Academic History
Rafael Fonseca, MD, completed his medical degree at Anahuac University, Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico, prior to an internal medicine residency at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, and a fellowship in clinical hematology and medical oncology at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Rochester, MN. On top of his work as a Professor of Medicine, Dr Fonseca holds numerous leadership positions, including Interim Director of the Mayo Clinical Cancer Center and Director for Innovation and Transformational Relationships. His research contributions also earned him recognition as a Mayo Clinic Distinguished Investigator.
Dr Fonseca is a significant research force in the myeloma field, having given national and international presentations, and authored over 250 publications. He has received the Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Clinical Investigator Award and the International Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Research Award in recognition of his research. He is also a reviewer for several top journals including the American Journal of Hematology, British Journal of Haematology, Haematologica, Journal of Clinical Oncology and New England Journal of Medicine.
Speaking on genomics of myeloma and how this translates into clinical considerations
Dr Fonseca’s award-winning research spans a broad range of themes within myeloma and related conditions. His interests cover clinical trials -of which he has been a principal investigator in many at a national level- and drug development, pharmacoeconomics, and the genomics of myeloma and its clinical implications. The work his lab conducted was instrumental in defining the myeloma cell genomic profile and its impact on disease progression. They were also the first to describe the underlying factors influencing the hyperdiploid versus nonhyperdiploid pathways in myeloma and the presence of homogeneous genetic aberrations in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and myeloma. Dr Fonseca is currently investigating IMiDs and potential biomarkers of response, as well as how to reduce adverse effects of certain current therapies.
