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

Pathology

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

Specialties

Clinical Pathology/Laboratory Medicine - American Board of Pathology
Hematopathology - American Board of Pathology

Education

1986
BS | McGill University
Biochemistry

1994
PhD | Univ of Virginia Sch Medicine
Molecular Biophysics

1995
MD | Univ of Virginia Sch Medicine
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

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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Publications

Journal Articles

10/2018
Hudson CA, Burack WR, Bennett JM. "Emerging utility of flow cytometry in the diagnosis of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia." Leukemia research.. 2018 Oct 0; 73:12-15. Epub 2018 Aug 28.

8/30/2018
Hudson CA, Burack WR, Leary PC, Bennett JM. "Clinical Utility of Classical and Nonclassical Monocyte Percentage in the Diagnosis of Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia." American journal of clinical pathology.. 2018 Aug 30; 150(4):293-302.

7/11/2017
Burack WR, Spence JM, Spence JP, Spence SA, Rock PJ, Shenoy GN, Shultz LD, Bankert RB, Bernstein SH. "Patient-derived xenografts of low-grade B-cell lymphomas demonstrate roles of the tumor microenvironment." Blood advances.. 2017 Jul 11; 1(16):1263-1273. Epub 2017 Jul 07.

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: Springer2010

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 Wilkins2005 in Philiadelphia, PA

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Videos

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