Alexandra S. Zimmer, M.D.

Alexandra S. Zimmer, M.D.
Assistant Research Physician
Women's Malignancies Branch
Clinical Director, Women's Malignancies Branch

Dr. Zimmer is an Assistant Research Physician with the Women's Malignancies Branch. Her main clinical and research interest is in breast cancer metastatic disease. More specifically, she is interested in developing translational clinical trials that target the study of metastasis prevention therapy and treatment of brain metastasis. As Clinical Director, Dr. Zimmer oversees the Branch's clinical operations.

Areas of Expertise

1) breast cancer, 2) brain metastases, 3) translational clinical trials, 4) metastasis prevention

Contact Info

Alexandra S. Zimmer, M.D.
Center for Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute
Building 10, Room 2N50A
Bethesda, MD 20892
Ph: 240-760-6132
alexandra.zimmer@nih.gov
Dr. Zimmer focuses her research mainly in metastatic breast cancer and ovarian cancer, with a special interest in brain metastases and development of translational clinical trials.
NIH Scientific Focus Areas:
Cancer Biology, Clinical Research, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Selected Key Publications

  1. A Phase I Study of the PD-L1 Inhibitor, Durvalumab, in Combination With a PARP Inhibitor, Olaparib, and a VEGFR1-3 Inhibitor, Cediranib, in Recurrent Women's Cancers With Biomarker Analyses.
    Zimmer AS, Nichols E, Cimino-Mathews A, Peer C, Cao L, Lee MJ, Kohn EC, Annunziata CM, Lipkowitz S, Trepel JB, Sharma R, Mikkilineni L, Gatti-Mays M, Figg WD, Houston ND, Lee JM.
    J Immunother Cancer.. 7(1): 197, 2019. [ Journal Article ]
  2. Temozolomide in Secondary Prevention of HER2-positive Breast Cancer Brain Metastases .
    Zimmer AS, Steinberg SM, Smart DD, Gilbert MR, Armstrong TS, Burton E, Houston N, Biassou N, Gril B, Brastianos PK, Carter S, Lyden D, Lipkowitz S, Steeg PS
    Future Oncol. online ahead of print: 2020. [ Journal Article ]
  3. Meaningful prevention of breast cancer metastasis: Candidate therapeutics, preclinical validation, and clinical trial concerns.
    Zimmer AS and Steeg PS
    J. Mol. Med.. 93: 13-29, 2015. [ Journal Article ]
  4. Therapeutics for Brain Metastases, v3.
    Steeg P, Zimmer A, Gril B
    Clin Cancer Research. 22(24): 5953-5955, 2016. [ Journal Article ]
  5. Safety and Clinical Activity of the Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Inhibitor Durvalumab in Combination With Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Inhibitor Olaparib or Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 1-3 Inhibitor Cediranib in Women's Cancers: A Dose-Escala.
    Lee JM, Cimino-Mathews A, Peer CJ, Zimmer A, Lipkowitz S, Annunziata CM, Cao L, Harrell MI, Swisher EM, Houston N, Botesteanu DA, Taube JM, Thompson E, Ogurtsova A, Xu H, Nguyen J, Ho TW, Figg WD, Kohn EC
    Journal of Clinical Oncology. 35(19): 2193-2202, 2017. [ Journal Article ]

Dr. Zimmer received her M.D. from the Universidade Federal of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and was fully trained in Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology in Brazil, before moving to Brussels, Belgium to complete a Clinical Trials Development Fellowship with the Breast Cancer Group of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). After completion of that fellowship, Dr. Zimmer moved to the USA and repeated her residency in Internal Medicine at Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, and Clinical Oncology Fellowship at NIH. During her training, Dr. Zimmer focused her research mainly in metastatic breast cancer and ovarian cancer, with a special interest in brain metastases and development of translational clinical trials.

Name Position
Mireya Gomez Patient Care Coordinator (Contr.)
Nicole D. Houston B.S.N., R.N., CCRP Research Nurse
Ann McCoy R.N. Research Nurse
Kathryn Trewhitt CRNP Nurse Practitioner
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