Dr. Brian H. Kushner

Dr. Brian H. Kushner, MD, is a pediatric oncologist at MSK Kids, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, with a focused specialty in neuroblastoma, a cancer that can affect babies, children, teenagers, and young adults. He works as part of a dedicated neuroblastoma team that sees more patients with this disease than any other institution in the world, drawing on a vast breadth of experience from patients across the United States and internationally. This exceptional patient volume allows Dr. Kushner and his colleagues to continuously study treatment results, identify improvements in real time, and develop individualized care plans tailored to each patient's unique circumstances. Many patients who come to his team have previously received treatment elsewhere and arrive facing challenges such as relapse, poor response to therapy, or significant side effects.

Dr. Kushner's clinical and research work is guided by the goal of achieving cure with as few side effects as possible, including for patients whose neuroblastoma has relapsed. His team has demonstrated that cure remains achievable even after relapse, offering renewed hope to families who may have exhausted options elsewhere. A central focus of his research is harnessing the immune system to fight neuroblastoma, and he leads clinical trials evaluating new immunotherapies for patients with high-risk forms of the disease. His team has also made important observations about spontaneous regression, identifying cases where neuroblastoma disappears on its own, and they are working to determine which patients may be cured with little or no treatment based on predictive factors.

Beyond his clinical and scientific work, Dr. Kushner has demonstrated a deep personal commitment to his patients through his participation in the New York City Marathon, which he has completed 15 times as a member of Fred's Team, a group of runners who raise funds to support cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering. During the most demanding stretches of the race, he drew strength by thinking of the children and young adults he treats and the courage they show in fighting for their lives. At mile 17, running past MSK on First Avenue, he would stop to high-five and embrace the patients and families who came out to cheer, a moment he describes as one of the most meaningful of the entire race.