Research Summary

Dr. James Rubenstein is a hematologist-oncologist, or a specialist in blood disorders. He has particular expertise in treating patients with neurologic complications from cancer, including patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma involving the brain (called central nervous system lymphoma). He also specializes in patients with cancer that has spread to the brain from other parts of the body.

In his research, Rubenstein investigates immunologic tools to improve tumor response to chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and to minimize toxicity from treatment. He is also interested in developing tumor biomarkers to diagnose brain tumors.

Rubenstein earned his medical degree at Weill Cornell Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at Stanford Medicine. He earned a doctorate in molecular and cellular neurosciences at the Rockefeller University. He completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at UCSF, which included training in neuro-oncology.

Rubenstein has won research awards from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the National Cancer Institute. He is a member of the American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Association for Cancer Research.

Research Funding

  • July 4, 2019 - June 30, 2024 - Application of Hyperpolarized 13C Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Detect Target Inhibition of NF-kB Activation and Response in Primary CNS Lymphoma , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA239462
  • April 1, 2009 - July 31, 2020 - Recognition and Targeting of CNS Lymphoma by Tumor-Associated Macrophages , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA139083
  • April 14, 2014 - March 31, 2016 - Targeted Therapies in CNS Lymphomas , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R21CA184694
  • August 4, 2004 - July 31, 2009 - Molecular Classification and therapy of CNS Lymphomas , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: K23CA100291
  • December 1, 1974 - March 31, 2009 - General Clinical Research Center , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: M01RR000079

Education

Stanford University, B.S., June 1985, Biological Sciences
The Rockefeller University, Ph.D., June 1991, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (Medical Scientist Training Program)
Cornell University Medical College, M.D., May 1992, Medicine
Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, Internship/Residency, 1992-1995, Internal Medicine
University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, Fellowship, 1992-1998, Hematology/Oncology and Neuro-Oncology

Honors & Awards

  • 1985
    Phi Beta Kappa
  • 1985
    Departmental Honors in Biological Sciences
  • 1985
    Honors in Humanities
  • 1995
    Housestaff Research Award
  • 1998
    Young Investigator Award -American Society of Clinical Oncology
  • 1999
    American Brain Tumor Association Fellowship
  • 2000
    UCSF/Mt Zion Clinical Investigator Research Program
  • 2000
    California Cancer Research Program Clinical Scientist Development Award
  • 2001
    UCSF/Mt Zion Clinical Investigator Research Program
  • 2001
    Career Development Award-American Society of Clinical Oncology
  • 2001
    Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure Foundation Award
  • 2002
    UCSF Research Evaluation and Allocation Committee Award
  • 2003
    UC Discovery Grant
  • 2003
    Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program IDEA Award
  • 2004
    National Cancer Institute Research Career Award
  • 2004
    American Cancer Society Award
  • 2005
    UCSF Brain Tumor SPORE Development Award
  • 2006
    G&P Foundation Award
  • 2008
    UCSF Clinical and Translational Sciences Grant
  • 2009
    Scholar in Clinical Research Award, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
  • 2011
    Sandler Award Program in Breakthrough Biomedical Research
  • 2013
    Translational Research Program Award, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Invited Lectures

Selected Publications

  1. Geng H, Mo S, Chen L, Ballapuram A, Tsang M, Lu M, Rauschecker AM, Wen KW, Devine WP, Solomon DA, Rubenstein JL. Identification of genomic biomarkers of disease progression and survival in primary CNS lymphoma. Blood Adv. 2025 Mar 11; 9(5):1117-1131.  View on PubMed
  2. Lingappa AF, Akintunde O, Samueli E, Ewald C, Michon M, Ziari N, Lu M, Yu SF, Froehlich M, Le PU, Fernandez Y, Mallesh S, Lin J, Kitaygorodskyy A, Solas D, Reed JC, Lingappa JR, Müller-Schiffmann A, Korth C, Prasad D, Nalca A, Aston E, Fabbri B, Anand SK, Campi TW, Petrouski E, Dey D, Andrews DW, Rubenstein JL, Lingappa VR. Small molecule protein assembly modulators with pan-cancer therapeutic efficacy. Open Biol. 2024 Dec; 14(12):240210.  View on PubMed
  3. Morrow WP, Milligan NS, Ohgami RS, Young KH, Wang B, Vega F, Marques-Piubelli ML, Feldman AL, Slack GW, Savage KJ, Zhao X, Rubenstein JL, Hsi ED. Clinicopathologic features of primary central nervous system anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a multicenter study identifies age and ALK status as prognostic factors. J Hematop. 2024 Dec; 17(4):215-222.  View on PubMed
  4. Jun Ma, Michael P Randall, Ming Lu, Lingjing Chen, Huimin Geng, Aishwarya Kumar, Saloni Malla, Mark Noviski, Ryan Rountree, James L. Rubenstein. BTK Degradation As a Novel Therapeutic Strategy in Relapsed CNS Lymphoma: Proof of Concept Studies in Intracranial Patient-Derived, Rodent Models. Blood. 2024 Nov 5; 144(Supplement 1):2988-2988.  View on PubMed
  5. Michael P Randall, Huimin Geng, Lingjing Chen, Aishwarya Ballapuram, Chitoh Yung, Ming Lu, Gregory Chin, Michael Mish, Jamie Bates, James L. Rubenstein. Toll-like Receptor 7/8 Pathway Is a Therapeutic Target in Primary CNS Lymphoma. Blood. 2024 Nov 5; 144(Supplement 1):978-978.  View on PubMed
  6. Alvaro J Alencar, Olivia Bobek, Neha Mehta-Shah, Narendranath Epperla, Christine Lu-Emerson, Sarah C. Rutherford, Adam J. Olszewski, Thomas Ollila, Samuel Singer, Travis Dockter, Susan M. Geyer, Lori Rosenstein, Macarena De La Fuente, Eric D. Hsi, Shira N. Dinner, James L. Rubenstein, Nancy L. Bartlett, John P. Leonard. Trial in Progress - Alliance A051901 - Phase I Trial of Methotrexate, Rituximab, Lenalidomide, and Nivolumab (Nivo-MR2) Induction Followed By Lenalidomide and Nivolumab Maintenance in Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma (PCNSL). Blood. 2024 Nov 5; 144(Supplement 1):4502.4.  View on PubMed
  7. Batchelor TT, Giri S, Ruppert AS, Geyer SM, Smith SE, Mohile N, Swinnen LJ, Friedberg JW, Kahl BS, Bartlett NL, Hsi ED, Cheson BD, Wagner-Johnston N, Nayak L, Leonard JP, Rubenstein JL. Myeloablative vs nonmyeloablative consolidation for primary central nervous system lymphoma: results of Alliance 51101. Blood Adv. 2024 06 25; 8(12):3189-3199.  View on PubMed
  8. Craig A, Güney E, Pekmezci M, Bloomer M, Laszik Z, Ohgami RS, Toland A, Vogel H, Forns T, Wang E, Rubenstein J, Wen KW. Utility of PD-1, PD-L1, and IDO-1 Stains in Ocular Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma (MZL) and Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol. 2024 Sep 01; 32(8):395-399.  View on PubMed
  9. Nayak L, Bettegowda C, Scherer F, Galldiks N, Ahluwalia M, Baraniskin A, von Baumgarten L, Bromberg JEC, Ferreri AJM, Grommes C, Hoang-Xuan K, Kühn J, Rubenstein JL, Rudà R, Weller M, Chang SM, van den Bent MJ, Wen PY, Soffietti R. Liquid biopsy for improving diagnosis and monitoring of CNS lymphomas: A RANO review. Neuro Oncol. 2024 06 03; 26(6):993-1011.  View on PubMed
  10. Michael P Randall, Andreas Rauschecker, Liam Gima-Lange, Jenai Wilmoth, Lingjing Chen, Ming Lu, Huimin Geng, Haifaa Abdulhaq, James L. Rubenstein. Trial in Progress: A Phase I/II Study of Tafasitamab Plus Lenalidomide in Patients with Relapsed CNS Lymphoma. Blood. 2023 Nov 28; 142(Supplement 1):3104.  View on PubMed
  11. Guney E, Lucas CG, Singh K, Pekmezci M, Fernandez-Pol S, Mirchia K, Toland A, Vogel H, Bannykh S, Schafernak KT, Alexandrescu S, Mobley BC, Powell S, Davidson CJ, Neltner J, Boué DR, Hattab E, Ferris SP, Ohgami RS, Rubenstein JL, Bollen AW, Tihan T, Perry A, Solomon DA, Wen KW. Molecular profiling identifies at least 3 distinct types of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder involving the CNS. Blood Adv. 2023 07 11; 7(13):3307-3311.  View on PubMed
  12. J. Ma, M. Lu, L. Chen, H. Geng, A. Kumar, M. Noviski, R. Rountree, C. Guiducci, J. Rubenstein. BTK Degradation as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy in Relapsed CNS Lymphoma: Proof of Concept Studies in Intracranial Preclinical including Patient-Derived Models. Hematological Oncology. 2023 Jun 9; 41(S2):546-547.  View on PubMed
  13. S. Mo, H. Geng, A. Ballapuram, L. Chen, M. Lu, W. P. Devine, K. W. Wen, D. Solomon, J. Rubenstein. IDENTIFICATION OF GENOMIC BIOMARKERS OF DISEASE PROGRESSION AND SURVIVAL IN NEWLY-DIAGNOSED PRIMARY CNS LYMPHOMA. Hematological Oncology. 2023 Jun 9; 41(S2):40-41.  View on PubMed
  14. David KA, Sundaram S, Kim SH, Vaca R, Lin Y, Singer S, Malecek MK, Carter J, Zayac A, Kim MS, Reddy N, Ney D, Habib A, Strouse C, Graber J, Bachanova V, Salman S, Vendiola JA, Hossain N, Tsang M, Major A, Bond DA, Agrawal P, Mier-Hicks A, Torka P, Rajakumar P, Venugopal P, Berg S, Glantz M, Goldlust SA, Folstad M, Kumar P, Ollila TA, Cai J, Spurgeon S, Sieg A, Cleveland J, Chang J, Epperla N, Karmali R, Naik S, Martin P, Smith SM, Rubenstein J, Kahl B, Evens AM. Older patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma: Survival and prognostication across 20 U.S. cancer centers. Am J Hematol. 2023 06; 98(6):900-912.  View on PubMed
  15. Agrawal P, David KA, Chen Z, Sundaram S, Kim SH, Vaca R, Lin Y, Singer S, Malecek MK, Carter J, Zayac A, Kim MS, Reddy N, Ney D, Habib A, Strouse C, Graber J, Bachanova V, Salman S, Vendiola JA, Hossain N, Tsang M, Major A, Gandhi MK, Keane C, Bond DA, Folstad M, Chang J, Mier-Hicks A, Torka P, Rajakumar P, Venugopal P, Berg S, Glantz M, Goldlust SA, Matnani R, Kumar P, Ollila TA, Cai J, Spurgeon SE, Sieg AG, Cleveland J, Epperla N, Karmali R, Naik S, Smith SM, Rubenstein JL, Kahl BS, Chadburn A, Evens AM, Martin P. EBV-positive PCNSL in older patients: incidence, characteristics, tumor pathology, and outcomes across a large multicenter cohort. Leuk Lymphoma. 2023 05; 64(5):1026-1034.  View on PubMed
  16. Wu SY, Braunstein SE, Rubenstein JL, Sneed PK. Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma. Cureus. 2023 Feb; 15(2):e34817.  View on PubMed
  17. Rauschecker AM, Mo SS, Randall M, Shen-Sampas J, Rubenstein JL. Tafasitamab at the blood-brain barrier. Br J Haematol. 2023 04; 201(1):154-157.  View on PubMed
  18. Shirley S. Mo, Huimin Geng, Miguel Cerejo, Kwun Wah Wen, David A. Solomon, James L. Rubenstein. Next-Generation Sequencing of Newly-Diagnosed Primary CNS Lymphoma Reveals Alterations in BTG1, ETV6, and 6p Are Associated with Chemoresistance and Inferior Progression-Free Survival. Blood. 2022 Nov 15; 140(Supplement 1):3516-3517.  View on PubMed
  19. Mo SS, Cleveland J, Rubenstein JL. Primary CNS lymphoma: update on molecular pathogenesis and therapy. Leuk Lymphoma. 2023 01; 64(1):57-65.  View on PubMed
  20. Rubenstein JL. Primary CNS Lymphoma: Progress With Dose-Intensive Consolidation. J Clin Oncol. 2022 11 10; 40(32):3681-3687.  View on PubMed

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