Rafael Fonseca, MD

Rafael Fonseca, M.D., is a hematologist who specializes in the care and research of multiple myeloma and related conditions. Dr. Fonseca earned his medical degree at Universidad Anahuac, Mexico. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Miami, Florida, and a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Fonseca has served in many leadership capacities at Mayo Clinic including Director for the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center (Interim, Enterprise) and Associate Director for the Center of Individualized Medicine (Arizona) and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine (Arizona). Most notably, he is a Mayo Clinic Distinguished Investigator, the highest academic distinction given to investigators at the institution.

Dr. Fonseca's practice focuses on diagnosing and treating plasma cell disorders. He participates and leads clinical trials that have led to the approval of various drugs for the treatment of myeloma. His efforts include translational research, clinical research and clinical care. Dr. Fonseca led a team of researchers that characterized the clinical implications of genetic markers in myeloma. He also has expertise in myeloma bone disease, prognostic markers, pharmacoeconomics and new drug development. His laboratory is also focused on development of new drugs and understanding their mechanisms of action. Dr. Fonseca's research has been funded by the National Cancer Institute (R01, P01, SPORE), the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Multiple Myeloma Research Fund, and the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Fund. He has given many national and international presentations as a visiting professor, and has authored numerous articles (over 300), book chapters, editorials, abstracts and letters. He has an H index 114, with 48418 citations (Google Scholar accessed 9/2020).

Throughout his training and career, Dr. Fonseca has received numerous awards and honors, including the Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Clinical Investigator Award and the International Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Research Award.