Academic Title
Associate Professor
Bio Statement
Dr. Verneris is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, and the Cancer Center. His clinical interests include hematopoietic cell transplantation for acute leukemias, prevention of graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-leukemia.
He received his medical degree in 1992 from the Dartmouth-Brown Program in Medicine (Hanover, New Hampshire and Providence, Rhode Island). He completed his Pediatric Internship and Residency at Children's National Medical Center, Washington, D.C. His Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship was completed at the Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, where he was a staff physician from 1998-2002, prior to joining the faculty at the University of Minnesota. He is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
Dr. Verneris's research interests include immunology, transplantation biology and therapy, and translational research. Areas of specific interest include NK cell development and activating and inhibitory NK receptors. Current laboratory efforts are focused on understanding the signaling pathways of a number of these receptors and how such pathways are influenced by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and immunosuppressive medications. Other studies are aimed at enhancing NK cell responses to malignant diseases and adoptive transfer of NK cells to kill residual leukemia/cancer cells.
He serves on the University of Minnesota Institutional Biosafety Committee and the All-University Radiation Protection Advisory Committee. Dr. Verneris is a reviewer for nine scientific journals. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and is currently recipient of the Alexander Charles Jundt Research Award. Dr. Verneris is Principal Investigator on a number of grants, including two from the National Institutes of Health (K08-HL004505 and P30CA077598-07, pilot 19) and the Children's Oncology Group. He has over 90 peer-reviewed publications and has co-authored 6 text book chapters.
Research Interests
- Laboratory Based Research:
- NK cell Development from Progenitor cells
- Effect of Immune Suppressive Agents on NK cell Function
- Role of Co-stimulatory Molecules on NK cell Function
- Translational Research:
- Large Scale Expansion of NK cells and Adoptive Transfer following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
- Clinical Research:
- Double Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation for Relapsed and Refractory Acute Leukemias
- Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Pediatric Solid Tumors
Awards
- 1999-2001 Fellow Scholar Award, American Society of Hematology
- 2000 Honorable Mention, Young Investigator Award, American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
- 2003 Charles Jundt Research Award, University of Minnesota
- 2011 Relentless For A Cure Award, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, MN Chapter
Board Certifications
Pediatrics; Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Clinical Interests
Cord blood transplantation, leukemia, graft vs. leukemia reactions, immune reconstitution and natural killer cells.
Medical School
Dartmouth-Brown Program in Medicine
Residency
Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Fellowship
Stanford University
Awards
- Best Doctors in America® (2011-2012, 2013); 1992, Graduated Medical School "With Honors" (awarded to upper 10%, AOA not offered); 1993, "Golden Butterfly Award," Children's National Medical Center; 1995, AACR Workshop Attendance Scholarship titled "Molecular Biology in Clinical Oncology" -- Aspen, Colorado; 1999, American Society of Hematology Travel Award, New Orleans, Louisiana; 2000, Honorable Mention, Young Investigator Award, American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; 2003, Alexander Charles Jundt Research Award, University of Minnesota
