Mark Applebaum, MD, is an expert in pediatric cancers and blood diseases. He has a special interest in the treatment of neuroblastoma, sarcomas and solid tumors.
Dr. Applebaum is a translational physician-scientist working on harnessing genomics and “big data” to advance treatments for children with neuroblastoma. He bridges the fields of epigenetics, genomics, and cancer biology to identify novel risk classifiers and therapeutic targets.
Dr. Applebaum focuses his research on how specific epigenetic marks can identify patients with aggressive neuroblastoma that may benefit from alternatives to standard therapy. His laboratory is also identifying how the low-oxygen environment of tumors makes cancer cells more resistant to standard therapies by inducing changes in these same epigenetic marks. Identifying the genes and cellular pathways responsible for these changes may ultimately open new avenues for novel therapeutic options.
Dr. Applebaum's research is supported by the National Cancer Institute and the University of Chicago Cancer Center Auxiliary Board. He has received funding from the Conquer Cancer Foundation, Cancer Research Foundation, and the Bear Necessities Foundation. He is the recipient of numerous awards from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Association of Cancer Researchers, and the Advances in Neuroblastoma Research Association.
Fellowship, University of Chicago
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics
2016
Fellowship, University of Chicago
- Hematology/Oncology
2015
Residency, University of California, San Francisco
- Pediatrics
2011
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
M.D.
2008
University of California, Berkeley
B.A. - Molecular and Cell Biology
2004
Hypoxia Promotes an Adrenergic to Mesenchymal Transcriptional Program Transition in Neuroblastoma.
Hypoxia Promotes an Adrenergic to Mesenchymal Transcriptional Program Transition in Neuroblastoma. Clin Transl Sci. 2026 Mar; 19(3):e70508.
PMID: 41724733
5-hydroxymethylcytosine profiles in circulating cell-free DNA associate with disease status in patients with osteosarcoma.
5-hydroxymethylcytosine profiles in circulating cell-free DNA associate with disease status in patients with osteosarcoma. NPJ Precis Oncol. 2026 Feb 11; 10(1).
PMID: 41673231
Histotripsy-initiated immune response synergizes with chemotherapy in a neuroblastoma murine model.
Histotripsy-initiated immune response synergizes with chemotherapy in a neuroblastoma murine model. bioRxiv. 2026 Feb 03.
PMID: 41676730
Introducing iCatalog as a clinical decision support tool for collaborative pediatric precision oncology studies.
Introducing iCatalog as a clinical decision support tool for collaborative pediatric precision oncology studies. Commun Med (Lond). 2026 Jan 23; 6(1):88.
PMID: 41571967
5-hydroxymethylcytosine profiles in circulating cell-free DNA associate with disease status in patients with osteosarcoma.
5-hydroxymethylcytosine profiles in circulating cell-free DNA associate with disease status in patients with osteosarcoma. Res Sq. 2025 Sep 01.
PMID: 40951266
Outcomes for Patients Aged 12-18 Months With Metastatic MYCN Non-Amplified Neuroblastoma and Unfavorable Biologic Features ("Mixed Biology Toddlers"): A Report From the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) Project.
Outcomes for Patients Aged 12-18 Months With Metastatic MYCN Non-Amplified Neuroblastoma and Unfavorable Biologic Features ("Mixed Biology Toddlers"): A Report From the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) Project. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2025 Nov; 72(11):e31968.
PMID: 40879138
5-hydroxymethylcytosine deposition mediates Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 function in MYCN -amplified neuroblastoma.
5-hydroxymethylcytosine deposition mediates Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 function in MYCN -amplified neuroblastoma. bioRxiv. 2025 Jul 09.
PMID: 40672320
Targeting DTX2/UFD1-mediated FTO degradation to regulate antitumor immunity.
Targeting DTX2/UFD1-mediated FTO degradation to regulate antitumor immunity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Dec 17; 121(51):e2407910121.
PMID: 39661064
Artificial intelligence-based morphologic classification and molecular characterization of neuroblastic tumors from digital histopathology.
Artificial intelligence-based morphologic classification and molecular characterization of neuroblastic tumors from digital histopathology. NPJ Precis Oncol. 2024 Nov 08; 8(1):255.
PMID: 39511421
Characterizing Relationships between T-cell Inflammation and Outcomes in Patients with High-Risk Neuroblastoma According to Mesenchymal and Adrenergic Signatures.
Characterizing Relationships between T-cell Inflammation and Outcomes in Patients with High-Risk Neuroblastoma According to Mesenchymal and Adrenergic Signatures. Cancer Res Commun. 2024 08 01; 4(8):2255-2266.
PMID: 39099200