Biography

Dr. Stewart received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1998. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 2001 and training in medical genetics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 2004. He is board-certified in both internal medicine and clinical genetics. He had post-doctoral training in genetics in the laboratory of Richard Spielman at Penn from 2002-2004. In 2004 he joined the National Human Genome Research Institute as part of the Physician Scientist Development Program to investigate the monogenic tumor predisposition syndrome neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). In recognition for his work in NF1, he was named one of NIH’s first Earl Stadtman Investigators when he joined the National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Genetics Branch in the summer of 2010. His major research interests are the adult manifestations of RAS-pathway disorders (especially NF1 and Legius syndrome), next generation sequencing of NF1-associated tumors and the characterization of novel features of NF1. Dr Stewart was responsible for the early detailed characterization of the chromosome 9q sub-telomeric deletion syndrome (now Kleefstra syndrome) and the recognition (with Eric Legius, Leuven Belgium) of glomus tumors as part of the NF1 tumor spectrum.

Research

Dr. Stewart is continuing data analysis from two protocols from his time at NHGRI: "Variation in Gene Expression in Neurofibromatosis Type 1" (05-HG-0152) which seeks to identify genetic modifiers of NF1 and "Natural history and biology of dermal neurofibromas in neurofibromatosis type 1" (06-HG-0134), which uses novel methods to characterize neurofibroma growth in NF1. He is developing new protocols investigating whole-genome sequencing of benign and malignant tumors in NF1 and the genetics of radiation sensitivity.

Selected Publications

• Stewart DR, Huang A, Zackai EH, et al. Subtelomeric deletions of chromosome 9q: A novel microdeletion syndrome. American Journal of Medical Genetics, 128A (4): 340-351, 2004.
• Stewart DR, Dombroski B, Urbanek M, et al. Fine mapping of genetic susceptibility to polycystic ovary syndrome on chromosome 19p13.2 and tests for regulatory activity. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 91 (10): 4112-4117, 2006.
• Stewart DR, Corless CL, Rubin BP, et al. Mitotic recombination as evidence of alternative pathogenesis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) in neurofibromatosis type 1. Journal of Medical Genetics, 44: e61, 2007.
• Stewart DR, Cogan JD, Kramer MR, et al. Is pulmonary arterial hypertension in neurofibromatosis type 1 secondary to a plexogenic arteriopathy? Chest, 132 (3): 798-808, 2007.
• Boley S, Sloan JL, Pemov A, Stewart DR. A quantitative assessment of the burden and distribution of Lisch nodules in adults with neurofibromatosis type 1. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 50: 5035-5043, 2009.
• Brems H, Park C, Maertens O, Pemov A, Messiaen L, Upadhyaya M, Claes K, Beert E, Peeters K, Mautner V, Sloan JL, Yao L, Lee CR, Sciot R, De Smet L, Legius E, Stewart DR. Glomus tumors in neurofibromatosis type 1: genetic, functional and clinical evidence of a novel association. Cancer Research, 69 (18): 7393-7401, 2009.
• Pemov A, Park C, Reilly KM, Stewart DR. Evidence of perturbations of cell cycle and DNA repair pathways as a consequence of human and murine NF1-haploinsufficiency. BMC Genomics, 11(1): 194, 2010.
• Stewart DR, Sloan JL, Yao L, Mannes AJ, Moshyedi A, Lee CR, Sciot R, De Smet L, Mautner V-F, Legius E. Diagnosis, management, and complications of glomus tumors of the fingers in neurofibromatosis type 1. Journal of Medical Genetics, 47 (8): 525-32, 2010.
• Denayer E, Descheemaeker M-J, Stewart DR , Keymolen K, Coombes SL, Snow J, Thurm AE, Joseph LA, Fryns J-P, Lehius E. Observations on Intelligence and Behavior in 15 Patients with Legius Syndrome . American Journal of Medical Genetics Part C: Seminars in Medical Genetics , 157 (2): 123-8, 2011.
• Soto E, Stewart DR , Mannes AJ, Ruppert SL, Baker K, Zlott D, Phillips J, Wroblewski GA, Handel D, Berger AM. Oral ketamine in a palliative care setting: A review of the literature and case report of a patient with NF1 and glomus tumor-associated CRPS . In press, American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine .