By Jennifer C. Yates
Few understand the importance of cancer research better than
Kurt Weiss, whose own life was saved from sarcoma after enrolling in a
clinical trial. Now Weiss, M.D., assistant
professor of orthopaedic surgery at Pitt, is pushing such research forward with
the help of a highly competitive grant
from the National Institutes of Health. Known as a K08 grant, the $827,280 five-year
funding will help Dr. Weiss’ career as a translational scientist by carving out
time from his demanding clinical schedule to establish a laboratory program in
sarcoma research.
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Kurt Weiss, M.D. |
As a teenager, Dr. Weiss was diagnosed with a life-threatening
sarcoma in his leg that had spread to other parts of his body. His leg would
eventually be amputated due to the cancer, but the experience led him to study
medicine and to work with cancer patients.
Dr. Weiss works alongside Mark Goodman, M.D., a visiting
associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Pitt and section chief of
orthopaedics, the same clinician who treated him.
“Sarcoma is a rare disease, and I hope I can touch the lives
of patients through my work in the lab and at the bedside the way people like
Dr. Goodman have for me,” Dr. Weiss said.
Dr. Weiss is the director of the Cancer Stem Cell Lab within
the Stem Cell Research Center run by Johnny Huard, Ph.D. A graduate of Pitt’s
Orthopaedic Residency Program in 2009, Dr. Weiss also was recently named to
Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list.