Walter Richard Burack, M.D., Ph.D.

Contact Information

Phone Numbers

Office: (585) 273-1885

Fax: (585) 276-2390

A member of the University of Rochester Medical Faculty Group

An Accountable Health Partner

Accepting New Patients

Biography

Dr. Burack is the Vice Chair for Clinical Operations in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He directs the Hematopathology division, which includes the Flow Cytometry Laboratory, tissue banking activities, and the Hematopathology Fellowship Program. This division works closely with Wilmot Cancer Institute and Pediatric Oncology to evaluate and diagnose lymphomas, leukemias, and related disorders. Burack also directs the Molecular Genetic Pathology unit, which includes laboratories conducting diagnostic genetic tests, such as DNA sequencing and chromosomal analyses. Molecular Genetic Pathology supports the care of patients throughout the medical center, from Wilmot to Obstetrics.

Research

Dr. Burack's research interests include the molecular mechanisms of lymphoma progression and development of molecular methods to refine diagnostics, particularly of lymphomas and leukemias. He recently became co-investigator on a grant to study the role of immune-senescence in lymphomagenesis, the role of immune microenvironment in determining response to therapy, and the role of immune function in the symptoms of lymphoma via analysis of rare immune cell populations by advanced flow cytometry.

Credentials

Education

1994
PhD | University of Virginia School of Medicine

1995
MD | University of Virginia School of Medicine

Post-doctoral Training & Residency

07/01/2001 - 01/01/2002
Fellowship in Hematopathology at Washington University in St. Louis/Barnes Jewish Hospital

07/01/2000 - 09/01/2000
Fellowship in Hematopathology at Washington University in St. Louis/Barnes Jewish Hospital

07/01/1998 - 06/30/1999
Fellowship in Pathology at Barnes-Jewish Hospitals

07/01/1995 - 06/30/1998
Residency in Clinical Pathology at University of Virginia School of Medicine

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Awards

2018
2018 Chairman's Recognition Award

2014
Eric A. Schenk Award for Excellence in Teaching
Sponsor: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Location: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

2010
Excellence in 2nd Year Teaching
Sponsor: University of Rochester School of Medicine

2007
Class of 2010 Professor of the Year
Sponsor: Washington Univ School of Medicine

2006
Class of 2009 Professor of the Year
Sponsor: Washington Univ School of Medicine

2005
Class of 2008 Lecturer of the Year
Sponsor: Washington Univ School of Medicine

2004
Class of 2006 Distinguished Teacher Award
Sponsor: Washington Univ School of Medicine

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Clinical Trials

ULAB-03012~Tissue Procurement Facility Collection of specimens and epidemiological and clinical outcomes data in patients with hematological malignancies

Lead Researcher: Walter Richard Burack

This research is being done because we hope that a better understanding of hematologic malignancies will allow us to develop new and better treatments.

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The Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) Cohort Study

Lead Researcher: Walter Richard Burack

The goal of this infrastructure grant is to establish and maintain a cohort of over 12,000 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients to support broad and cutting-edge research that identifies clinical (including co-morbid diseases), epidemiologic (including lifestyle and other exposures), host genetic, tumor, and treatment factors, as well as the interaction among these factors, on short and long-term outcomes. These efforts will identify new approaches to improve the survival and well-being of NHL patients.

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Publications

Journal Articles

4/2022
Casulo C, Larson MC, Lunde JJ, Habermann TM, Lossos IS, Wang Y, Nastoupil LJ, Strouse C, Chihara D, Martin P, Cohen JB, Kahl BS, Burack WR, Koff JL, Mun Y, Masaquel A, Wu M, Wei MC, Shewade A, Li J, Cerhan J, Flowers CR, Link BK, Maurer MJ. "Treatment patterns and outcomes of patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma receiving three or more lines of systemic therapy (LEO CReWE): a multicentre cohort study." The Lancet. Haematology.. 2022 Apr 0; 9(4):e289-e300.

3/31/2022
Liu L, Adlowitz DG, Rock P, Casulo C, Burack WR. "Hypergammaglobulinemia as a presenting feature of Mantle cell lymphoma." Leukemia & lymphoma.. 2022 Mar 31; :1-4. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

2022
Komisarof J, Lipof J, DiTursi J, Chowdhry A, Grace Choung HY, Burack WR, Constine L, Passero F. "An Unusual Case of Multiple Myeloma with Light-Chain Cast Nephropathy Secondary to a Very Large Plasmacytoma without Bone Marrow Involvement." Case reports in hematology.. 2022 2022:7531142. Epub 2022 Feb 21.

Books & Chapters

2010
Chapter Title: The Roles of Molecular Techniques in the Diagnosis and Management of Follicular Lymphoma
Book Title: Molecular Pathology of Hematolymphoid Disease
Author List: W. Richard Burack
Published By: Springer 2010

2005
Chapter Title: Non-imaging Cell and Tissue Techniques and Tissue Banking
Book Title: Translational and Experimental Clinical Research
Author List: W. Richard Burack John D. Pfeifer
Edited By: Daniel P. Schuster and William J. Powers
Published By: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins 2005 in Philadelphia, PA

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Videos

SECOND OPINION | Leukemia (CLL) | APT | Full Episode