Dr. Brand is a Professor of Medicine and a physician-scientist with an extensive background in pancreatic diseases mainly focused on the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and cystic lesions of the pancreas. He also has research interests involving familial pancreatic cancer and other hereditary GI disorders. He is leader of the University of Pittsburgh’s Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Gene-Environment Registry (PAGER). The biospecimen repository developed as part of the PAGER study is nationally recognized and serves as an excellent resource for multiple NIH/NCI funded projects along with national and international collaborations with outside researchers. He is a key contributor to the Early Detection Research Network, especially in research related to pancreatic cancer and cystic neoplasms and is currently funded in the network as a principal investigator to lead both a multi-center Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Validation Center and Biomarker Developmental Laboratory.
Dr. Brand's clinical practice focuses on the management of pancreatic cancer, cystic lesions of the pancreas and patients with other gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. As director of the Hereditary GI Tumor Program, Dr. Brand specializes in the management of individuals at high risk for the development of colon cancer, pancreatic cancer and other GI malignancies. Dr. Brand works closely with Genetic counselors who have an expertise in the evaluation individuals with a GI cancer predisposition based on personal and family history.
- BS, University of Michigan, 1983
- MD, University of Michigan, 1987
- Residency, Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, 1990
- Fellowship, Gastroenterology, University of California San Francisco, 1993
Education & Training
Polanco PM, Gonda T, Borazanci E, Glazer ES, Trevino JG, DeMuth G, Ford L, King T, Palma NA, Brand RE. Confirmatory Clinical Validation of a Serum-Based Biomarker Signature for Detection of Early-Stage Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Curr Oncol. 2025 Nov 13;32(11):638. PMID: 41294700.
Lucas AL, Simeone DM, Katona BW, Paiella S, Zogopoulos G, Sears RC, Grindedal EM, Wadlow RC, Borazanci E, Gordon OK, Kastrinos F, Trevino JG, Kupfer SS, Park WG, Everett JN, Kureshi NM, DeMuth G, Ford L, King T, Palma NA, Brand RE. Validation of a Serum-Based Biomarker Signature for Detection of Early-Stage Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Gastroenterology. 2026 Feb;170(2):375-384. PMID: 41143761.
Haab B, Qian L, Staal B, Jain M, Fahrmann J, Worthington C, Prosser D, Velokokhatnaya L, Lopez C, Tang R, Hurd MW, Natarajan G, Kumar S, Smith L, Hanash S, Batra SK, Maitra A, Lokshin A, Huang Y, Brand RE. A rigorous multi-laboratory study of known PDAC biomarkers identifies increased sensitivity and specificity over CA19-9 alone. Cancer Lett. 2024 Nov 1;604:217245. PMID: 39276915.
Karloski E, Dudley B, Diergaarde B, Blanco A, Everett JN, Levinson E, Rangarajan T, Stanich PP, Childers K, Brown S, Drogan C, Cavestro GM, Gordon K, Singh A, Simeone DM, Reich H, Kastrinos F, Zakalik D, Hampel H, Pearlman R, Gordon OK, Kupfer SS, Puzzono M, Zuppardo RA, Brand RE. The role of family history in predicting germline pathogenic variant carriers who develop pancreatic cancer: Results of a multicenter collaboration. Cancer. 2024 Oct 1;130(19):3297-3304. PMID: 38809542.
Aijazi M, Fasanella KE, McGrath K, Smith LM, Singhi AD, Brand RE. Pancreatic Cysts Greater Than 1 cm Are Associated With an Increased Risk for Developing Pancreatic Cancer in Individuals From Pancreatic-Cancer Prone Kindreds Undergoing Surveillance. Pancreas. 2024 Apr 1;53(4):e350-e356. PMID: 38518061.
Katona BW, Worthington C, Clay D, Cincotta H, Ahmad NA, Ginsberg GG, Kochman ML, Brand RE. Outcomes of the IMMray PanCan-d Test in High-Risk Individuals Undergoing Pancreatic Surveillance: Pragmatic Data and Lessons Learned. JCO Precis Oncol. 2023 Sep;7:e2300445. PMID: 37883920.
Dudley B, Karloski E, Monzon FA, Singhi AD, Lincoln SE, Bahary N, Brand RE. Germline mutation prevalence in individuals with pancreatic cancer and a history of previous malignancy. Cancer. 2018 Apr 15;124(8):1691-1700. PMID: 29360161.
Haab BB, Huang Y, Balasenthil S, Partyka K, Tang H, Anderson M, Allen P, Sasson A, Zeh H, Kaul K, Kletter D, Ge S, Bern M, Kwon R, Blasutig I, Srivastava S, Frazier ML, Sen S, Hollingsworth MA, Rinaudo JA, Killary AM, Brand RE. Definitive Characterization of CA 19-9 in Resectable Pancreatic Cancer Using a Reference Set of Serum and Plasma Specimens. PLoS One. 2015 Oct 2;10(10):e0139049. PMID: 26431551.
Brand RE. Decade in review-pancreatic diseases: advances in understanding and care of pancreatic diseases. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014 Nov;11(11):650-2. PMID: 25223874.
Stan SD, Singh SV, Whitcomb DC, Brand RE. Phenethyl isothiocyanate inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in a MIAPaca2 xenograft animal model. Nutr Cancer. 2014;66(4):747-55. PMID: 24195616.
- Named to “Best Doctors” for specialty in Gastroenterology, Best Doctors, Inc., 2010-2022
- Recipient of the First Annual Moore Memorial Award for Pancreatic Cancer Research, National Hirschberg Foundation, 2011
- Named to “Pittsburgh Magazine Top Doctors”, Pittsburgh Magazine, 2012-2022
- Excellence in Healthcare Honoree, National Pancreas Foundation, 2019
U01 CA200466, Validation of biomarkers for risk prediction and early diagnosis of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, MPI, 2016-2028.
U01 CA274514, Development of a panel of multiplex biomarkers for the early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and high-risk lesions, MPI, 2023-2028.
R01 CA254036, Urine and serum biomarkers for early diagnosis and risk assessment of pancreatic cancer, MPI, 2021-2027.
Immunovia AB, PDAC STUDY - Retrospective Study for the Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer, PI, 2017-2029.
TrovaNow, PRECEDE - Trovanow Early Detection Study, PI, 2024-2028.
Singlera Genomics, Inc. SRA00006173-PDAC, Retrospective Cases to Assist in Determining Specimen Requirements for Assay Development, PI, 2025-2027.
ClearNote Health SRA00006232, ClearNote Health Pancreatic Cancer Biomarker Collaboration, PI, 2025-2028.
