Meet Rebecca Harrison, M.D.
Rebecca Harrison, M.D.
Department of Neuro-Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine
About Rebecca Harrison
Dr. Rebecca Harrison is an assistant professor of Neuro-Oncology at MD Anderson. She specializes in the treatment of primary brain tumors and neurological complications of cancer. She obtained her medical degree from Queen’s University in Canada and completed a clinical residency in neurology at the University of British Columbia. Following a clinical fellowship in neuro-oncology at MD Anderson, she joined the faculty in 2017. Dr. Harrison’s clinical research interests include symptom management in brain tumor patients, cognitive impairment in patients with cancer and clinical trial development. She currently serves as co-investigator on several NIH-funded grants on brain aging and cognitive impairment in cancer patients and is a principal investigator or co-PI on clinical trials evaluating novel treatments for patients with brain tumors.
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Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Neuro-Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2010 | Queen's University, Kingston, CAN, MD, Doctor of Medicine |
| 2005 | University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CAN, BS, Biopsychology |
Postgraduate Training
| 2015-2017 | Clinical Fellowship, Neuro-Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
| 2010-2015 | Clinical Residency, Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver |
Board Certifications
| 2019 | United Council of Neurologic Subspecialties |
| 2018 | American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology |
| 2015 | Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada |
Experience & Service
Institutional Committee Activities
Review Committee, Academic Review Committee for the Division of Education & Training, 2020 - Present
2020 Postdoctoral Travel Awards Reviewer, Academic Review Committee, 2019 - Present
Patient Survey Representative, Patient Reported Outcomes Program, 2019 - Present
Steering Committee Member, Cancer Neuroscience Initiative, 2018 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2016 | William James Miller Endowed Fellowship Award in Neuro-Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Neuro-Oncology |
| 2015 | William James Miller Endowed Fellowship Award in Neuro-Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Neuro-Oncology |
| 2013 | Dr. Barbara Allan Award in Research, University of British Columbia |
| 2010 | Virginia Parker Prize for Excellence in Psychiatry, Queen's University |
| 2008 | CFMS Inter-Professional Health Initiatives Scholarship |
| 2006 | BC Cancer Agency Summer Studentship Award, British Columbia Cancer Agency |
| 2004 | UBC-CIHR Summer Training Grant in Neuroscience, Canadian Institute for Health Research |
| 2004 | UBC Undergraduate Scholar Award, University of British Columbia |
| 2001 | Golden Key International Honors Society, University of British Columbia |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Henneghan AM, Rao V, Harrison RA, Karaturi M, Blayney DW, Palesh O, Kesler SR.. Cortical brain age from pre-treatment to post-chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. Neurotoxicity Research 37(4):788-799, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31900898.
- Weathers SP, Penas-Prado M, Pei BL, Ling X, Kassab C, Banerjee P, Bdiwi M, Shaim H, Alsuliman A, Shanley M, de Groot JF, O'Brien BJ, Harrison RA, Majd N, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Fuller GN, Huse JT, Chi L, Rao G, Weinberg JS, Lang F, Sawaya R, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K, Heimberger AB. Glioblastoma-mediated Immune Dysfunction Limits CMV-specific T Cells and Therapeutic Responses; Results From a Phase I/II Trial. Clinical Cancer Research, 2020. PMID: 32299815.
- Kesler SR, Petersen ML, Rao V, Harrison RA, Palesh O.. Functional connectome biotypes of chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 2020. PMID: 32157609.
- Péreza CA, Agyeia P, Bhanu G, Harrison R, Samudralwara R.. Overlapping autoimmune syndrome: A case of concomitant anti-NMDAR encephalitis and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody disease. Journal of Neuroimmunology 339, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31837635.
- Henneghan AM, Gibbons C, Harrison RA, Edwards ML, Rao V, Blayney DW, Palesh O, Kesler SR.. Predicting patient reported outcomes of cognitive function using connectome-based predictive modeling in breast cancer. Brain topography 33(1):135-142, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31745689.
- Kesler, SR, Harrison, RA, Petersen, ML, Rao, V, Dyson, H, Alfaro-Munoz, K, Weathers, S, de Groot, J.. Pre-surgical connectome features predict IDH status in diffuse glioma. Oncotarget, 2019.
- Harrison RA, Anderson MD, Cachia D, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Weathers SP, O'Brien BJ, Penas-Prado M, Yung, WKA, Wu J, Yuan Y, de Groot JF.. Clinical trial participation of patients with glioblastoma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. European Journal of Cancer 112:83-93, 2019. PMID: 30951926.
- Harrison RA, Kesler SR, Johnson JM, Penas-Prado M, Sullaway CM, Wefel JS.. Neurocognitive dysfunction in adult cerebellar medulloblastoma. Psychcooncology 28(1):131-138, 2019. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30315720.
- Lai J., Harrison RA., Plecash A., Field TS.. A Narrative Review of Persistent Post-Stroke Headache - A New Entry in the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd Edition. American Headache Society 58(9):1442-1453, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30152015.
- Harrison RAH, de Groot JF.. Cell Signaling Pathways in Brain Tumors. Topics in magnetic resonance in imaging 26(1):15-26, 2017. PMID: 28079711.
- Harrison RA, Field TS. Post-Stroke Pain: Identification, Assessment, and Therapy. Cerebrovascular Diseases 39(3-4):190-201, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25766121.
- Wong S, Harrison RA, Mattman A, Hsiung GR.. Nitrous Oxide (N2O)-Induced Acute Psychosis. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences 41(5):672-674, 2014. PMID: 25373825.
- Weiss MD, Panagiotopoulos C, Giles LM, Gibbins C, Kuzeljevic B, Davidson JL, Harrison RA. A Naturalistic Study of Predictors and Risks of Atypical Antipsychotic Use in an ADHD Clinic. Journal of Child Adolescent Psychopharmacology 19(5):575-582, 2009. PMID: 19877982.
- Howland J, Harrison R, Hannesson D, Phillips A. Ventral hippocampal involvement in temporal order, but not recognition, memory for spatial events. Hippocampus 18(3):251-257, 2008. PMID: 18064705.
Invited Articles
- Harrison, R.A., Tummala, S., de Groot, J.. Neurologic Toxicities of Cancer Immunotherapies: a Review. Current Neurology and Neurosciences Reports 20(27), 2020.
- Harrison RA, de Groot JF.. Treatment of Glioblastoma in the Elderly. Drugs Aging 35(8):707-718, 2018. PMID: 30039343.
- Harrison RA, de Groot J.. Cellular signaling in brain tumors. Topics in Magnetic Resonance Imaging 26(1):15-26, 2017. PMID: 28079711.
Manuals, Teaching Aids, Other Teaching Publications
- Daher A, Harrison RA, Nam J, Raeke M, Sheehy A, Weathers S, Will M. Brain Tumors: A guide for new patient and their caregivers, 2016.
- Harrison RA, Barton J.. Chronic Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia, 2014.
- Sharar Z, Deyell R, Goddard K, Harrison R, Hukin J, Ingledew PA, Ma V, Hess T. Pediatric Brain Tumors, 2008.
Abstracts
- Metrus N, Harrison RA, Ferguson S, Weathers S.. Isolated CNS Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm in a Patient with AML. American Academy of Neurology, 2019.
- O'Brien BJ, Penas-Prado M, Kamiya C, Weathers SP, Yung WK, Loghin M, Harrison RA, Bacha J, Brown D, Johnson G, Langlands J, Schwartz R, Kanekal S, Lopez L, de Groot JF.. Phase 2 study of dianhydrogalactitol (VAL-083) in patients with MGMT-unmethylated, bevacizumab-naïve glioblastoma in the recurrent and adjuvant setting. Neuro-Oncology 21(6):vi14-vi15, 2019.
- Sinicrope KD, Barata P, Walker J, Tremont-Lukats IW, Groves M, Loghin M, Seligman C, Ferguson S, Weathers SP, Penas-Prado M, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Harrison RA, Tummala S, Trevino CR, Peinado S, Murthy RK, Seyedeh D, de Groot JF, O'Brien BJ.. Intrathecal Topotecan for Leptomeningeal Metastasis in Solid Tumors: The MD Anderson Experience. Neuro-Oncology Advances 1:i8, 2019.
- Andrew Chi, Isabel Arrillaga-Romany, Sharon Gardner, Patrick Wen, Tracy Batchelor, Matthew Hall, Yazmin Odia, Soumen Khatua, Wafik Zaky, Susan McGovern, Rebecca Harrison, John de Groot, Ashley Sumrall, Nicole Shonka, Zaid Khatib, Matthias Karajannis, Sabine Mueller, Rohinton Tarapore, Krystal Merdinger, Lee Schalop, Joshua Allen, Wolfgang Oster, Minesh P Mehta. ACTR-34. INTEGRATED CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH ONC201 IN PREVIOUSLY-TREATED H3 K27M-MUTANT GLIOMA PATIENTS. Neuro-Oncology 20(6):19, 2018.
- Kamiya Matsuoka C, Metrus NR, Shaw KR, Penas-Prado M, Weathers, SS, Loghin ME, Alfaro-Munoz K, Yuan Y, O'Brien BJ, Harrison, RA, Yung, WK, Meric-Bernstam F, de Groot, JF. The Natural Course of Hypermutator Gliomas. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2018.
- Penas-Prado, M., Rezvani, K., Weathers, S.-P. S., Zhou, S., Kamiya-Matsuoka, C., O'Brien, B. J. Loghin ME, Harrison, RA, Pei BL, Ictech S, Hunter K, Yung WKA, de Groot JF, Shpall EJ, Heimberger, A. B.. A phase I/II clinical trial of autologous CMV-specific cytotoxic T cells (CMV-TC) for glioblastoma: Dose escalation results. Journal of Clinical Oncology 36(15):2035, 2018.
- Harrison R, Valerio J, Buffam F, Mezei M.. PEO1 Gene (Twinkle) Mutation and Multi-Organ Failure Following Propofol Infusion.
- Harrison, RA, Liu, RJ, Rao, V, Petersen, M, Dyson, H, Weathers, S-P, Alfaro-Munoz, K, de Groot, JF, Kesler, SR.. Evaluating the capacity of connectome analysis to predict survival in patients with diffuse glioma.
- Harrison, RA, Rao, A, Rao, V, Ray, WJ, Kesler, SR.. Neurodegeneration and “Chemobrain”.
- Nam JY, Harrison RA, Weathers SP, Pillainayagam C, de Groot J, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Loghin M, Penas-Prado M, Yung WK, Li J, Ferguson S, O'Brien BJ.. Association of clinical phenotype and treatment history with survival in adult brainstem glioblastoma.
- Harrison RA, Sullaway CM, Kesler SR, Johnson JM, Wefel JS.. Neurocognitive profiles of adults with cerebellar medulloblastoma.
- Harrison R, Nam JY, Fuller G, Johnson J, O'Brien B.. Clinical, radiologic, and pathologic review of astroblastoma: The MD Anderson experience.
- Harrison R, Fuller G, Prabhu S, Slopis J, Penas-Prado M.. Multicentric glioma in Ollier disease: A case report and review of the literature.
- Hassan H, Harrison R, Tummala S.. Acute graft-versus-host disease post autologous bone marrow transplant presenting as Parsonage Turner Syndrome.
- Harrison R, Masood A, Mawlawi O, Schellingerhout D, Chasen B, Millican R, Li J, O'Brien BJ, Johnson JM.. Evaluation of Delayed Time-Point FDG-PET in differentiating progressive disease from post-treatment radiation changes in brain tumors.
Book Chapters
- Harrison R, Nam JY, Weathers SP, DeMonte F. Skull Base and Dural Metastases. In: Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Elsevier B.V, 3-23, 2018.
- Harrison RA, Wefel J.. Neurocognitive function in adult cancer patients. In: Neurologic Clinics. 3, 653-674, 2018.
- Harrison RA, Bruera E.. Palliative care of patients with brain metastases. In: Central Nervous System Metastases: Diagnosis and Treatment. Springer Publishing.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Predicting Long-Term Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Very Long-Term Neurocognitive Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |