in primary pancreatic ductal carcinoma cells. Parasido E, Avetian G, Naeem A, Graham G, Pishvaian M, Glasgow E, Mudambi S, Lee Y, Ihemelandu C, Choudhry M, Peran I, Banerjee PP, Avantaggiati ML, Bryant K, Baldelli E, Pierobon M, Liotta L, Petricoin E, Fricke ST, Sebastian A, Cozzitorto J, Loots GG, Kumar D, Byers S, Londin E, DiFeo A, Narla G, Winter J, Brody JR, Rodriguez O, Albanese C Mol Cancer Res. 2019 Jun 4.
  • Metabolic Dependencies in Pancreatic Cancer. Vaziri-Gohar A, Zarei M, Brody JR, Winter JM. Front Oncol. 2018 Dec 12;8:617. 
  • Evaluation of Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation in Pancreatic Cancer Cells: Studying RNA Binding Proteins and Their mRNA Targets. Jain A, Brown SZ, Thomsett HL, Londin E, Brody JR. Methods Mol Biol. 2019;1882:239-252.PMID:30378060
  • Host IDO2 gene status influences tumor progression and radiotherapy response in KRAS-driven sporadic pancreatic cancers.  Nevler A,  Muller AJ, Sutanto-Ward E, DuHadaway JB,  Nagatomo K,  Londin E, O’Hayer K,  Cozzitorto JA, Lavu H, Yeo TP, Curtis M, Villatoro T, Leiby BE, Mandik-Nayak L, Winter JM, Yeo CJ, Prendergast GC,  Brody JR. Clinical Cancer Research 2018 Sep 28. pii: clincanres.0814.2018. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-18-0814. [Epub ahead of print]
  • RNA-binding Protein HuR Regulates Both Mutant and Wild-type IDH1 in IDH1mutated Cancer. Zarei M, Lal S, Vaziri-Gohar A, O'Hayer K, Gunda V, Singh PK, Brody JR, Winter JM. Mol Cancer Res. 2018 Sep 28. pii: molcanres.0557.2018. doi: 10.1158/15417786.MCR-18-0557. [Epub ahead of print]

Publications