Laboratory Director, Cytogenetics Lab
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Associate Professor of Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Member, Cancer Pathology and Prevention
Roswell Park Graduate Division, University at Buffalo

Assistant Research Professor, Pathology & Anatomical Sciences
School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo

Adjunct Research Professor of Biology, Canisius College

Dr. AnneMarie W. Block joined the staff of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in 1985 as a Cancer Research Scientist and Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory Supervisor. She was appointed Director, Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in 1988.

Dr. Block earned her doctoral degree in Physiology at UB in 1986. She is a Founding Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics, a diplomate of the American Board of Medical Genetics (Clinical Cytogenetics, 1990), and has a New York State Certificate of Qualification as a Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory Director.

Dr. Block’s research interests focus on chromosome abnormalities in B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders with an emphasis on tracking patient progress, survival, response to treatment and aid in therapeutic decision-making; mitogenic stimulation of human B cells; sister chromatid exchange analysis; chromosome aberration analysis; and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.

Dr. Block is actively involved in graduate medical education and is the course coordinator for “Oncology for Scientists” (RPN 530-532) a year-long comprehensive survey course offered through the Roswell Park Graduate Division.

Dr. Block is a member of Cancer and Leukemia Group B, Children’s Oncology Group, American Society of Human Genetics, American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Association of Genetic Technologists, Association of Women in Science, American Association of University Women, Sigma Xi, American Society of Clinical Pathologists, American Association for Cancer Education, Inc., and the New York Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Block has authored or co-authored more than 150 journal publications, book chapters and abstracts. She is Assistant Editor for the journal Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics.

Key Publications

• Abdelhalim A, Barcos M, Block AW, Sait SNJ, Starostik P, Wetzler M, Wang E. Remission of Philadelphia chromosome-positive central nervous system leukemia after dasatinib therapy. Leukemia and Lymphoma 48(5):1053-1056, 2007.
• Bartos JD, Gaile DP, McQuaid DE, Conroy JM, Darbary H, Nowak NJ, Block AW, Petrelli NJ, Mittelman A, Anderson G. aCGH local copy number aberrations associated with overall copy number genomic instability in colorectal cancer: coordinate involvement of the regions including BCR and ABL. Mut Res 615:1-11, 2007.
• Arana-Yi C, Block AW, Sait SN, Ford LA, Barcos M, Baer MR: Therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia following treatment for acute myeloid leukemia: possible role of cytarabine. Leukemia Research, 32:1043-1048, 2008.
• Mrózek K, Carroll AJ, Maharry K, Rao KW, Patil SR, Pettenati MJ, Watson MS, Arthur DC, Tantravahi R, Heerema NA, Koduru PRK, Block AW, Qumsiyeh MB, Edwards CG, Sterling LJ, Holland KB, Bloomfield CD. Central review of cytogenetics is necessary for cooperative group correlative and clinical studies of adult acute leukemia: the Cancer and Leukemia Group B experience. Int J Oncol 33:239-244, 2008.