A. Personal Statement 

I am a surgeon/Scientist with a strong interest in basic, translational and clinical urological research, particularly related to prostate. I am currently the Frederic N. Schwentker Professor and Chairman of the Department of Urology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. I was an Assistant Professor of Urology and Oncology and Director of Urological Oncology at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center prior to my recruitment to Pittsburgh at my current position. I am fully supportive of this application, and will facilitate its goals in every way possible. 

B. Positions and Honors 

Positions and Employment 

1988-1994 Urology Resident, Northwestern University/McGaw Medical Center, Chicago, IL 

1992-1993 Leander Riba Research Fellow, Northwestern University/McGaw Medical Center, Chicago, IL 

1994-1996 Instructor in Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 

1996-1999 Director, Urologic Oncology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 

1996-1999 Assistant Professor of Urology and Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 

1999-Present Frederic N. Schwentker Professor and Chairman, Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 

2009-2014 Chief, Department of Surgery, UPMC Shadyside Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA 

2013-Present Professor, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, Secondary Appointment 

2014-2021 Senior Medical Director, University of Pittsburgh Physicians, Pittsburgh, PA 

2021-Present  Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, International Division, UPMC

Other Experience and Professional Memberships 

1993- American Urological Association 

1997- American Association for Cancer Research 

1997- American Association for the Advancement of Science 

1997- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 

1997- American Medical Association

1998- American Society of Clinical Oncology 

1998- Society for Basic Urological Research 

1999- Pennsylvania Medical Society 

2000- Allegheny County Medical Society 

2000- Society of University Urologists 

2000- Duquesne Club 

2004- Buffalo Urological Society (Honorary Membership) 

2005- Society of Urology Chairpersons and Physicians Directors 

2005- American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons 

2005- Society of Urologic Oncology 

2009- Clinical Society of Genitourinary Surgeons 

2012- Minute Men of the Medical School of the University of Pittsburgh (Affiliate)

2017- Association for Clinical and Translational Science

2017- Society of Academic Urologists

Honors and Awards 

1982 Omicron Delta Kappa National Honors Society, The University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 

1983 Graduate, Magna Cum Laude, The University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 

1987 The George Dennis Award, Outstanding performance in the required clerkships,Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 

1987 Alpha Omega Alpha, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 

1991 First Prize, Resident Paper Competition, Chicago Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois 

1991 Second Prize, Irving Shapiro X-Ray Conference, Chicago Urological Society, Chicago, Illinois 

1992 Dr. Leander W. Riba Urology Award, Outstanding Performance in Clinical Urology, Northwestern University/McGaw Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 

1992 Third Prize, Irving Shapiro X-Ray Conference, Chicago Urological Society, Chicago, Illinois 

1993 First Prize, Irving Shapiro X-Ray Conference, Chicago Urological Society, Chicago, Illinois 

1993 Recipient, Traveling Fellowship Essay Award, North Central Section, American Urological Association, 67th Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

1994 First Prize, Basic Science Category, Charles B. Huggins, M.D. Resident Essay Contest, Chicago Urological Society, Chicago, Illinois 

1994-1996  Dornier Scholar, American Foundation for Urologic Disease 

1995 First Prize, Annual Essay Contest, Society for Basic Urologic Research, Fall Symposium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 

1995 CaP CURE Research Award 

1996 Third Prize, Research Category, AUA/Circon ACMI Prize Essay Contest, American Urological Association, 91st Annual Meeting, Orlando Florida 

1996 CaP CURE Research Award 

1997 Pfizer Scholars in Urology 

1997 CaP CURE Research Award 

1998 CaP CURE Research Award 

1999 Society of Basic Urological Research/Merck Young Investigator Award 

1999 CaP CURE Research Award 

2000 Fellow, American Urological Association/European Urological Association Academic Fellowship Program 2000 European Exchange 

2001 Listed in the National Registry of Who's Who, Published in the 2001 Edition; America's Top Doctors 

2002 America's Top Doctors 

2003 Resident Teaching Award, Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh; America's Top Doctors; Donald S. Coffey - CaP CURE Physician-Scientist Award 

2004 America's Top Doctors; Listed in the National Registry of Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare; Listed in National Registry of Who's Who, Executives and Professionals 

2005 Pittsburgh Business Times, Finalist, Health Care Hero Award; Pittsburgh Magazine, Best Doctors in Pittsburgh; Elected to Membership, American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons; America’s Top Doctors for Cancer; Resident Teaching Award, Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh

2006 America’s Top Doctors; Pittsburgh Magazine, Best Doctors in Pittsburgh; Listed in 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century; America’s Top Doctors for Cancer 

2007 Pittsburgh Magazine, Best Doctors in Pittsburgh; America’s Top Doctors for Cancer; America’s Top Doctors 

2008 Pittsburgh Magazine, Best Doctors in Pittsburgh; Certificate of Appreciation, AUA Resident Committee for Resident Teaching; America’s Top Doctors for Cancer; America’s Top Doctors 

2009 Pittsburgh Magazine, Best Doctors in Pittsburgh; America’s Top Doctors; Certificate of Appreciation, AUA Resident Committee for Resident Teaching; Resident Teaching Award,        Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh; America’s Top Doctors for Cancer; Elected to Membership, Clinical Society of Genitourinary Surgeons 

2010 America’s Top Doctors; America’s Top Surgeons; Certificate of Appreciation, AUA Resident Committee for Resident Teaching; Pittsburgh Magazine, Best Doctors in Pittsburgh; America’s Top Doctors for Cancer 

2011 America’s Top Doctors; Pittsburgh Magazine, Best Doctors in Pittsburgh 

2012 America’s Top Doctors; Pittsburgh Magazine, Best Doctors in Pittsburgh 

2013 American’s Top Doctors; Pittsburgh Magazine, Best Doctors in Pittsburgh; Adriana M. Selvaggio, MD Dedication to Commitment and Quality Award; Patients’ Choice Physician; Recipient, 225th Anniversary Medallion, University of Pittsburgh; America’s Top Physicians for Cancer 

2014 America’s Top Doctors

2015 America’s Top Doctors, 2014 Best Reviewer, Journal of Urology, Pittsburgh Magazine, Best Doctors in Pittsburgh, Trustee, American Board of Urology (2016-2021)

2016 UPMC’s FY2016 Excellence in Patient Experience, Physician and Medical Staff Honor Roll

2017 Castle Connolly Top Doctor

2018 Castle Connolly Top Doctor

2019 Castle Connolly Top Doctor

C. Contribution to Science 

First to identify endothelin-1 and the ETA receptor as a candidate therapeutic target in advanced, bone-metastatic prostate cancer 

1. Nelson, J.B., Hedican, S.P., George, D.J., Reddi, A.H., Piantadosi, S., Eisenberger, M.A. and Simons, J.W. Identification of Endothelin-1 in the Pathophysiology of Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of the Prostate. Nature Medicine 1:944-949, 1995. PMID: 7585222. 

2. Nelson, J.B., Chan-Tack, K., Hedican, S.P., Magnuson, S.R., Opgenorth, T.J., Bova, S.G. and Simons, J.W. Endothelin-1 production and decreased ETB receptor expression in advanced prostate cancer. Cancer Research 56:663-668, 1996. PMID: 8630991. 

3. Nelson, J.B., Nguyen, S.H., Wu-Wong, J.R., Opgenorth, T.J., Dixon, D.B., Chung, L.W.K., and Inoue, N. New bone formation in an osteoblastic tumor model is increased by endothelin-1 overexpression and decreased by endothelin A receptor blockade. Urology 53:1063-1069,1999. PMID: 10223507. 

4. Guruli, G., Pflug, B.R., Pecher, S., Makarenkova, V., Shurin, M.R., Nelson, J.B.: Function and survival of dendritic cells depend on endothelin-1 and endothelin receptor autocrine loops. Blood 104:2107-2115, 2004. PMID: 15213100. 

Major contributor to the design and conduct of many clinical trials testing ETA receptor antagonists in advanced prostate cancer 

5. Carducci, M.A., Padley, R.J., Breul, J., Vogelzang, N.J., Zonnenberg, B.A., Daliani, D.D., Schulman, C.C., Nabulsi, A.A., Humerickhouse, R.A., Weinberg, M.A., Schmitt, J.L. and Nelson, J.B. The effect of endothelin-A receptor blockade with atrasentan on tumor progression in men with hormone refractory prostate cancer: a randomized, placebo controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 21:679-689, 2003. PMID: 12586806. 

6. Nelson, J.B., Padley, R.J., Breul, J., Vogelzang, N.J., Zonnenberg, B.A., Daliani, D.D., Schulman, C.D., Schmitt, J.L., Carducci, M.A. Suppression of prostate cancer-induced bone remodeling by the endothelin receptor A antagonist atrasentan. Journal of Urology, 169:1143-1149, 2003. PMID: 12576870. 

7. Nelson, J.B., Love, W., Chin, J.L., Saad, F., Schulman, C.C., Sleep, D.J., Qian, J., Steinberg, J., Carducci, M.A.: Phase 3, randomized controlled trial of atrasentan in patients with nonmetastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Cancer 113:2478-2487, 2008. PMID: 18785254; PMCID: PMC3085548; NIHMS:283078. 

8. Nelson, J.B., Fizazi, K., Miller, K., Higano, C., Moul, J.W., Akaza, H., Morris, T., McIntosh, S., Pemberton, K. and Gleave, M. Phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled study of zibotentan (ZD4054) in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer metastatic to bone. Cancer 118:5709-5718, 2012. PMID: 22786751.

Active involvement in defining molecular alterations in recurrent and progressive prostate cancer, including the identification of novel fusion transcripts with 90% specificity for prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy 

9. Yu, Y.P., Landsittel, D., Jing, L., Nelson, J.B., Ren, B., Liu L., McDonald C., Thomas, R., Dhir, R., Chandran, U., Gilbertson, J., Kinkelstein, Michalopoulos, G., Becich, M., and Luo, J-H.: Gene expression alterations in prostate cancer predicting tumor aggression and preceding development of malignancy. Journal of Clinical Oncology 22:2790-2799, 2004. PMID: 15254046. 

10. Yu, Y.P., Song, C, Tseng, G., Michalopoulos, G., Nelson, J. and Luo J-H.: Genome abnormality precedes prostate cancer and predict clinical relapse. American Journal of Pathology, 180:2240-8, 2012. PMID: 22569189; PMCID: PMC3385611. 

11. Yu, P.Y., Ding, Y., Chen, R., Liao, S.G., Ren, B-G., Michalopoulos, A., Michalopoulos, G., Nelson, J.B., Tseng, G.C. and Lou, J-H.: Genome-wide methylation analysis of prostate tissues reveals global methylation patterns of prostate cancer. American Journal of Pathology 182:2028-2036, 2013. PMID: 23624857; PMCID: PMC3668082. 

12. Yu. Y.P., Ding, Y., Chen, Z., Liu, S., Michalopoulos, A., Chen, R., Gulzar, Z.G., Yang, B., Cieply, K., Luvison, A., Ren, B-G, Brooks, J.D., Jarrard, D., Nelson, J.B., Michalopoulos, G., Tseng, G.C. and Luo, J-H.: Novel fusion transcripts associate with progressive prostate cancer. American Journal of Pathology 184:2840-2849, 2014. PMID: 25238935; PMCID: PMC4188871.

Improved characterizations of the natural history of progressive prostate cancer and associated therapies 

13. Sullivan, P., Nelson, J.B., Mulani, P. and Sleep, D.: Quality of life as a potential predictor of morbidity and mortality in hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Quality of Life Research 15:1297-1306, 2006. PMID: 16830258. 

14. Cella, D., Nichol, M.B., Eton, D., Nelson, J.B., and Mulani, P.: Estimating clinically meaning changes for the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate: Results from a clinical trial of patients with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Value in Health 12:124-129, 2008. PMID: 18647260. 

15. Greenspan, S.L., Nelson, J.B., Trump, D.L., Wagner, J.M., Miller, M.E., Perera, S., Resnick, N.M.: Skeletal health following continuation, withdrawal or delay of oral alendronate in men with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy: a randomized trial. Journal Clinical Oncology 26:4426-4434, 2008. PMID: 18802155; PMCID: PMC2653114. 

16. Smith, M.R., Cook, R., Lee, K-A and Nelson, J.B.: Disease and host characteristics as predictors of time to first bone metastasis and death in men with progressive castration-resistant nonmetastatic prostate cancer. Cancer 117:2077-85, 2011. PMID: 21523719; PMCID: PMC3116053; NIHMS:245523. 

Improved perioperative management of men undergoing radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer 

17. Davies, B.J., Chung, S.Y., and Nelson, J.B.: Delayed intraoperative hydration limits blood loss during radical retropubic prostatectomy. Urology 64:712-716, 2004. PMID: 15491707. 

18. Chelly, J.E., Ploskanych, T., Dai, F. and Nelson, J.B.: Multimodal analgesic approach including paravertebral blocks for open radical retropubic prostatectomy: A randomized double-blind placebo controlled study. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia 58:371-8, 2011. PMID: 21174182. 

19. Raval, J.S., Nelson, J.B., Woldemichael, E. and Triulzi, D.J: Intraoperative cell salvage in radical prostatectomy does not increase long term biochemical recurrence, metastases, or mortality. Transfusion 52:2590-2093, 2012. PMID: 22612661. 

20. Tomaszewski, J.J., Matchett, J.C., Davies, B.J., Jackman, S.V., Hrebinko, R.L. and Nelson, J.B.: Comparative Hospital Coast-analysis of Open and Robotic-assisted Radical Prostatectomy. Urology 80:126-129, 2012. PMID:22608294. 

Complete List of Published Work in MyBibliography