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Brigitte C. Widemann, M.D.

Brigitte C. Widemann, M.D.

  • Center for Cancer Research
  • National Cancer Institute
  • Building 10, Room 1-3752
  • Bethesda, MD 20892
  • 240-760-6203
  • bw42y@nih.gov

RESEARCH SUMMARY

Dr. Brigitte Widemann is a pediatric oncologist with the primary interest of developing effective therapies for children and adults with genetic tumor predisposition syndromes, such as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and rare solid tumors through innovative clinical trial design. Dr. Widemann currently serves as the head of the Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics Section and as Chief of NCI’s Pediatric Oncology Branch. Dr. Widemann is also a medical advisor to a new NCI initiative to Advance RASopathy Therapies (ART) and serves as Special Advisor on Childhood Cancer to the NCI Director.  

Anticancer drug discovery and development are moving towards a more rational and targeted approach. The application of new molecularly targeted agents to the treatment of childhood cancers and neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a research objective of the Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics Section (PETS). In addition to studying the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and toxicities of these novel agents, it is also a goal of the PETS to evaluate novel clinical trial designs and trial endpoints, which may be more applicable for molecularly targeted agents.

Areas of Expertise

Pediatric Drug Development
Clinical Trial Design
Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics
Genetic Tumor Predisposition Syndromes and Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1)

Information for Patients

Learn more about our clinical trials and the highly specialized care teams that lead them. 

Publications

Selected Recent Publications

Selumetinib in Children with Inoperable Plexiform Neurofibromas

Gross AM, Wolters PL, Dombi E, Baldwin A, Whitcomb P, Fisher MJ, Weiss B, Kim A, Bornhorst M, Shah AC, Martin S, Roderick MC, Pichard DC, Carbonell A, Paul SM, Therrien J, Kapustina O, Heisey K, Clapp DW, Zhang C, Peer CJ, Figg WD, Smith M, Glod J, Blakeley JO, Steinberg SM, Venzon DJ, Doyle LA, Widemann BC.
New Engl J Med. 382(15): 1430-42, 2020. [ Journal Article ]

Immune checkpoint inhibitors for refractory childhood cancers

Widemann BC
Lancet Oncol. 21(1): 14-15, 2020. [ Journal Article ]

A Phase II Trial of Vandetanib in Children and Adults with Succinate Dehydrogenase-Deficient Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

Glod J, Arnaldez FI, Wiener L, Spencer M, Killian JK, Meltzer P, Dombi E, Derse-Anthony C, Derdak J, Srinivasan R, Linehan WM, Miettinen M, Steinberg SM, Helman L, Widemann BC.
Clin Cancer Res. 25(21): 6302-8, 2019. [ Journal Article ]

Association of plexiform neurofibroma volume changes and development of clinical morbidities in neurofibromatosis 1

Gross AM, Singh G, Akshintala S, Baldwin A, Dombi E, Ukwuani S, Goodwin A, Liewehr DJ, Steinberg SM, Widemann BC.
Neuro Oncol. 20(12): 1643-51, 2018. [ Journal Article ]

Outcomes of Children and Adolescents with Advanced Hereditary Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Treated with Vandetanib

Kraft IL, Akshintala S, Zhu Y, Lei H, Derse-Anthony C, Dombi E, Steinberg SM, Lodish M, Waguespack SG, Kapustina O, Fox E, Balis FM, Merino MJ, Meltzer PS, Glod JW, Shern JF, Widemann BC.
Clin Cancer Res. 24(4): 753-65, 2018. [ Journal Article ]

Job Vacancies

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Team

Nurse Practitioner
Andrea Baldwin, N.P.
Research Nurse
Jennifer L. DeSanto, R.N.
Nurse Practitioner
Anne M. Dufek, CRNP
Contractor
Crystal Flowers
Patient Care Coordinator (Contr.)
Kara Heisey
Postdoctoral Fellow (CRTA)
Souvik Karmakar, Ph.D.
Special Volunteer
Sophia R. Khan
Biologist
Cindy Lester McCully, B.S.
Research Chemist
Robert Murphy, B.S.
Senior Research Assistant
Haiying Qin
Special Assistant
Abby B. Sandler, Ph.D.
Adjunct Investigator
Douglas Stewart, Ph.D.
Research Nurse (Contr.)
Barbara Jane (BJ) Thomas, R.N.
Contractor
Cecilia M. Tibery
Communications Specialist (Contr.)
Christina Vivelo, Ph.D.
Nurse Specialist
Patricia (Trish) Whitcomb, B.S.
Administrative Assistant (Contr.)
Susan M. Hughes