Brian Durie

Brian G.M. Durie is a Scottish hematologist known for his research and efforts regarding multiple myeloma and blood disorders, especially his development of the multiple myeloma staging system. He is the former chairman of the board and Scientific Director for the Myeloma Foundation and a specialist in multiple myeloma and related disorders at the Cedars-Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute.

Early life and education

Durie was born December 1942 in Gullane, Scotland. and graduated in 1960 from North Berwick High School. In 1989, he became a professor and Head of the Department of Clinical and Laboratory Hematology at the University of London where he also established a myeloma program. Upon return to the United States, he assume Directorship of the Hematological Research and Myeloma Programs for Aptium Oncology Inc. (subsequently AMyC Myeloma Consortium) also based at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the Comprehensive Cancer Center Division. He currently remains as a myeloma specialist physician This was based upon a new system for directly measuring the number of myeloma cells within the body, an approach which led to the publication of a seminal paper on myeloma staging in the journal Cancer in 1975, which has been cited more than 3000 times by other scientists. This publication continues to be referenced as the standard way to clinically stage multiple myeloma, named the Durie-Salmon Staging System. Durie has co-authored two updates to the staging system.

Myeloma research

Salmon and Durie authored a paper that concluded that the pretreatment labeling index provides helpful prognostic information in addition to tumor mass staging, which was patented. Furthermore, Durie showed it was possible to stratify myeloma patients based on combinations of serum beta 2 microglobulin with both albumin and age, producing significant separation of patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories. His research concluded that serum beta 2 microglobulin is the most powerful prognostic factor currently available for multiple myeloma. Durie co-authored an update to the response criteria in 2016

The Creation of The International Myeloma Foundation: Accelerating the search for a cure

In 1990, Durie co-created a non-profit foundation, the International Myeloma Foundation. Formed in conjunction with Brian Novis and Susie Lavitt. Durie has continued to serve as chairman of the board and Scientific Director. The foundation has established myeloma patient support groups in the US and globally, created th p International Myeloma Working Group ] with 250 myeloma experts to conduct collaborative research and guideline development, and established the Black Swan Research Initiative to conduct treatment trials.

Awards and distinctions

Durie is a Leukemia Society of America Scholar and a U.S. Hematologic Research Foundation Annual Awardee. Hr received the 2006 Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors a physician in myeloma research. In 2009, he received the Waldenström's Award in recognition of his contributions to that field. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Medicine from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2019.

Awards

1991 5th Annual Hematological Research Award 2009 Waldenström Award for Myeloma Research 2014 Mayo Distinguished Alumni Award 2019 Honorary Doctorate of Medicine: Free University of Brussels

Publications

Durie has written over 600 research papers, sixteen book chapters, and five books.