David M. Loeb

David Loeb, MD, PhD, is Chief, Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Cellular Therapy at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and Professor, Pediatrics and Professor, Developmental and Molecular Biology at Montefiore Einstein. His clinical work focuses on tumors of connective tissue, such as bone and muscle. He also has expertise in the care of children with other solid tumors. As a member of the bone marrow transplantation team, Dr. Loeb also cares for patients with acute leukemias and has expertise in the application of immunotherapy to childhood cancer.

Dr. Loeb earned his Bachelor of Arts in biology in 1987 at Johns Hopkins University. In 1993, he received his Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and, in 1994, his Doctor of Medicine at Columbia University. In 1994, he also began an internship in Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, followed by a residency in 1995 and a fellowship in Pediatric Hematology Oncology at the same institution.

Dr. Loeb has an active translational research laboratory focused on understanding bone tumor metastasis. His laboratory developed a clinically relevant mouse model of sarcoma metastasis and has used this model to perform preclinical testing of novel agents that can interfere with this process. One area of focus is the metabolic differences between cancer cells and normal cells, and between metastases and the primary tumor, with the intention of targeting these differences therapeutically. More basic scientific studies in the lab involve exploring the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma migration, invasion and metastasis. Dr. Loeb also studies the role of an enzyme called RNA helicase DDX3 in Ewing sarcoma biology, especially how this enzyme affects the repair of damaged DNA.

Dr. Loeb is also actively involved in clinical research, including the development of radiopharmaceutical agents for the treatment of bone metastases and the development of a small molecule inhibitor of DDX3. He has also directed a clinical trial of reduced intensity haploidentical bone marrow transplantation for children with high risk solid tumors. Stemming from his laboratory work, Dr. Loeb is involved in the development of biomarkers of metastatic risk and of minimal residual disease in children, adolescents and young adults with sarcomas. Dr. Loeb’s original research, based on his clinical and laboratory studies, has been published in multiple journals and books.

Dr. Loeb has been a recipient of many awards, including the Director’s Teaching Award in Clinical Science from Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2006, 2010 and 2015, and The Justin Straus Chordoma Research Award in 2009.