Profile image of Susan E. Bates, MD

Susan E. Bates, MD

Director, Translational Cancer Medicine

Call (212) 305-5098 for appointments.

About Susan E. Bates, MD:

Dr. Susan Bates received her M.D. degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine. She completed her clinical training in internal medicine at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and in medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Bates was a Lead Clinical Investigator and Head of the Molecular Therapeutics Section in the Developmental Therapeutics Branch of the Center for Cancer Research before moving to Columbia University in August 2015.

During her years at the NCI, Dr. Bates led a highly successful translational research program focused on mechanisms of multidrug resistance and approaches to evaluate and improve the activity of epigenetic modifying agents. Her laboratory was among the first to clone the multidrug transporter ABCG2, eventually characterizing its function and its role in chemo-resistance and chemo-protection. This effort built upon earlier work elaborating the role of the multi-drug transporter P-glycoprotein that had defined the drug sensitivity profiles of cell lines in vitro, particularly in the NCI-60 cell line panel. The latter observation continues to impact how the NCI-60 cell line panel is used in drug discovery, and helped her identify a novel agent, at that time known as depsipeptide. Dr. Bates brought this drug to the clinic and after completing its phase I testing, served as Principal Investigator of a multi-institutional, international Phase II study of romidepsin (depsipeptide) in cutaneous and peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Working with Gloucester Pharmaceuticals, the data from this study were included in New Drug Applications (NDA) to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). This partnership led to approval by the FDA of romidepsin for two indications - initially for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and later for peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

Dr. Bates' current interests are both laboratory and clinical in nature. Her laboratory efforts include laboratory and translational studies on drug resistance in T-cell lymphomas and advanced solid tumors including breast, pancreatic, neuroendocrine, renal and lung cancers. Her work is dedicated to new drug development, and finding antineoplastic agents that, alone or in combination with other anticancer agents, improve the options available for difficult to treat cancers. Emanating from the clinical and translational development of romidepsin, a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, a current focus is on epigenetic therapies, and the development of combination therapies to use with HDAC inhibitors in refractory advanced cancers, including solid tumors. She also has a special interest in drug delivery and drug distribution and the role of the blood brain barrier in creating a sanctuary site for cancers that metastasize to the brain. Clinically, her goal has always been to translate ideas from the laboratory to clinical trials, an effort that has proven very successful. Clinically she seeks to develop combination therapies with histone deacetylase inhibitors for the therapy of solid tumors; and to develop therapies to treat central nervous system metastases, a complication of cancer that is becoming a greater problem as patients live longer with cancer.

Expertise:

Brain Metastases
Chemotherapy
Gallbladder Cancer
Internal Medicine
Liver Cancer
Medical Oncology
Oncology
Pancreatic Cancer
T-Cell Lymphoma

Appointments:

Professor of Medicine at CUMC

Education:

MD, 1978 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Residency: 1981 Georgetown University Medical Center
Residency: 1980 University of Arkansas Medical Center
Fellowship: National Cancer Institute

New Patients:

YES

Locations

Primary Locations:

CUIMC/Herbert Irving Pavilion

161 Fort Washington Avenue
Floor 9
New York, NY 10032

For new and current patient appointments, call:
(212) 305-5098
Fax:
(212) 305-6891

Insurances:

AETNA [POS, PPO, EPO, EPO, NYP Employee Plan, Aetna Signature Administrators, Student Health, NY Signature]
Affinity Health Plan [Medicaid Managed Care]
AgeWell [Special Needs, Medicare Managed Care]
Amerigroup of New Jersey [New Jersey Services (Medicaid Managed Care)]
CIGNA [PPO, POS, Great West (National), HMO, Medicare Managed Care, EPO]
Emblem/GHI [PPO, Medicare Managed Care]
Emblem/HIP [HMO, PPO, Vytra, EPO, Select Care (Exchange), ConnectiCare, POS, Essential Plan, Medicare Managed Care, ConnectiCare]
Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HealthPlus [Essential Plan, Child/Family Health Plus]
Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield [Local 32BJ]
Fidelis Care [Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Essential Plan]
Healthfirst [Medicare Managed Care, Child/Family Health Plus, Leaf (Exchange)]
Local 1199 [Local 1199, Local 1199]
MVP Health Care [Child/Family Health Plus, HMO, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Child/Family Health Plus, Essential Plan, Essential Plan, Medicaid Managed Care, HMO]
MagnaCare (National) [MagnaCare, MagnaCare]
Medicare [Railroad, Traditional Medicare, Railroad]
Multiplan [Multiplan, Multiplan]
Quality Health Management [Quality Health Management]
RiverSpring [Special Needs, Special Needs, Special Needs, Special Needs]
UnitedHealthcare [Compass (Exchange), HMO, POS, PPO, Empire Plan, Medicaid (Community Plan), Oxford Freedom, Oxford HMO, Oxford Liberty, Medicare Managed Care, Medicare Managed Care, Medicare Managed Care]
VNSNY CHOICE [SelectHealth]
WellCare [Medicare Managed Care]
World Trade Center Health Plan [World Trade Center Health Plan]