ASTCT Committee Member Spotlight: Marc Braunstein MD, PhD, FACP, FASCO

Our latest committee member spotlight features Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD, FACP, FASCO, associate professor of medicine at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine and fellowship program director for hematology/oncology at Perlmutter Cancer Center. A clinician-educator with a focus on plasma cell disorders, transplantation, and multiple myeloma, Dr. Braunstein has played a key role in expanding access to cellular therapies in his community, including helping establish a FACT-accredited autologous transplant program on Long Island.

In this Q&A, he reflects on the mentors who shaped his career, the transformational impact of cellular therapies, the importance of collaboration and perseverance in research, and his goals as vice chair of ASTCT’s Committee on Education and Content.

Nucleus: What inspired you to pursue a career as a physician-scientist advancing cellular and transplantation therapies?

Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD, FACP, FASCO (MB): Since I was a graduate student studying plasma cell disorders, I was fascinated by how the immune system is impacted by the bone marrow microenvironment. During fellowship I had exposure to incredibly dedicated mentors in cellular therapies who helped me understand the complexities of these interventions and how they can be safely given often with curative intent.

As an attending I helped develop our autologous transplant program at our network site in Long Island, achieving FACT accreditation, and this has been very impactful in my community. Now with the advent of CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma, as well as other hematologic malignancies, it is thrilling to be able to bring these therapies to the clinic and witness their tremendous impact on patient care.

Nucleus: What motivated you to engage with ASTCT, and how has that involvement supported your work in research and patient care?

MB: I became involved with ASTCT after collaborating on a round table discussion about the barriers to transplant for patients with multiple myeloma (Overcoming Barriers to Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma: Recommendations from a Multidisciplinary Roundtable Discussion - PubMed). Subsequently I joined the Committee on Education and Content in order to support the mission of ASTCT to increase opportunities for members to participate in live and asynchronous learning.  

Nucleus: What are you most looking forward to in your new role as Vice Chair of the Committee on Education and Content?

MB: I truly enjoy collaborating with ASTCT staff and my colleagues on the Committee. We are actively working to create educational activities related to the lastest breakthroughs in cell therapy including TILs, CAR T-cells, and prevention and management of GVHD, as well as highlighting careers in cell therapy including topics related to fellowship training.  

Nucleus: What are three of the most important lessons you’ve learned over the course of your research career?

MB: At this midcareer point I still find myself constantly learning, which is part of the research process.  For me, some of the most important lessons include the value of mentorship as well as being a mentor to our trainees. Perseverance is critical because there will always be hurdles to overcome in the course of a project and it is easy to become discouraged when things do not go as planned. Likewise, collaboration is key because no one person has all the skillsets needed to conceive and execute a meaningful project, and working with a team makes the research experience more meaningful. 

Nucleus: Outside of your work, what's something you enjoy doing that might surprise your colleagues or ASTCT members?

MB: I like to find other creative outlets when I am not at work. These include playing music (guitar, mandolin, ukelele) and cooking with my family.