Chris VandenBussche, MD, PhD

Professional Titles

• Leela and Belur S. Bhagavan, M.D. Professor in Pathology
• Director, Pathology Residency Training Program
• Associate Director, Cytopathology Division

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Pathology

Background

Centers and Institutes

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center

Additional Academic Titles

Professor of Oncology

Research Interests

Genitourinary Cancer, Gynecologic Cancer

Research Summary

Dr. VandenBussche’s research focuses on genitourinary and gynecologic cytopathology. He investigates molecular methods and digital image analysis techniques that may contribute to the earlier detection and treatment of cancer. His clinical research involves the international standardization of reporting in cytologic specimens. He led the pelvic washings subgroup of The International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology as well as two subgroups for The Paris System for Reporting Urinary Cytology, including the subgroup on upper tract urothelial cancer.

Google Scholar - Publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=o7QdR8cAAAAJ

Selected Publications

• VandenBussche CJ, Allison DB, Graham MK, Charu V, Lennon AM, Wolfgang CL, Hruban RH, Heaphy CM. Alternative lengthening of telomeres and ATRX/DAXX loss can reliably be detected in fine needle aspirates of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Cancer Cytopathol. 2017 Jul;125(7):544-551. PMID: 28371511

• Cowan ML, Rosenthal DL, VandenBussche CJ. Improved Risk Stratification for Patients with High Grade Urothelial Carcinoma Following Application of The Paris System for Reporting Urinary Cytology. Cancer Cytopathol.2017 Jun;125(6):427-434. PMID: 28272842

• Ooki A, Del Carmen Rodriguez Pena M, Marchionni L, Dinalankara W, Begum A, Hahn NM, VandenBussche CJ, Rasheed ZA, Mao S, Netto GJ, Sidransky D, Hoque MO. YAP1 and COX2 Coordinately Regulate Urothelial Cancer Stem-like Cells. Cancer Res. 2018 Jan 1;78(1):168-181. PMID: 29180467.

• Springer S, Chen C, Rodriguez Pena MDC, Li L, Douville C, Wang Y, Cohen J, Taheri D, Silliman N, Schaefer J, Ptak J, Dobbyn L, Papoli M, Kinde I, Afsari B, Tregnago AC, Bezerra SM, VandenBussche C, Fujita K, Ertoy D, Cunha IW, Yu L, Bivalacqua TJ, Grollman AP, Diaz LA, Karchin R, Danilova L, Huang C, Shun C, Turesky RJ, Yun BH, Rosenquist TA, Pu Y, Hruban RH, Tomasetti C, Papadopoulos N, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B, Dickman KG, Netto GJ. Non-invasive detection of urothelial cancer through the analysis of driver gene mutations and aneuploidy. eLife. 2018. Mar 20;7. PMID: 29557778

• Zhang ML, Guo AX, VandenBussche CJ. Trained Morphologists Overestimate the Nuclear-to-Cytoplasmic Ratio. Cancer Cytopathol. 2016 Aug;124(8):552-64. PMID: 27159533

Honors

• Nancy M. Nath Pathobiology Teaching Award, JHUSOM Pathobiology Graduate Program, 6/30/25
• L.C. Tao Educator of the Year Award, Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology, 3/10/23
• Bob Gay Lecture Series Guest Speaker, ASCT Services, 5/12/22
• Resident Teaching Award (AP Faculty), JHUSOM Pathology Department, 6/30/20
• Resident Teaching Award (AP Faculty), JHUSOM Pathology Department, 6/30/15

Graduate Program Affiliations

• Pathobiology