Benedito A. Carneiro, MD, MS is a medical oncologist and clinical investigator with research interests in early drug development and first-in-human clinical trials exploring novel therapeutics for solid tumors, with a particular focus on genitourinary cancers. Dr. Carneiro is the founder and Director of the Cancer Drug Development Program (Phase I), Director of Clinical Research at the Brown University Health Cancer Institute, Associate Director of the Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Co-Leader of the Cancer Therapeutics Program at the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University. He serves as Principal Investigator of numerous first-in-human (phase I) clinical trials evaluating novel treatments for advanced solid tumors, including kidney, bladder, prostate, lung, pancreas, and colon cancers.
Under his leadership, the Phase I clinical trials program at the Brown University Health and the Legorreta Cancer Center has expanded significantly, creating new opportunities for patients in Rhode Island to access the most advanced cancer therapies in development. The availability of early-phase clinical trials has reduced the need for patients and their family members to travel to neighboring states to pursue investigational treatment options. The growth of a robust clinical research infrastructure for clinical research, supported by a multidisciplinary team of experts, has positioned the Brown Phase I program as a nationally and internationally recognized leader in early drug development. Strategic collaborations with biotechnology and phamaceutical industry partners have strengthened academic alliances and catalyzed scientific discoveries across the campus.
Dr Carneiro's clinical and translational research efforts focus on innovative immunotherapies, genomics-driven treatment strategies, cellular therapies, target discovery, and biomarkers of treatment response and resistance, conducted in close collaboration with translational scientists. He has expertise in the mechanisms of cell death (apoptosis) and its interface with anti-tumor immune response as well as novel agents targeting tumors with defects in DNA repair pathways. Ongoing research projects involving post-doctoral researchers, graduate students, and medical students investigate novel therapeutic strategies for advanced prostate cancer, including immunotherapies and agents that disrupt DNA repair machinery and therapy-induced senescence.
Prior to joining Brown University, Dr. Carneiro served as Co-Director of the Developmental Therapeutics Program at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and as Director of the postgraduate Developmental Therapeutics Fellowship Program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications and multiple book chapters and has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on more than 100 clinical trials. Dr. Carneiro is an active member of several professional societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), and the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR). He represents the Legorreta Cancer Center at the WIN (Worldwide Innovative Networking in Personalized Cancer Medicine) Consortium, serves as Co-Chair of Genitourinary Disease Committee within the WIN Consortium, and has contributed to the ASCO Annual Meeting Scientific Program Committee and the AACR Annual Meeting Clinical Trials Committee.
