CURRICULUM VITAE - ISAAC DJERASSI, M.D.

Summary of Professional Experience

1.  Basic Research, 1955-1960 at HARVARD’S Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA

    Clinical and Basic Research 1960 till present - Philadelphia and Boston

2.  Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, 1955-to present at

               Children’s Hospital, Boston (till 1960)

               Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia (till 1969)

3.  Adult Oncology/Hematology - Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA1969-to present

SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS:

1.  a)  Supportive, “Rescue” treatment for Cancer Chemotherapy

     b)  Blood Cells:  Separation collection transfusion and preservation.

                               Platelet and white cell transfusions as “Rescue” for cancer treatment

     c)  Apheresis -   Extra corporeal manipulation of the patient’s blood for various

                               treatment purposes

 

2.   Pharmacology and clinical use of folic acid antagonists (Methotrexate) in

                               malignant disorders.

 

3.   Immunology of Cancer - Interleukins

 

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS TO MEDICINE AND TO ONCOLOGY/HEMATOLOGY:

 

A.   Definition and practical use of “SUPPORTIVE CARE” including:

 

     1.   Invention of platelet harvesting in massive amounts and transfusion as a practical

          and effective means to enhance the results of chemotherapy.  1950 to present

     2.   Invention of Filtration - Leukopheresis and popularization of Leukocyte

          transfusions.  1970

     3.   Invention of Gravity Leukopheresis.   1977

 

 

B.   Development of the HIGH DOSE METHOTREXATE AND CITROVORUM

     FACTOR RESCUE FOR CURATIVE TREATMENTS OF;

 

     1.   Leukemia

     2.   Lymphosarcoma

     3.   Osteogenic Sarcoma

     4.   Brain Tumors (Glioma)

 

C.   HEMOPHILIA

 

     1.   Invention and perfecting of “Home Care” and “Prophylactic Care” for Hemophilia

 

HONORS

First Prize for exhibit on Platelets, VI International Congress of Hematology,

Boston, 1956

 

THE ALBERT LASKER AWARD, 1972, for the development of platelet transfusion

 

The EDWIN COHN-DELAVAL AWARD of the Internation Apheresis Society, 1990

for the perfection of apheresis for treatment of various diseases

 

DOCTOR OF HUMANITIES (Hon.), Villanova University, 1977

 

The Golden Plate Award-American Academy of Achievement;

 Super Achiever Award - Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, 1977

 Fourth Annual Ciowes Lecture, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo 1976

 Who’s Who’s in United States since 1970’s

 

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES:

 

Chairman-Session on Acute Leukemia, XII International Congress of Pediatrics,

Mexico City, 1968

Chairman-Session on Leukemia, Conference on Pediatric Malignancies at

M.D. Anderson Hospital, Houston, Texas, 1967

Chairman-Session on Pediatric Cancer, Pan American Congress of Pediatrics,

Mexico City, 1966  

Visiting Professor-University of Bangkok Medical School, Thailand, July 1968

National Research Council, Ad Hoc Committee on Platelet Transfusions,  Washington,

1966

Acute Leukemia Task Forces -Platelet Task Force, Chemotherapy Task Force,

National Cancer Institute, NIH, Washington, 1963-1970

Osteogenic Sarcoma Task Force - National Cancer Institute, NIH, Washington, 1972

Granulocyte Transfusions Task Force - National Cancer Institute, NIH, Washington,

1971-1976

Chairman-Session on chemotherapy of cancer XII.  Congress of the International

Society for Chemotherapy, Florence, Italy 1981

Chairman-Symposium on Methotrexate, XII Congress of the International Society

for Chemotherapy, Vienna, Austria

Director-Oncology Institute, Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv, 1986

Chairman-Symposium on Methotrexate, XVI Congress of the International Society

for Chemotherapy, Jerusalem, 1989

 

INVITED LECTURES  (U.S. and around the world)

National and International Symposia.  Selected examples:

 

Amsterdam - International Blood Transfusion symposium on Platelets 1974

Jerusalem - International Hematology Seminar 1974

London - International symposium on Leukocytes 1974

Brazil - International Hematology Seminar 1975

Rehovot - Weizmann Institute Symposium 1976

Michigan - Wayne state University blood symposium 1976

Brussels-European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer Symposium, 1976

London-Second Internation Symposium on Leukocyte Separation and Transfusion, 1976

Buffalo - The Annual Clowes Lecture, 1977

Zurich - Roundtable Panel Discussion on HDMTX, 1977

Upsala - International Society of Blood Transfusions Blood Leukocytes, 1977

Vienna - International Symposium on Cell Separation and Cyrobiology, 1977

Chicago - Third International Symposium on Osteogenic Sarcoma, 1979

Munich - special lecture at the Paul Ehrich Society Meeting, 1980

Florence - 11th International Congress of chemotherapy, Methotrexate Symposium, 1983

Tokyo - Japanese Foundation for Multi-Disciplinary Treatment of Cancer, High Dose

             Methotrexate Symposium, 1981

Vienna -13th International Congress of chemotherapy, 1983

China - Guest lecturer at the Cancer Institutes of Shanghai and Beijing, 1984

Sofia -  Invited lecturer, National Cancer Institute, 1986

Jerusalem - XVI Congress of Chemotherapy, Symposium chairman, 1989

Amsterdam - 3rd International Congress of the World Apheresis Association -

                     Receipient of the first Edwin Cohen-De Laval Award, 1990

Bangkok - Special guest at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Hematology

                 of Thailand, 1993

 

EDUCATION

 

Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem - M.D., 1952

French College, St. Cyrille et Method, Sofia, Bulgaria (equivalent to

French Lycee), 1944

 

POSITIONS

 

1.   Academic - Current

     Professor of Oncology, Sackler School of Medicine,              1986 to present

     Tel Aviv University

 

     Academic - Previous

     Harvard Medical School, Boston                                               1956 to 1957               

     Research Assistant, Department of Pathology

 

     Harvard Medical School, Boston                                                 1957 to 1960

     Research Associate, Department of Pathology

 

     University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia                                   1961 to 1969

     Assistant Professor in Pediatrics

 

2.   Professional - Current

 

     Director of Research Hematology and Oncology,                    1969 to 1998

     Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Philadelphia

 

     Director, Oncology Institute, Sackler Medical                           1986 to present

     School, Tel Aviv University, Israel

 

     Professional - Previous

     Director, Pheresis Laboratories, Children’s Cancer               1957 to 1973

     Research Foundation, Children’s Medical Center, Boston

 

     Senior Physician and Associate Hematologist                                    1960 to 1969

     Incologist, Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia

 

     Director of Blood Bank, Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia     1963 to 1969

 

     Research Associate, Children’s Cancer Research                             1956 to 1975

     Foundation and Children’s Hospital, Boston

 

     Head, Hemostasis and Blood Fractionation Laboratories                 1957 to 1975

     Children’s Medical Center, Children’s Cancer Research

     Foundation, Boston, MA

    

     Consultant - Department of Pathology,                                      1961 to 1975

     Children’s Medical Center, Boston

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES:

 

American Society for Cancer Research - current

American Society for Experimental Pathology

American Association of Blood Banks

American Society of Clinical Oncology - current

Society for Experimental Hematology  - current

American Society for Pediatric Research

Brazilian Society of Hematology (Honorary Member)

 

PUBLICATIONS:

 

Over 150 publications including invited papers and book chapters.

Click here for a list of selected publications.

 

 

 

Contact email:treatmentglioma@aol.com