Research Interests
My primary clinical interest is musculoskeletal oncology, especially bone and soft tissue sarcomas. I am also very interested in the surgical and nonsurgical care of patients with metastatic bone disease. My practice also includes the care of benign or locally aggressive tumors such as giant cell tumors, aneurysmal bone cysts, etc.

As you will see from my CV, I have an extensive educational background outside the basic sciences. I am particularly interested in the humanistic aspects of cancer care and am committed to applying my education and sensibilities to my clinical practice. I would like to pursue research addressing patients beliefs about (and expectations of) cancer treatment, their personal approaches to uncertainty and decision-making, as well as the relationship of socioeconomic status to cancer diagnosis and treatment. I believe some of my interests would overlap with other members of the Cancer Prevention and Control group.

I am also interested in clinical and basic science research. As I reestablish the musculoskeletal oncology program here at UNC, I plan to have the clinical material for outcomes studies and other clinical projects. I also plan on collaborating with Lineberger basic science researchers to develop our understanding of the molecular basis of sarcomas and metastatic bone disease. I had rewarding experiences collaborating with basic science researchers at Mayo Clinic and plan on developing basic science projects at UNC.

Recent Accomplishments and Honors
Positions and Employment
1983 Pastor, New Portland United Methodist Church, New Portland, ME
1984-85 Chaplain, Goldwater Memorial Hospital, NYC, NY
1985-87 Center Director, Wakefield Senior Center, Queens, NY
1988-90 Administrator, Ambulatory Care, Brooklyn Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
1990-91 Case-Mix Coordinator, Brooklyn Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
1991-96 Health Systems Specialist, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC
1998-2004 Project Director, Center for Research in Chronic Illness, UNC-SON, Chapel Hill, NC Research
2002-2004 Project Director, Center for Innovation in Health Disparities Research
2004-2006 Post-Doctoral Fellow, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
1998-present Research Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Other Experience and Professional Memberships
1996-present Member, North Carolina Health Access Coalition
1998-present Member, American Public Health Association
1998-present Member, Haverford College Corporation
2002-2006 Contributing Editor, American Journal of Nursing Research

Training
Wake Forest University B.A. 1991 History
University of Oxford B.A. 1993 Modern History
University of London M.Sc. 1996 Health Policy
Vanderbilt University M.D. 1998 Medicine

Publications
1. Pelstring RC, Allred DC, Esther RJ, Lampkin SR, Banks PM. Differential Antigen Preservation During Tissue Autolysis. Human Pathology 22(3):227-232, 1991.
2. Esther RJ. Use of Physical Restraints in a Nineteenth-century State Hospital. History of Psychiatry 8:83-93, 1997.
3. Pincus T, Esther R, DeWalt DA, Callahan LC. Social Conditions and Self-Management are More Powerful Determinants of Health than Access to Care. Annals of Internal Medicine 129(5):406-11, 1998.
4. Esther RJ, Lamps L, Schwartz HS. Marjolin Ulcers: Secondary Tumors in Chronic Wounds. Journal of the Southern Orthopaedic Association 8(3):181-187, 1999.
5. Esther RJ, Bos GD. Management of Metastatic Disease of Other Bones. Orthopaedic Clinics of North America, 31(4): 647-59, 2000.
6. Bos GD, Esther RJ, Woll S. Diagnosis and Management of Foot Tumors. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 10: 259-70, 2002.
7. Esther RJ, Battacharya R, Ruan M, Bolander ME, Mukhopadhyay D, Sarkar G, Mukherjee P. Gold Nanoparticles do not Affect the Global Transcriptional Program of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells: A DNA-microarray Analysis. Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology 1(3): 328-355, 2005.
8. Busam M, Esther RJ, Obremskey WT. Hardware Removal: Indications and Timing. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 14: 113-120, 2006. (dual first authorship)
9. Gaffney R, Unni KK, Sim FH, Slezak JM, Esther RJ, Bolander ME. Follow-up study of long-term survivors of osteosarcoma in the prechemotherapy era. Human Pathology 37(8):1009-14, 2006.

E-mail: bob_esther@med.unc.edu
Telephone: 966-7130
Address: 3155 Bioinformatics Chapel Hill, NC 27599

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