A Contemporary Molecular View of Diffuse Gliomas with Implications for Diagnosis

Presented by Daniel J. Brat, MD, PhD at the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Grand Rounds

November 29, 2017
5 pm - 6 pm
Location
DHMC, Williamson Auditorium H
Sponsored by
Pathology Department
Audience
Public
More information
Susan Gagnon
(603) 650-7740

The diffuse gliomas are a family of brain tumors characterized by widespread infiltration through the affected regions of the central nervous system. These tumors have traditionally been classified and graded by their histologic appearance as astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas and mixed gliomas ranging from grades II-IV.
Recent advances in our molecular genetic understanding of these neoplasms have changed our conceptions of these diseases and resulted in their reclassification based on genetic biomarkers These changes have been at least partially encoded in the new WHO classification and practice guidelines are being developed. This lecture cover the history of this evolution, point out its advantages and discuss the current gaps in knowledge.

     Dr. Brat received his MD and PhD from the Mayo Medical and Graduate Schools and then completed Residency in Anatomic Pathology and a Fellowship in Neuropathology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was on faculty in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Emory University from 1999-2017 and recently accepted the position of Magerstadt Professor and Chair of Pathology at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University.
     Dr. Brat is a practicing surgical neuropathologist with special expertise in neoplastic diseases. He also directs an NIH-funded basic and translational research lab that investigates mechanisms of glioma progression, including the contributions of hypoxia, genetics, tumor microenvironment and stem cells. He also has an interest in the In Silico investigation of brain tumors and has used large scale clinical and molecular databases, such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), to address fundamental questions in human glioma behavior. He has over 18 years of experience in brain tumor research and has written more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts and reviews.
 

Location
DHMC, Williamson Auditorium H
Sponsored by
Pathology Department
Audience
Public
More information
Susan Gagnon
(603) 650-7740