Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Research Center

Neuberger bergman lab group photo

Historical Overview

The Neuberger Berman Foundation Lung Cancer Center of Weill Cornell Medicine was established in 2005 by the approval of the Board of Overseers with the full endorsement of the Dean of the Medical College. The Board of Overseers simultaneously approved the Dean's nomination of Nasser Altorki M.D., Chief of Thoracic Surgery, as the Center Director. The creation of the Center was made possible by a multi-year philanthropic gift from the Neuberger Berman Foundation and a commitment from the Medical College to renovate and refurbish an appropriate laboratory space for the purpose of conducting translational research in lung cancer and other chest malignancies. Upon completion of the laboratory space, the Center was officially inaugurated in late 2008. Immediately following, Vivek Mittal, Ph.D. was successfully recruited from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories to serve as Director of the Laboratory. Contemporaneously, the clinical outcomes unit of the Division of Thoracic Surgery was expanded and incorporated into the Center structure to provide the necessary link between clinical and laboratory-based research efforts. Learn more

Cancer Moonshot

The Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Research Center which led by Dr. Nasser Altorki has received a prestigious Cancer Moonshot grant from the National Cancer Institute’s Immuno-Oncology Translational Network (IOTN) to explore the mechanisms that allow slow-growing lung cancer lesions to progress into aggressive malignancies and identify new therapeutic strategies to intercept the transition.



Translational Research

The Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Center's research program is focused around the lung as a central organ to study de novo lung carcinogenesis (primary lung cancer), as well as the initiation and progression of metastatic lesions derived from extrapulmonary neoplasms (secondary lung cancer). The program integrates expertise in clinical and basic science to foster innovative research for the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer. Learn more

Healthcare Outcomes

The Division of Thoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine|NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is actively engaged in a robust program of clinical investigation. With over 1,000 thoracic surgical procedures performed every year, the division is one the busiest thoracic surgical programs in the nation. The Clinical Trials and Healthcare Outcomes Center prospectively records the outcomes of these patients with lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. With over 20 years of prospectively collected data and extensive ongoing biobank effort, the center is in a unique position to assess the efficacy of various thoracic treatments, provide support for translational research and hence improve clinical care. Learn more

Current Clinical Trials

  • Lung Cancer
  • Esophageal Cancer

Our Lab Researchers

<a href="https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-nkaltork">Nasser K. Altorki, M.D.</a>

Nasser K. Altorki, M.D.

Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery;
Director of Neuberger Berman Center

<a href="http://vivo.med.cornell.edu/display/cwid-vim2010">Vivek Mittal, Ph.D.</a>

Vivek Mittal, Ph.D.

Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology in Cardiothoracic Surgery;
Director of Research Neuberger Berman Center

placeholder

Timothy E McGraw

Professor of Biochemistry in Cardiothoracic Surgery

<a href="https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-dig2009">Ding Cheng Gao</a>

Ding Cheng Gao

Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology in Cardiothoracic Surgery

<a href="https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-jov9069">Jonathan Villena-Vargas, M.D.</a>

Jonathan Villena-Vargas, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Cardiothoracic Surgery

<a href="https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-swh9002">Sebron Wood Harrison, M.D.</a>

Sebron Wood Harrison, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Cardiothoracic Surgery

<a href="https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-bel9026">Benjamin Lee, M.D.</a>

Benjamin Lee, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Cardiothoracic Surgery

<a href="https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-osc4001">Oliver Chow, M.D.</a>

Oliver Chow, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Cardiothoracic Surgery

Director of Research Administration

Murtaza Malbari, MS

Murtaza Malbari, MS

Director of Research Administration
Phone: (212) 746-9400
Fax: (212) 746-9393
mum2003@med.cornell.edu

Weill Cornell Medicine Cardiothoracic Surgery 525 East 68th Street
Box 110
Suite M 404
New York, NY 10065 Directions
Phone: (212) 746-5166

News

TWIST - Designing an International Multi-center Trial

Evaluating therapeutic approaches through clinical research can be done at many different scales; some exploratory studies seek to enroll just a handful of participants at a single site while other ideas require a great deal more statistical power. Thankfully multi-center and international collaborations are an excellent source of that power! Join our Director Dr. Mario Gaudino on Tuesday August 17th for a look at his work and experience designing and running a trial that spans over 50...

Read More

Q&A with Dr. Mario Gaudino, Newly Appointed Director of the Joint Clinical Trials Office

For Dr. Mario Gaudino, being an excellent cardiothoracic surgeon and conducting clinical research to find new ways to improve patients’ outcomes have been two sides of the same coin since he was a medical student in Rome. Today, he is a renowned surgeon treating patients with heart and cardiovascular disease, and at the same time, serves as the primary investigator of the ...

Read More