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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. Rubenstein JL. Primary CNS Lymphoma: Progress With Dose-Intensive Consolidation. J Clin Oncol. 2022 11 10; 40(32):3681-3687.  View on PubMed
  8. Goyal V, Salmasi G, Leavitt AD, Rubenstein JL, Banerjee R. Acquired factor VII inhibitor associated with primary central nervous system Lymphoma: A case report. EJHaem. 2022 Aug; 3(3):1000-1002.  View on PubMed
  9. Güney E, Lucas CG, Qi Z, Yu J, Zhang R, Ohgami RS, Rubenstein JL, Boué DR, Schafernak K, Wertheim GB, Dahiya S, Giulino-Roth L, Attarbaschi A, Barth MJ, Kothari S, Abla O, Cohen AL, Mendez JS, Bollen A, Perry A, Tihan T, Pekmezci M, Solomon DA, Wen KW. A genetically distinct pediatric subtype of primary CNS large B-cell lymphoma is associated with favorable clinical outcome. Blood Adv. 2022 05 24; 6(10):3189-3193.  View on PubMed
  10. Hua-Xin Gao, Eleanor Fraser, Mario Merlini, Huimin Geng, Lingjing Chen, Ming Lu, Yasmin Moshfegh, Joseph Cleveland, Jae Ryu, Jigyasa Sharma, David A. Solomon, Katerina Akassoglou, Clifford Lowell, James L. Rubenstein. Regulation of CNS Lymphoma Progression By the Myeloid Microenvironment. Blood. 2021 Nov 5; 138(Supplement 1):448-448.  View on PubMed
  11. Geng H, Tsang M, Subbaraj L, Cleveland J, Chen L, Lu M, Sharma J, Vigneron DB, Kurhanewicz J, LaFontaine M, Luks T, Barshop BA, Gangoiti J, Villanueva-Meyer JE, Rubenstein JL. Tumor metabolism and neurocognition in CNS lymphoma. Neuro Oncol. 2021 10 01; 23(10):1668-1679.  View on PubMed
  12. Tsang M, Rubenstein JL, Pulczynski EJ. Primary central nervous system lymphoma in older adults and the rationale for maintenance strategies: a narrative review. Ann Lymphoma. 2021 Sep; 5.  View on PubMed
  13. Kang E, Kadoch C, Rubenstein JL, Lanier LL, Wells JA. A functional mammalian display screen identifies rare antibodies that stimulate NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 08 03; 118(31).  View on PubMed
  14. Barajas RF, Politi LS, Anzalone N, Schöder H, Fox CP, Boxerman JL, Kaufmann TJ, Quarles CC, Ellingson BM, Auer D, Andronesi OC, Ferreri AJM, Mrugala MM, Grommes C, Neuwelt EA, Ambady P, Rubenstein JL, Illerhaus G, Nagane M, Batchelor TT, Hu LS. Consensus recommendations for MRI and PET imaging of primary central nervous system lymphoma: guideline statement from the International Primary CNS Lymphoma Collaborative Group (IPCG). Neuro Oncol. 2021 07 01; 23(7):1056-1071.  View on PubMed
  15. Tracy Batchelor, Sharmila Giri, Amy S. Ruppert, Nancy L. Bartlett, Eric D. Hsi, Bruce D. Cheson, Lakshmi Nayak, John Paul Leonard, James L. Rubenstein. Myeloablative versus non-myeloablative consolidative chemotherapy for newly diagnosed primary central nervous system lymphoma: Results of CALGB 51101 (Alliance). Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2021 May 20; 39(15_suppl):7506-7506.  View on PubMed
  16. Chan JP, Merlini M, Gao HX, Mendiola AS, Akassoglou K, Rubenstein JL, Ryu JK. Blood Coagulation Factor Fibrinogen in Tumor Pathogenesis of Central Nervous System B-Cell Lymphoma. Am J Pathol. 2021 03; 191(3):575-583.  View on PubMed
  17. Mazie Tsang, Joseph Cleveland, Miguel Carlos Cerejo, Huimin Geng, James L. Rubenstein. Survival and Patient-Reported Outcomes of Older Adults with Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma on Low-Dose Lenalidomide. Blood. 2020 Nov 5; 136(Supplement 1):21-22.  View on PubMed
  18. Tsang M, Cleveland J, Rubenstein JL. On point in primary CNS lymphoma. Hematol Oncol. 2020 Dec; 38(5):640-647.  View on PubMed
  19. Wu CH, Yang CY, Wang L, Gao HX, Rakhshandehroo T, Afghani S, Pincus L, Balassanian R, Rubenstein J, Gill R, Bandyopadhyay S, McCormick F, Moasser M, Ai WZ. Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma PDX Drug Screening Platform Identifies Cooperation between Inhibitions of PI3Kα/δ and HDAC. J Invest Dermatol. 2021 02; 141(2):364-373.  View on PubMed
  20. Tracy Batchelor, Sharmila Giri, Amy S. Ruppert, Nancy L. Bartlett, Eric D. Hsi, Bruce D. Cheson, Lakshmi Nayak, John Paul Leonard, James L. Rubenstein. Myeloablative versus non-myeloablative consolidative chemotherapy for newly diagnosed primary central nervous system lymphoma: Results of induction therapy in Alliance 51101. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2020 May 20; 38(15_suppl):8042-8042.  View on PubMed

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