Roberto Pili MD

Roberto Pili

Roberto Pili
MD

Associate Dean for Cancer Research and Integrative Oncology

Department of Medicine

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences


Specialty/Research Focus

Medical Oncology; Oncology

Contact Information
Clinical and Translational Research Center
875 Ellicott Street, Room 6085
Buffalo, New York 14203
Phone: (716) 881-8918
rpili@buffalo.edu


Patient Care

This faculty member is affiliated with UBMD, practicing physicians who are also professors in the Jacobs School.

View this physician on UBMD


Professional Summary:

My laboratory has been engaged in translational research in the field of genitourinary malignancies for the past 20 years. After my clinical research training and establishing a kidney cancer research program at Johns Hopkins, I took the leadership of the Genitourinary Program at Roswell Park and then led the Experimental and Developmental Therapeutic Program at the Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center at Indiana University.

I moved recently to the University at Buffalo to build a new cancer research program. Our laboratory and clinical research interests have focused on drug development for genitourinary malignancies. In particular, we have been studying the therapeutic role of histone deacetylase inhibitors in modulating tumor differentiation, angiogenesis and immune responses. We have developed and tested several rational combination strategies of HDAC inhibitors with VEGF and mTOR inhibitors in preclinical models and translated them into clinical trials for bladder, renal cell and prostate carcinoma patients. Moreover, we have shown the synergy between HDAC inhibition and immune therapies and we are conducting clinical trials to test this hypothesis. More recently, we have been testing the role of dietary protein restriction in modulating the immune response.

Education and Training:

  • Fellowship, Medical Oncology, Johns Hopkins University (2000)
  • Fellowship, Biological Chemistry, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging (1994)
  • MD, Catholic University School of Medicine, Summa Cum Laude (1989)

Employment:

  • Associate Dean for Cancer Research and Integrative Oncology, Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Jacobs School of Medicine (2020-present)
  • Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology, UBMD-Internal Medicine (2020-present)
  • Director, Center for Nutritional Sciences and Cancer Therapeutics, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo (2020-present)
  • Professor of Medicine, Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2020-present)
  • Vice President, Oncology Services, Great Lake Cancer Care (2020-present)
  • Adjunct Professor of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, Center for Cancer Research (2015–2020)
  • Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University, School of Medicine (2015–2020)
  • Co-Leader, Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics Program, Indiana University-Simon Cancer Center (2015–2020)
  • Co-Leader, Indiana Genitourinary Cancers Research Consortium, Indiana University-Simon Cancer Center (2015–2020)
  • Director, Genitourinary Oncology Division of Hematology Oncology, Indiana University, School of Medicine (2015–2020)
  • Professor of Medicine and Urology, Indiana University-Simon Cancer Center (2015–2020)
  • Robert Wallace Miller Professor of Oncology, Indiana University-Simon Cancer Center (2015–2020)
  • Adjunct Associate Professor of Oncology and Urology, The Johns Hopkins University, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins (2009–2020)
  • Professor, Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo (2013–2015)
  • Chief, Genitourinary Section, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (2009–2015)
  • Leader, Genitourinary Program, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (2009–2015)
  • Professor of Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (2009–2015)
  • Research Professor, Member, Department of Cancer Pathology and Prevention, Roswell Park Division (2009–2015)
  • Associate Professor of Oncology and Urology, The Johns Hopkins University, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins (2001–2008)
  • Instructor in Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins (2000–2001)
See all (10 more)

UB 2020 Strategic Strengths:

  • Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan

Grants and Sponsored Research:

  • –August 2023
    Therapeutic targeting of TFE3 in translocation renal cell carcinoma
    DoD
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $221
  • Epigenetic mechanisms of drug resistance in renal cell carcinoma
    NCI
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $430

Patents:

  • Therapeutic Targeting of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor- Induced Androgen Receptor Phosphoryaltion In Prostate Cancer (2018)
  • Therapeutic Targeting of Sunitinib-Induced Androgen Receptor Phosphorylation in Renal Cell Carcinoma (2018)

Journal Articles:

See all (188 more)

Professional Memberships:

  • American Society of Clinical Oncology
  • American Association for Cancer Research

Presentations:

  • "Nutrition and Kidney Cancer" JNKCF meeting (2023)
  • "“Therapeutic targeting of TFE3 in translocation RCC”." NCI-Cincinnati Children Hospital, TFE RCC Conference, Covington KY (2023)
  • "Nutrition and Kidney cancer" JNKCF meeting (2023)
  • "“Latest Advances in Anticancer Drugs in Clinical Development”" 6th European Spring Oncology Conference (ESOC6) (2010)
  • "“Therapeutic strategies to overcome antiVEGF resistance”" International Conference on Angiogenesis (2009)
  • "“Combination of the histone deacetylase inhibitor vorinostat with bevacizumab in pre-treated patients with renal cell carcinoma: Phase II results on safety and efficacy”" 8th International Symposium in Kidney Cancer (2009)
  • "“Other antiangiogenesis approaches and issues in sequencing”" 5th European Spring Oncology Conference (ESOC 5) (2008)
  • "“Medical management of Kidney cancer”" World conference on interventional radiology (2007)
  • "“Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors”" 3rd International Kidney & Bladder Cancer Congress (2006)
  • "Targeting Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors" 6th International Prostate Cancer Congress (2006)
  • "Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors" 5th International prostate Cancer congress (2005)
See all (1 more)

Service Activities:

  • Grant reviewer for Dod and NIH; Ad hoc reviewer for NIH study sections and Chair for DOD study section
  • CoC/Buffalo General Medical Center & Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital- Great Lakes Cancer Care Collaboratives; Cancer Liaison Physician-
  • UB Cancer Research Consortium; Director
  • UB Cancer Research Consortium Seminar Series; Director
  • NCI- Cancer Prevention-CTNet Committee on Equity Diversity and Inclusions in clinical trials -; Member
  • JCI, Cancer Research, JCO; reviewer
  • Buffalo General Hospital site, UB/RPCCC Fellowship Program in Hematology Oncology; Site Director

School News:

In the Media:


Clinical Specialties:

Clinical Offices:

Insurance Accepted:



Contact Information

Clinical and Translational Research Center
875 Ellicott Street, Room 6085
Buffalo, New York 14203
Phone: (716) 881-8918
rpili@buffalo.edu

This faculty member is affiliated with UBMD, practicing physicians who are also professors in the Jacobs School.

View this physician on UBMD