David Fajgenbaum

David C. Fajgenbaum (born March 29, 1985) is an American immunologist and author who is currently an assistant professor at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania.[1] He is most well known for his research into Castleman disease.[2]

Early life and education

David C. Fajgenbaum was born and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 29, 1985 to a physician father and stay at home mother.[3] Fajgenbaum played football at Ravenscroft School and aspired to play college football growing up.

He was recruited to Georgetown University to play football.[4] Soon after arriving at college, his mother was diagnosed with glioblastoma. She died in October 2004. Fajgenbaum started Actively Moving Forward in memory of his mother to support other grieving college students at Georgetown. In 2005, Fajgenbaum co-founded Actively Moving Forward to support students on college campuses across the nation.[5]

He received a B.S. from Georgetown University, M.Sc. from the University of Oxford, M.D. from the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, and M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.[6] He volunteered as executive director of Actively Moving Forward Support Network during college and graduate school.[5] While in graduate school, he married his wife Caitlin; the couple has one child.[7]

While in medical school, Fajgenbaum became critically ill with idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease. Following his third relapse in 2012, Fajgenbaum co-founded the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network and began conducting research into idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease under.[8]

Research

In 2015, Fajgenbaum joined the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania as an assistant professor of medicine and associate director of the Orphan Disease Center, where he remains today.[1]

Fajgenbaum has been a pioneer in the field of Castleman disease, most widely known for the identification of a new treatment approach. In 2014, he discovered increased mTOR signaling in idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease and began testing an mTOR inhibitor on himself to assess its efficiency.[9]

Books

In 2015, Fajgenbaum co-authored and wrote his first book, We Get It: Voices of Grieving College Students and Young Adults. A unique collection of 33 narratives by bereaved students and young adults, We Get It aims to help young adults who are grieving and provide guidance for those who seek to support them.[10]

In September 2019, Fajgenbaum’s second book, Chasing My Cure: A Doctor’s Race to Turn Hope Into Action, was published. Chasing My Cure is a memoir describing Fajgenbaum’s work to spearhead the search for a cure for his disease.[11]

Select awards and honors

References
  1. "Our Faculty >> David C. Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, FCPP". University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  2. Couzin-Frankel, Jennifer (2016-07-11). "A young doctor fights to cure his own rare, deadly disease". Science. Science. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  3. Thomas, Katie (February 4, 2017). "His Doctors Were Stumped. Then He Took Over". New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  4. "2006 Football Roster - David Fajgenbaum". Georgetown Football. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  5. Wescott, Gail Cameron (2010-09-28). "Grief Relief: The National Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers Support Network". Readers Digest. Readers Digest. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  6. "David C. Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, FCPP". Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  7. "VIDEO: 6abc congratulates Mr. and Mrs. Fajgenbaum". 6abc Action News. 6abc. 2014-05-25. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  8. Couzin-Frankel, Jennifer (2016-07-11). "A young doctor fights to cure his own rare, deadly disease". Science. Science Magazine. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  9. Fajgenbaum, David (2018). "Pi3k/Akt/Mtor Pathway Activity Is Increased in Lymph Node Tissue from Idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease Patients with Tafro Syndrome". Blood. 132 (Supplemental 1): 1121. doi:10.1182/blood-2018-99-118434. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  10. "We Get It: Book for Grieving Young Adults". Heal Grief. 2017-06-11. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  11. "Chasing My Cure A DOCTOR'S RACE TO TURN HOPE INTO ACTION; A MEMOIR By DAVID FAJGENBAUM". Penguin Random House. Penguin Randome House. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  12. "Georgetown's David Fajgenbaum Named to AFCA Good Works Team". GU Hoyas. GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  13. "2007 BRICK Award Winner: David Fajgenbaum". How Stuff Works. How Stuff Works. 2007-02-22. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  14. "David C. Fajgenbaum". Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  15. "Georgetown's Fajgenbaum Named to All-USA College Academic First Team". GU Hoyas. Georgetown University. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  16. "LDI SENIOR FELLOW David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc". Penn LDI. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  17. "Welcome Back Awards Recognize Outstanding Contributions in the Fight Against Depression". Lilly. Eli Lilly and Company. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  18. "Commencement address asks, 'How will you respond when your moment comes?'". University of Colorado Boulder. CU Boulder Today. 2013-12-20.
  19. "2015 30 UNDER 30: HEALTHCARE". FORBES. FORBES. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  20. "Global Genes Announces Fourth Annual RARE Tribute to Champions of Hope Award Recipients". Global Genes. Global Genes. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  21. "Vice President Joe Biden honored for cancer research in Philadelphia". 6abc. WPVI-TV. 2016-08-04. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  22. "David C. Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, FCPP". Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  23. "Nominees". Rare Disease Legislative Advocates. Rare Disease Legislative Advocates. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  24. Laura, Dyrda (2017). "100 great healthcare leaders to know". Beckers Hospital Review. Beckers Hospital Review. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  25. "DR. DAVID FAJGENBAUM TO RECEIVE RARE AUTOIMMUNE AND IMMUNOLOGICAL DISORDER RESEARCH GRANT AT YOUNG INVESTIGATOR DRAFT PRESENTED BY CSL BEHRING". Uplifting Athletes. 2018-07-31. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
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