Sylvia Kurz, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Neurology, Neuro-OncologyDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Yale Cancer Center
15 York Street, LLCI 920, PO Box 208028
New Haven, CT 06520-8028
United States
About
Sylvia Kurz, MD, PhD, has been named an Associate Professor of Neurology (Neuro-Oncology) and is dedicated to the care of patients with neuro-oncological disorders as part of the Chênevert Family Brain Tumor Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center.
Titles
Associate Professor of Neurology, Neuro-Oncology
Biography
Sylvia Kurz, MD, PhD, has been named an Associate Professor of Neurology (Neuro-Oncology) and cares for patients as part of the Chênevert Family Brain Tumor Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center. Dr. Kurz is an internationally acclaimed neuro-oncologist and received both her MD and PhD at Ludwig-MaximiliansUniversity in Munich, Germany. She then completed a residency at University Hospitals Case Medical Center followed by a fellowship in Neuro-Oncology and Immuno-Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women's Hospital. She was an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Neurology and Interim Director of the Neuro-Oncology Program at Perlmutter Cancer Center prior to returning to Germany where she was a Neuro-Oncologist at the Institute for Neurology and Interdisciplinary Neuro-Oncology at the University Hospital Tübingen before joining Yale.
Appointments
Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Clinical Fellow
- Massachusetts General Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School (2017)
- Research Fellow
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Harvard Medical School (2016)
- Resident
- University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University (2014)
- PhD
- Max-Planck-Institute for Neurobiology and Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Molecular Medicine
- Intern
- University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University (2011)
- MD
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, School of Medicine
Clinical Care
As a passionate clinician, Dr. Kurz has vast experience with the full spectrum of neuro-oncological disorders and cares for patients with primary and secondary tumors affecting the central nervous system and neurological complications of cancer and cancer therapies. This includes patients with glioblastoma, glioma, meningioma, primary CNS lymphoma, metastases to the brain and meninges.
Overview
Clinical Specialties
Neuro-Oncology
Fact Sheets
Brain Tumors
Learn More on Yale MedicineMeningiomas
Learn More on Yale MedicinePrimary Brain Tumors
Learn More on Yale MedicineNeoplasm (Tumor)
Learn More on Yale Medicine
Board Certifications
Neurology
- Certification Organization
- AB of Psychiatry & Neurology
- Original Certification Date
- 2024
Yale Medicine News
Are You a Patient?
View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.
View Doctor ProfileResearch
As a clinical investigator, Dr. Kurz is focused on developing more effective treatment options for patients with intracranial tumors, in particular high-grade gliomas and progressive, therapy-resistant meningiomas. She has served as principal investigator and co-investigator on numerous investigator-initiated, cooperative group and industry-sponsored clinical studies.
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Sylvia Kurz's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Sylvia Kurz's research output by year.
Veronica Chiang, MD, FAANS
Declan McGuone, FRCPath Neuro, MBBCh
Pallavi Gopal, MD, PhD
58Publications
658Citations
Publications
2024
ONC201 (Dordaviprone) in Recurrent H3 K27M–Mutant Diffuse Midline Glioma
Arrillaga-Romany I, Gardner S, Odia Y, Aguilera D, Allen J, Batchelor T, Butowski N, Chen C, Cloughesy T, Cluster A, de Groot J, Dixit K, Graber J, Haggiagi A, Harrison R, Kheradpour A, Kilburn L, Kurz S, Lu G, MacDonald T, Mehta M, Melemed A, Nghiemphu P, Ramage S, Shonka N, Sumrall A, Tarapore R, Taylor L, Umemura Y, Wen P. ONC201 (Dordaviprone) in Recurrent H3 K27M–Mutant Diffuse Midline Glioma. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2024, 42: 1542-1552. PMID: 38335473, PMCID: PMC11095894, DOI: 10.1200/jco.23.01134.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsH3 K27M-mutant diffuse midline gliomaDiffuse midline gliomaDuration of responseTime to responseHigh-grade gliomasLow-grade gliomasMidline gliomaMedian duration of responseMedian time to responseTreatment-emergent adverse eventsEnd pointsBlinded independent central reviewCorticosteroid dose reductionIndependent central reviewSecondary end pointsClinically meaningful efficacyRadiographic end pointsSpinal tumorsDose reductionDismal prognosisCentral reviewPerformance scoresCorticosteroid responseResponse assessmentAdverse eventsGlioblastom – aktuelle Therapiekonzepte
Rieger D, Renovanz M, Kurz S, Bombach P, Paulsen F, Roder C, Tatagiba M, Niyazi M, Tabatabai G. Glioblastom – aktuelle Therapiekonzepte. Die Onkologie 2024, 30: 145-156. DOI: 10.1007/s00761-024-01473-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsClinical trialsWorld Health Organization classificationCombination of radiotherapyFirst-line therapyDiagnosis of glioblastomaPatterns of disease progressionTherapeutic clinical trialsTumor Treating FieldsCurrent treatment conceptsCentral nervous systemNeuro-oncology careTemozolomide chemotherapyFirst-linePostoperative therapyPrimary neoplasmsOrganization classificationUnfavorable prognosisTumor progressionClinical statusDisease progressionTreatment conceptTreatment recommendationsBiomarker-basedNervous systemGlioblastomaApp-based assessment of patient-reported outcomes in the Molecular Tumor Board in the Center for Personalized Medicine—(TRACE)
Dörner L, Grosse L, Stange F, Hille H, Kurz S, Becker H, Volkmer S, Hippler M, Rieger D, Bombach P, Rieger J, Weinert L, Svensson L, Anders C, Cekin S, Paulsen F, Öner Ö, Ruhm K, Malek H, Möller Y, Tatagiba M, Wallwiener M, Eckert N, Escher P, Pfeifer N, Forschner A, Bauer A, Zips D, Bitzer M, Malek N, Gani C, Tabatabai G, Renovanz M. App-based assessment of patient-reported outcomes in the Molecular Tumor Board in the Center for Personalized Medicine—(TRACE). Neuro-Oncology Practice 2024, 11: 336-346. PMID: 38737615, PMCID: PMC11085831, DOI: 10.1093/nop/npae002.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsHealth care professionalsHealth-related quality of lifePatient-reported outcomesAssessment of patient-reported outcomesQuality of lifePRO assessmentSystematic assessment of patient-reported outcomesAssessment of health-related quality of lifeElectronic PRO assessmentMedian distress scoreMayring's qualitative content analysisApp-based assessmentsEORTC QLQ-C30 instrumentHealth-related qualityBurden of symptomsPilot studyQualitative content analysisGlobal health scoreQLQ-C30 instrumentSmartphone applicationNeuro-oncology patientsSemi-structured interviewsInterdisciplinary expert panelCare professionalsPatient perspective
2023
Evaluation of the SSTR2-targeted Radiopharmaceutical 177Lu-DOTATATE and SSTR2-specific 68Ga-DOTATATE PET as Imaging Biomarker in Patients with Intracranial Meningioma.
Kurz S, Zan E, Cordova C, Troxel A, Barbaro M, Silverman J, Snuderl M, Zagzag D, Kondziolka D, Golfinos J, Chi A, Sulman E. Evaluation of the SSTR2-targeted Radiopharmaceutical 177Lu-DOTATATE and SSTR2-specific 68Ga-DOTATATE PET as Imaging Biomarker in Patients with Intracranial Meningioma. Clinical Cancer Research 2023, 30: 680-686. PMID: 38048045, DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-2533.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsProgression-free survivalSomatostatin receptor type 2PFS-6Stable diseaseOverall survivalIntracranial meningiomasSingle-arm phase II clinical studyMedian progression-free survivalPhase II clinical studyImaging biomarkersCourse of radiationReceptor type 2Multicenter clinical trialMacdonald criteriaMedian OSRadiographic responseProgressive meningiomasTumor measurementsTumor resectionMedian agePrimary endpointRadiotherapeutic interventionSecondary endpointsMedical therapyAdult patientsNCOG-29. THE NEURO-ONCOLOGY MAGNITUDE OF CLINICAL BENEFIT SCALE (NEURO-MCBS) AS A COMPREHENSIVE AND CLINICALLY RELEVANT ASSESSMENT TOOL TO DETERMINE CLINICAL BENEFIT FROM TARGETED THERAPIES IN CNS TUMORS
Kurz S, Renovanz M, Rieger J, Bombach P, Grosse L, Rieger D, Hucker S, Hille H, Hippler M, Oener O, Ruhm K, Beha J, Malek H, Moeller Y, Bitzer M, Malek N, Tabatabai G. NCOG-29. THE NEURO-ONCOLOGY MAGNITUDE OF CLINICAL BENEFIT SCALE (NEURO-MCBS) AS A COMPREHENSIVE AND CLINICALLY RELEVANT ASSESSMENT TOOL TO DETERMINE CLINICAL BENEFIT FROM TARGETED THERAPIES IN CNS TUMORS. Neuro-Oncology 2023, 25: v220-v220. PMCID: PMC10639832, DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad179.0842.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsProgression-free survivalCNS tumorsBrain metastasesTargeted therapyClinical benefitTherapy optionsFirst-line therapy optionTreatment efficacyDegree of clinical benefitClinical utilityMagnitude of Clinical Benefit ScaleNeuro-oncological conditionsSecondary CNS tumorsOutcome dataPhase I studyComprehensive molecular profilingOff-label therapyOutcome measuresAssessment of treatment efficacyClinical outcome dataAssess treatment efficacySurvival outcome dataPFS2/PFS1 ratioLongitudinal observational studyPerformance statusNCOG-32. THE SPECIFIC PSYCHOSOCIAL BURDEN OF CAREGIVERS OF ADULT NEURO-ONCOLOGICAL PATIENTS - A PROSPECTIVE STUDY
Spieker M, Rapp M, Goebel S, Karger A, Rieger D, Grosse L, Bombach P, Kurz S, Hippler M, Tatagiba M, Sabel M, Tabatabai G, Renovanz M. NCOG-32. THE SPECIFIC PSYCHOSOCIAL BURDEN OF CAREGIVERS OF ADULT NEURO-ONCOLOGICAL PATIENTS - A PROSPECTIVE STUDY. Neuro-Oncology 2023, 25: v221-v221. PMCID: PMC10639804, DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad179.0845.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsProblem listLoved-oneQualitative interviewsNeuro-oncology caregiversPsychosocial screening toolQualitative content analysisOptimization of careNeurooncology patientsPatients' caregiversInductive/deductive approachProblem categoriesPsychological supportCaregiversOutpatient visitsUnmet needsCoping strategiesScreening toolPsychological problemsLeisure activitiesContent analysisThermometer scaleCancer patientsTargeted assessmentInterviewsProspective studyTowards more Diversity in Neuro-oncology Leadership—the DivINe Initiative
Kurz S, Stammberger A, Rosahl S, Abrey L, Albert N, von Baumgarten L, Gempt J, Grosu A, Leidgens V, McLean A, Renovanz M, Schwarzenberger J, Sevenich L, Purkart T, Combs S, Tabatabai G, Hegi M, Nowosielski M. Towards more Diversity in Neuro-oncology Leadership—the DivINe Initiative. Neuro-Oncology 2023, 25: 2302-2304. PMID: 37738478, PMCID: PMC10708925, DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad157.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH KeywordsP08.03.A CAREGIVERS OF ADULT NEURO-ONCOLOGICAL PATIENTS: UNMET NEEDS AND RELEVANT PROBLEMS - A PROSPECTIVE STUDY
Spieker M, Rapp M, Rieger D, Bombach P, Kurz S, Tatagiba M, Sabel M, Tabatabai G, Renovanz M. P08.03.A CAREGIVERS OF ADULT NEURO-ONCOLOGICAL PATIENTS: UNMET NEEDS AND RELEVANT PROBLEMS - A PROSPECTIVE STUDY. Neuro-Oncology 2023, 25: ii55-ii56. PMCID: PMC10489286, DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad137.178.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsQualitative interviewsUnmet needsHolistic needs assessmentPsychosocial screening toolQualitative content analysisCaregiver burdenPsycho-oncologistsPatients' caregiversProblem listNeeds assessmentPsychological supportCaregiversDepressive symptomsOutpatient visitsSpiritual problemsCoping strategiesEmotional problemsScreening toolSource of strengthPsychological problemsLeisure activitiesContent analysisThermometer scaleInterviewsTargeted assessmentAssociation of MTHFR Polymorphisms With Leukoencephalopathy Risk in Patients With Primary CNS Lymphoma Treated With Methotrexate-Based Regimens
Karschnia P, Kurz S, Brastianos P, Winter S, Gordon A, Jones S, Pisapia M, Nayyar N, Tonn J, Batchelor T, Plotkin S, Dietrich J. Association of MTHFR Polymorphisms With Leukoencephalopathy Risk in Patients With Primary CNS Lymphoma Treated With Methotrexate-Based Regimens. Neurology 2023, 101: e1741-e1746. PMID: 37527941, PMCID: PMC10624483, DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000207670.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPrimary CNS lymphomaCNS lymphomaHD-MTXMethylenetetrahydrofolate reductaseResponse to induction therapyAssociation of MTHFR polymorphismsMethotrexate-based regimensSeverity of leukoencephalopathyProgression-free survivalHigh-dose methotrexateRisk of leukoencephalopathyAssociated with increased frequencyAssociated with leukoencephalopathyInduction chemotherapyDecreased functional statusInduction therapyOverall survivalMassachusetts General HospitalMTX clearanceMTHFR polymorphismsFolate depletionLeukoencephalopathyPatientsElevated riskFunctional statusMTHFR polymorphisms and neurotoxicity and overall survival after methotrexate-based therapy in primary CNS lymphoma.
Karschnia P, Kurz S, Brastianos P, Winter S, Gordon A, Jones S, Pisapia M, Nayyar N, Tonn J, Batchelor T, Plotkin S, Dietrich J. MTHFR polymorphisms and neurotoxicity and overall survival after methotrexate-based therapy in primary CNS lymphoma. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2023, 41: 2079-2079. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2023.41.16_suppl.2079.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPrimary CNS lymphomaMethylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphismPrimary CNS lymphoma patientsHD-MTXMethylenetetrahydrofolate reductaseOverall survivalC genotypeCNS lymphomaPatients treated with HD-MTXEffect of HD-MTXHD-MTX-based therapyAssociated with reduced overall survivalAssociation of MTHFR polymorphismsSeverity of leukoencephalopathyKaplan-Meier survival analysisProgression-free survivalLog-rank testMethylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotypeAssociated with increased frequencyIntracellular folate metabolismAssociated with toxicityCerebral white matterInduction chemotherapyDecreased functional statusMassachusetts General Hospital
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