Alexandra S. Zimmer, M.D.

Alexandra S. Zimmer, M.D.
Associate 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 2B50A
Bethesda, MD 20892-1361
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. 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 ]
  2. HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastasis: A new and exciting landscape.
    Alexandra S Zimmer, Amanda E D Van Swearingen, Carey K Anders
    Cancer Rep.. Sep 3;e1274: https://doi.org/10.1002/cnr2.1274, 2020. Full-Text Article [ Journal Article ]
  3. HER2 antibody-drug conjugate controls growth of breast cancer brain metastases in hematogenous xenograft models, with heterogeneous blood-tumor barrier penetration unlinked to a passive marker.
    Brunilde Gril, Debbie Wei, Alexandra S Zimmer, Christina Robinson, Imran Khan, Simone Difilippantonio, Michael G Overstreet, Patricia S Steeg
    Neuro Oncol.. 22(11): 1625-1636, 2020. Full-Text Article [ Journal Article ]
  4. Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Central Nervous System Metastases From the Laboratory to the Clinic.
    Alexandra S Zimmer
    Cancer J. 27(1): 76-82, 2021. Full-Text Article [ Journal Article ]
  5. 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 ]

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
Jessica Presentacion Blanco Patient Care Coordinator (Contr.)
Britanny Brooke Solarz R.N., B.S.N. Nurse Practitioner
Erin Villanueva R.N. Research Nurse (Contr.)
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