Rob Macaulay, MD

Cancer Focus:
Brain Cancer, Glioblastoma, Meningioma, Neurofibromatosis, Spinal Tumor

Dr. Macaulay joined the Department of Anatomic Pathology at Moffitt Cancer Center in the summer of 2014, with a joint appointment as Full Professor at the Morsani College of Medicine, USF.  His shift to Moffitt was motivated by a desire to contribute more directly to advancements in neuro-oncology, particularly in molecular pathology. He is heavily engaged in providing clinical neuropathology service, fellow/resident teaching, and administrative duties, similar to his role as a member of the Department of Pathology at Dalhousie University from 1999-2014. He has been involved in professional activities both at the local level and on the national stage. His research activities are directed at biology and classification of primary brain tumors, particularly infiltrative gliomas.  

Education & Training

Residency:

• University of Toronto - Neuropathology

Medical School:

• Queen's University - MD

• Chen J, Wu Q, Berglund AE, Macaulay RJ, Mulé JJ, Etame AB. Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Glioblastoma: Mechanisms of Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Strategies. Cells. 2025 Sep.14(18). Pubmedid: 41002423. Pmcid: PMC12468907.
• Chen J, Wu Q, Berglund AE, Macaulay RJ, Mulé JJ, Etame AB. Identification of an Immune-Related Gene Signature for Prognostic Prediction in Glioblastoma: Insights from Integrated Bulk and Single-Cell RNA Sequencing. Cancers (Basel). 2025 May.17(11). Pubmedid: 40507280. Pmcid: PMC12153616.
• Wu Q, Chen J, Berglund AE, Du D, Macaulay RJ, Etame AB. The reprogramming impact of SMAC-mimetic on glioblastoma stem cells and the immune tumor microenvironment evolution. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2025 Jul.44(1):191. Pubmedid: 40616096. Pmcid: PMC12231904.
• Chen J, Wu Q, Berglund AE, Macaulay RJ, Etame AB. Comprehensive Analysis Identifies THEMIS2 as a Potential Prognostic and Immunological Biomarker in Glioblastoma. Cells. 2025 Jan.14(2). Pubmedid: 39851494. Pmcid: PMC11764009.
• Sahebjam S, Raval RR, Forsyth PA, Enderling H, Tran ND, Arrington JA, Macaulay R, Perlow HK, Palmer JD, Ghose J, Rajappa P, Giglio P, Li Z, Etame AB, Mokhtari S, Cruz-Chamorro RJ, Bhandari M, Thapa R, Robinson TJ, Chen DT, Yu HM. Phase 1 trial of hypofractionated stereotactic re-irradiation in combination with nivolumab, ipilimumab, and bevacizumab for recurrent high-grade gliomas. Neurooncol Adv. 2025 Feb.7(1):vdaf033. Pubmedid: 40134851. Pmcid: PMC11934552.
• Piña Y, Law V, Sahebjam S, Tran N, Siddarajappa N, Li J, Mo Q, Phadke MS, Arrington J, Macaulay R, Mokhtari S, Evernden B, Ahmed KA, Smalley I, Yu M, Smalley KSM, Forsyth PA. Phase IB Study of Avelumab and Whole Brain Radiotherapy (WBRT) in Patients with Leptomeningeal Disease (LMD) from Solid Tumors: Results and Molecular Analyses. Neurooncol. 2025 Aug. Pubmedid: 40888040.
• Singh O, Dampier C, Abdullaev Z, Dazelle K, Chung HJ, Conway K, Camelo-Piragua S, Neill S, Brown D, Nix JS, Giannini C, Macaulay R, Marker D, Skaugen J, Kulich S, Lee H, Aboud O, Pytel P, Borys E, Perry A, Naqib-Osman L, Fernandes IL, Mao Q, Alashari M, Thomas C, Helgager J, Gubbiotti MA, Newman J, Tiwari N, Cimino PJ, Quezado M, Aldape KD, Nasrallah MP. Diffuse astrocytoma, AYA-type, frequently MAPK-altered: report of 45 patients. Acta Neuropathol. 2025 Apr.149(1):32. Pubmedid: 40202541. Pmcid: PMC11982118.
• Wu Q, Berglund AE, Macaulay RJ, Etame AB. The Role of Mesenchymal Reprogramming in Malignant Clonal Evolution and Intra-Tumoral Heterogeneity in Glioblastoma. Cells. 2024 May.13(11). Pubmedid: 38891074. Pmcid: PMC11171993.
• Alhaddad H, Ospina OE, Khaled ML, Ren Y, Vallebuona E, Boozo MB, Forsyth PA, Pina Y, Macaulay R, Law V, Tsai KY, Cress WD, Fridley B, Smalley I. Spatial transcriptomics analysis identifies a tumor-promoting function of the meningeal stroma in melanoma leptomeningeal disease. Cell Rep Med. 2024 Jun.5(6):101606. Pubmedid: 38866016. Pmcid: PMC11228800.
• Wu Q, Berglund AE, Macaulay RJ, Etame AB. Epigenetic Activation of TUSC3 Sensitizes Glioblastoma to Temozolomide Independent of MGMT Promoter Methylation Status. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Oct.24(20). Pubmedid: 37894860. Pmcid: PMC10606804.
• Emmons MF, Bennett RL, Riva A, Gupta K, Carvalho LADC, Zhang C, Macaulay R, Dupéré-Richér D, Fang B, Seto E, Koomen JM, Li J, Chen YA, Forsyth PA, Licht JD, Smalley KSM. HDAC8-mediated inhibition of EP300 drives a transcriptional state that increases melanoma brain metastasis. Nat Commun. 2023 Nov.14(1):7759. Pubmedid: 38030596. Pmcid: PMC10686983.
• Lynes J, Khan I, Aguilera C, Rubino S, Thompson Z, Etame AB, Liu JKC, Beer-Furlan A, Tran ND, Macaulay RJB, Vogelbaum MA. Development of a "Geo-Tagged" tumor sample registry: intra-operative linkage of sample location to imaging. J Neurooncol. 2023 Dec.165(3):449-458. Pubmedid: 38015375.
• Williams EA, Ravindranathan A, Gupta R, Stevers NO, Suwala AK, Hong C, Kim S, Yuan JB, Wu J, Barreto J, Lucas CG, Chan E, Pekmezci M, LeBoit PE, Mully T, Perry A, Bollen A, Van Ziffle J, Devine WP, Reddy AT, Gupta N, Basnet K, Macaulay R, Malafronte P, Lee H, Yong WH, Williams KJ, Juratli TA, Mata DA, Huang RSP, Hiemenz MC, Pavlick DC, Frampton GM, Janovitz T, Ross JS, Chang SM, Berger MS, Jacques L, Song JS, Costello JF, Solomon DA. Novel SOX10 indel mutations drive schwannomas through impaired transactivation of myelination gene programs. Neurooncol. 2023 Dec.25(12):2221-2236. Pubmedid: 37436963. Pmcid: PMC10708934.
• Alhaddad H, Ospina OE, Khaled ML, Ren Y, Forsyth P, Pina Y, Macaulay R, Law V, Tsai KY, Cress WD, Fridley B, Smalley I. Spatial transcriptomics analysis identifies a unique tumor-promoting function of the meningeal stroma in melanoma leptomeningeal disease. bioRxiv. 2023 Dec. Pubmedid: 38187574. Pmcid: PMC10769278.
• Bricoune O, Kareem SS, Wallace G, Iacono DP, Macaulay R, Etame A, Pina Y, Robinson TJ, Mokhtari S. Epstein‑Barr virus‑associated primary central nervous system lymphoma in an immunosuppressed patient with a comorbid autoimmune disorder: A case report. Exp Ther Med. 2023 Aug.26(2):410. Pubmedid: 37522053. Pmcid: PMC10375448.
• Jiang S, Macaulay R, Ahmed K, Etame AB, Yu HM. Characterization of Immune Infiltrates Associated With Radiation Necrosis in the Setting of Brain Metastases Following Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Immunotherapy: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis. Cureus. 2023 Aug.15(8):e43528. Pubmedid: 37719517. Pmcid: PMC10501495.
• Law V, Chen Z, Vena F, Smalley I, Macaulay R, Evernden BR, Tran N, Pina Y, Puskas J, Caceres G, Bayle S, Johnson J, Liu JKC, Etame A, Vogelbaum M, Rodriguez P, Duckett D, Czerniecki B, Chen A, Smalley KSM, Forsyth PA. A preclinical model of patient-derived cerebrospinal fluid circulating tumor cells for experimental therapeutics in leptomeningeal disease from melanoma. Neurooncol. 2022 Oct.24(10):1673-1686. Pubmedid: 35213727. Pmcid: PMC9527526.
• Abdelghany K, Macaulay R, Tang Z, Tanvetyanon T. Pulmonary Ewing Sarcoma Mimicking Small Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Lung Cancer. 2022 Jul.23(5):e330-e334. Pubmedid: 35610116.
• Rubino S, Lynes J, McBride P, Sahebjam S, Mokhtari S, Farinhas JM, Perry A, Macaulay R, Vogelbaum MA. NTRK3 gene fusion in an adult ganglioglioma: illustrative case. J Neurosurg Case Lessons. 2022 Jan.3(5). Pubmedid: 36130567. Pmcid: PMC9379748.
• Lowe SR, Wang CP, Brisco A, Whiting J, Arrington J, Ahmed K, Yu M, Robinson T, Oliver D, Etame A, Tran N, Beer Furlan A, Sahebjam S, Mokhtari S, Piña Y, Macaulay R, Forsyth P, Vogelbaum MA, Liu JKC. Surgical and anatomic factors predict development of leptomeningeal disease in patients with melanoma brain metastases. Neurooncol. 2022 Aug.24(8):1307-1317. Pubmedid: 35092434. Pmcid: PMC9340645.
• Lynes J, Flores-Milan G, Rubino S, Arrington J, Macaulay R, Liu JKC, Beer-Furlan A, Tran ND, Vogelbaum MA, Etame AB. Molecular determinants of outcomes in meningiomas. Front Oncol. 2022 Aug.12:962702. Pubmedid: 36033542. Pmcid: PMC9413043.
• Vogelbaum MA, Kroll D, Etame A, Tran N, Liu J, Ford A, Sparr E, Kim Y, Forsyth P, Sahebjam S, Mokhtari S, Peguero E, Macaulay R. A Prospective Validation Study of the First 3D Digital Exoscope for Visualization of 5-ALA-Induced Fluorescence in High-Grade Gliomas. World Neurosurg. 2021 May.149:e498-e503. Pubmedid: 33561551.
• Smalley I, Chen Z, Phadke MS, Li J, Yu X, Wyatt C, Evernden B, Messina JL, Sarnaik A, Sondak VK, Zhang C, Law V, Tran N, Etame A, Macaulay RJB, Eroglu Z, Forsyth PA, Rodriguez PC, Chen YA, Smalley KSM. Single-Cell Characterization of the Immune Microenvironment of Melanoma Brain and Leptomeningeal Metastases. Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Jul.27(14):4109-4125. Pubmedid: 34035069. Pmcid: PMC8282775.
• Fusco MJ, Piña Y, Macaulay RJ, Sahebjam S, Forsyth PA, Peguero E, Walko CM. Durable Progression-Free Survival With the Use of BRAF and MEK Inhibitors in Four Cases With BRAF V600E-Mutated Gliomas. Cancer Control. 2021 Jan.28. Pubmedid: 34620004. Pmcid: PMC8506147.
• Di L, Wang CP, Tang J, Macaulay R, Tran N. Sarcoidosis-Lymphoma Syndrome Presenting As Bony Vertebral Metastasis: A Case Report and Literature Review. Cureus. 2021 Feb.13(2):e13227. Pubmedid: 33728177. Pmcid: PMC7946476.
• Wu Q, Berglund AE, MacAulay RJ, Etame AB. A Novel Role of BIRC3 in Stemness Reprogramming of Glioblastoma. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Dec.23(1). Pubmedid: 35008722. Pmcid: PMC8745052.
• Piña Y, Evernden BR, Khushalani N, Margolin K, Tawbi H, Tran ND, Macaulay R, Forsyth P, Peguero E. Acute motor axonal neuropathy after ipilimumab and nivolumab treatment in melanoma brain metastases: A case report and review of the literature. SAGE Open Med Case Rep. 2021 Aug.9. Pubmedid: 34457306. Pmcid: PMC8392782.
• Sahebjam S, Forsyth PA, Tran ND, Arrington JA, Macaulay R, Etame AB, Walko CM, Boyle T, Peguero EN, Jaglal M, Mokhtari S, Enderling H, Raghunand N, Gatewood T, Long W, Dzierzeski JL, Evernden B, Robinson T, Wicklund MC, Kim S, Thompson ZJ, Chen DT, Chinnaiyan P, Yu HM. Hypofractionated stereotactic re-irradiation with pembrolizumab and bevacizumab in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas: results from a phase I study. Neurooncol. 2021 Apr.23(4):677-686. Pubmedid: 33173935. Pmcid: PMC8041351.
• Di L, Huang K, Kesayan T, Kroll D, Baz RC, Macaulay RJ, Tran ND. Multiple myeloma presenting as an intramedullary spinal cord tumor: a case report and review of the literature. J Med Case Rep. 2020 Oct.14(1):189. Pubmedid: 33059729. Pmcid: PMC7566029.
• Ward B, Wang C, Macaulay RJB, Liu JKC. Adult Intracranial Myxoid Mesenchymal Tumor with EWSR1-ATF1 Gene Fusion. World Neurosurg. 2020 Nov.143:91-96. Pubmedid: 32683005.
• Grimes DR, Jansen M, Macauley RJ, Scott JG, Basanta D. Evidence for hypoxia increasing the tempo of evolution in glioblastoma. Brit J Cancer. 2020 Nov.123(10):1562-1569. Pubmedid: 32848201. Pmcid: PMC7653934.
• Smalley I, Law V, Wyatt C, Evernden B, Fang B, Koomen JM, Welsh EA, Macaulay RJB, Forsyth PA, Smalley KSM. Proteomic Analysis of CSF from Patients with Leptomeningeal Melanoma Metastases Identifies Signatures Associated with Disease Progression and Therapeutic Resistance. Clin Cancer Res. 2020 May.26(9):2163-2175. Pubmedid: 31924735. Pmcid: PMC7196498.
• Piña Y, Fusco MJ, Macaulay RJ, Walko CM, Peguero E, Evernden BR, Smalley KS, Forsyth P. Using personalized medicine in gliomas: a genomic approach to diagnosis and overcoming treatment resistance in a case with pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma. J Neurol. 2020 Mar.267(3):783-790. Pubmedid: 31748891. Pmcid: PMC7035305.
• Wu Q, Berglund AE, Wang D, MacAulay RJ, Mulé JJ, Etame AB. Paradoxical epigenetic regulation of XAF1 mediates plasticity towards adaptive resistance evolution in MGMT-methylated glioblastoma. Sci Rep. 2019 Oct.9(1):14072. Pubmedid: 31575897. Pmcid: PMC6773736.
• Perkins AR, Macaulay RJB, Bui MM, Bridge JA, Etame AB. A Frontal Dural-Based Lesion in a 63-Year Old Male. Brain Pathol. 2019 Mar.29(2):301-302. Pubmedid: 30821029. Pmcid: PMC8028399.
• Wang D, Berglund AE, Kenchappa RS, MacAulay RJ, Mulé JJ, Etame AB. BIRC3 is a biomarker of mesenchymal habitat of glioblastoma, and a mediator of survival adaptation in hypoxia-driven glioblastoma habitats. Sci Rep. 2017 Aug.7(1):9350. Pubmedid: 28839258. Pmcid: PMC5570925.
• Sinha N, Wooff J, Shankar JJ, Gorman P, Macaulay RJ. 48 year-old woman with right leg and arm numbness. Ganglioneurocytoma, WHO grade 2. Brain Pathol. 2015 Jan.25(1):109-110. Pubmedid: 25521181. Pmcid: PMC8029397.
• Macaulay RJ. Impending Impact of Molecular Pathology on Classifying Adult Diffuse Gliomas. Cancer Control. 2015 Apr.22(2):200-205. Pubmedid: 26068765.
• Coras R, de Boer OJ, Armstrong D, Becker A, Jacques TS, Miyata H, Thom M, Vinters HV, Spreafico R, Oz B, Marucci G, Pimentel J, Mühlebner A, Zamecnik J, Buccoliero AM, Rogerio F, Streichenberger N, Arai N, Bugiani M, Vogelgesang S, Macaulay R, Salon C, Hans V, Polivka M, Giangaspero F, Fauziah D, Kim JH, Liu L, Dandan W, Gao J, Lindeboom B, Blümcke I, Aronica E. Good interobserver and intraobserver agreement in the evaluation of the new ILAE classification of focal cortical dysplasias. Epilepsia. 2012 Aug.53(8):1341-1348. Pubmedid: 22642611.
• Darvesh S, Leblanc AM, Macdonald IR, Reid GA, Bhan V, Macaulay RJ, Fisk JD. Butyrylcholinesterase activity in multiple sclerosis neuropathology. Chem Biol Interact. 2010 Sep.187(1-3):425-431. Pubmedid: 20122907.
• Kiberd MB, Macaulay RJ, Christie SD. Skull base hemangiopericytoma: treatment options. Can J Neurol Sci. 2010 Jan.37(1):131-134. Pubmedid: 20169789.
• Moeller JJ, Macaulay RJ, Valdmanis PN, Weston LE, Rouleau GA, Dupré N. Autosomal dominant sensory ataxia: a neuroaxonal dystrophy. Acta Neuropathol. 2008 Sep.116(3):331-336. Pubmedid: 18347805.
• Kew AK, Macaulay R, Burrell S, Rubin S, Dow G, Couban S. Central nervous system graft-versus-host disease presenting with granulomatous encephalitis. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2007 Jul.40(2):183-184. Pubmedid: 17502894.
• Al Dhanhani A, Macaulay R, Maloney B, Hanly JG. Meningeal involvement in Wegener's granulomatosis. J Rheum. 2006 Feb.33(2):364-367. Pubmedid: 16465672.
• Cook DJ, Christie SD, Macaulay RJ, Rheaume DE, Holness RO. Fourth ventricular neurocytoma: case report and review of the literature. Can J Neurol Sci. 2004 Nov.31(4):558-564. Pubmedid: 15595267.
• Wang W, Macaulay RJ. Cell-cycle gene expression in lovastatin-induced medulloblastoma apoptosis. Can J Neurol Sci. 2003 Nov.30(4):349-357. Pubmedid: 14672267.
• Blevins G, Macaulay R, Harder S, Fladeland D, Yamashita T, Yazaki M, Hamidi Asl K, Benson MD, Donat JR. Oculoleptomeningeal amyloidosis in a large kindred with a new transthyretin variant Tyr69His. Neurology. 2003 May.60(10):1625-1630. Pubmedid: 12771253.
• Birdi S, Rajput AH, Fenton M, Donat JR, Rozdilsky B, Robinson C, Macaulay R, George D. Progressive supranuclear palsy diagnosis and confounding features: report on 16 autopsied cases. Movement Disord. 2002 Nov.17(6):1255-1264. Pubmedid: 12465065.
• Perry A, Scheithauer BW, Macaulay RJ, Raffel C, Roth KA, Kros JM. Oligodendrogliomas with neurocytic differentiation. A report of 4 cases with diagnostic and histogenetic implications. J Neuropath Exp Neur. 2002 Nov.61(11):947-955. Pubmedid: 12430711.
• Rajput AH, Fenton ME, Birdi S, Macaulay R, George D, Rozdilsky B, Ang LC, Senthilselvan A, Hornykiewicz O. Clinical-pathological study of levodopa complications. Movement Disord. 2002 Mar.17(2):289-296. Pubmedid: 11921114.
• Toth C, Voll C, Macaulay R. Primary CNS lymphoma as a cause of Korsakoff syndrome. Surg Neurol. 2002 Jan.57(1):41-45. Pubmedid: 11834275.
• Kumar K, Macaulay RJ, Kelly M, Pirlot T. Absent p53 immunohistochemical staining in a pituitary carcinoma. Can J Neurol Sci. 2001 May.28(2):174-178. Pubmedid: 11383946.
• Fourney DR, Tong KA, Macaulay RJ, Griebel RW. Spinal angiolipoma. Can J Neurol Sci. 2001 Feb.28(1):82-88. Pubmedid: 11252303.
• Bruecks AK, Macaulay RJ, Tong KA, Goplen G. November 2000: 13 year old girl with back pain and leg weakness. Brain Pathol. 2001 Apr.11(2):263-264. Pubmedid: 11303802.
• Wang W, Macaulay RJ. Mevalonate prevents lovastatin-induced apoptosis in medulloblastoma cell lines. Can J Neurol Sci. 1999 Nov.26(4):305-310. Pubmedid: 10563217.
• Macaulay RJ, Wang W, Dimitroulakos J, Becker LE, Yeger H. Lovastatin-induced apoptosis of human medulloblastoma cell lines in vitro. J Neurooncol. 1999 Mar.42(1):1-11. Pubmedid: 10360474.
• Wang W, Macaulay RJ. Apoptosis of medulloblastoma cells in vitro follows inhibition of farnesylation using manumycin A. Int J Cancer. 1999 Jul.82(3):430-434. Pubmedid: 10399961.
• Lal S, Sharma RK, McGregor C, Macaulay RJ. Immunohistochemical localization of calmodulin-dependent cyclic phosphodiesterase in the human brain. Neurochem Res. 1999 Jan.24(1):43-49. Pubmedid: 9973236.
• Macaulay RJ, Lowry NJ, Casey RE. Pathologic findings of multiple sulfatase deficiency reflect the pattern of enzyme deficiencies. Pediatr Neurol. 1998 Nov.19(5):372-376. Pubmedid: 9880143.
• Rajput AH, Fenton Me, Birdi S, Macaulay R. Is levodopa toxic to human substantia nigra?. Movement Disord. 1997 Sep.12(5):634-638. Pubmedid: 9380042.
• Macaulay RJ. Ruptured Rathke's cleft cyst: a possible cause of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. Clin Neuropathol. 1997 Mar.16(2):98-102. Pubmedid: 9101112.
• Macaulay RJ, Felix I, Jay V, Becker LE. Histological and ultrastructural analysis of six colloid cysts in children. Acta Neuropathol. 1997 Mar.93(3):271-276. Pubmedid: 9083559.
• Lal S, Raju RV, Macaulay RJ, Sharma RK. Calmodulin-dependent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase in human cerebral cortex and glioblastoma multiforme. Can J Neurol Sci. 1996 Nov.23(4):245-250. Pubmedid: 8951201.
• Macaulay RJ, Jay V, Hoffman HJ, Becker LE. Increased mitotic activity as a negative prognostic indicator in pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma. Case report. J Neurosurg. 1993 Nov.79(5):761-768. Pubmedid: 8410257.
• Macaulay RJ, Sladky JT, Jay V. Muscle weakness in a 16-year-old girl. Pediatr Neurosurg. 1993 Mar.19(2):93-100. Pubmedid: 8443103.
• Smith KA, Mackinnon SE, Macauley RJ, Mailis A. Glomus tumor originating in the radial nerve: a case report. J Hand Surg Am. 1992 Jul.17(4):665-667. Pubmedid: 1321179.
• Pomeranz B, Macaulay RJ, Caudill MA, Kutz I, Adam D, Gordon D, Kilborn KM, Barger AC, Shannon DC, Cohen RJ. Assessment of autonomic function in humans by heart rate spectral analysis. Am J Physiol. 1985 Jan.248(1 Pt 2):H151-H153. Pubmedid: 3970172.

Voted top doctor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in Tampa Magazine's Top Doctors 2025.

Voted top doctor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in Tampa Magazine's Top Doctors 2024.