Aaron Bossler, MD, PhD

Dr. Bossler obtained an MD and a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. He completed a Clinical Pathology Residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, followed by a Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Bossler joins us from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where he was a Professor of Pathology and Director of the Molecular Pathology Laboratory.

Dr. Bossler’s clinical focus is molecular pathology. His research interests focus on the role of HPV infection in the development of squamous cell carcinoma and the development and validation of new molecular diagnostics particularly for hematologic and solid tumor testing with a technological focus on next generation sequencing and quantitative PCR assays.

Education & Training

Fellowship:

• University of Pennsylvania - Molecular Genetic Pathology

Residency:

• University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics - Pathology

Medical School:

• University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine - MD

• Arcila ME, Bossler AD, Gibson J, Tafe LJ. Celebrating 30 Years at the Heart of Precision Medicine. J Mol Diagn. 2025 Jan.27(1):1-5. Pubmedid: 39722284.
• Dundar B, Alsawas M, Masaadeh A, Conway K, Snow AN, Sompallae RR, Bossler AD, Ma D, Lopes Abath Neto O. Molecular characterization and survival analysis of a cohort of glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype. Pathol Res Pract. 2024 May.257:155272. Pubmedid: 38631135.
• Broeckel U, Iqbal MA, Levy B, Sahajpal N, Nagy PL, Scharer G, Rodriguez V, Bossler A, Stence A, Skinner C, Skinner SA, Kolhe R, Stevenson R. Detection of Constitutional Structural Variants by Optical Genome Mapping: A Multisite Study of Postnatal Samples. J Mol Diagn. 2024 Mar.26(3):213-226. Pubmedid: 38211722.
• Alontaga AY, Cano P, Ozakinci H, Puskas JA, Stewart PA, Welsh EA, Yoder SJ, Hicks JK, Saltos AN, Bossler AD, Haura EB, Koomen JM, Boyle TA. Implementation of a High-Accuracy Targeted Gene Expression Panel for Clinical Care. J Mol Diagn. 2024 Aug.26(8):685-699. Pubmedid: 38777037. Pmcid: PMC11299514.
• Iqbal MA, Broeckel U, Levy B, Skinner S, Sahajpal NS, Rodriguez V, Stence A, Awayda K, Scharer G, Skinner C, Stevenson R, Bossler A, Nagy PL, Kolhe R. Multisite Assessment of Optical Genome Mapping for Analysis of Structural Variants in Constitutional Postnatal Cases. J Mol Diagn. 2023 Mar.25(3):175-188. Pubmedid: 36828597.
• Boyle TA, Bossler AD. RNA sequencing steps toward the first line. Cancer. 2023 Aug.129(15):2294-2296. Pubmedid: 37096746.
• Cheung K, Bossler AD, Mott SL, Zeisler M, McKillip J, Zakharia Y, Swick BL, Powers JG. The Genetics of Early-Stage Melanoma in a Veteran Population. Front Oncol. 2022 May.12:887768. Pubmedid: 35712493. Pmcid: PMC9196270.
• Furqan M, Abu-Hejleh T, Stephens LM, Hartwig SM, Mott SL, Pulliam CF, Petronek M, Henrich JB, Fath MA, Houtman JC, Varga SM, Bodeker KL, Bossler AD, Bellizzi AM, Zhang J, Monga V, Mani H, Ivanovic M, Smith BJ, Byrne MM, Zeitler W, Wagner BA, Buettner GR, Cullen JJ, Buatti JM, Spitz DR, Allen BG. Pharmacological ascorbate improves the response to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer. Redox Biol. 2022 Jul.53:102318. Pubmedid: 35525024. Pmcid: PMC9079696.
• Isaacson AL, Sompallae RR, Guseva NV, Bellizzi AM, Bossler AD, Ma D. Genomic Profiling of Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Shows Frequent Coexisting BAP1 or SF3B1 and GNAQ/GNA11 Mutations and Correlation With Prognosis. Am J Clin Pathol. 2022 Aug.158(2):177-186. Pubmedid: 35212356.
• Sabree SA, Lemke-Miltner CD, Blackwell SE, Yin C, Bossler A, Ebeid K, Salem AK, Weiner GJ. Monocytes Exposed to Immune Complexes Reduce pDC Type 1 Interferon Response to Vidutolimod. Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Sep.9(9). Pubmedid: 34579220. Pmcid: PMC8473335.
• Alwaqfi RR, Samuelson MI, Guseva NN, Ouyang M, Bossler AD, Ma D. PTCH1-GLI1 Fusion-Positive Ovarian Tumor: Report of a Unique Case With Response to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Pazopanib. J Natl Compr Canc Ne. 2021 Sep.19(9):998-1004. Pubmedid: 34551385.
• Stence AA, Thomason JG, Pruessner JA, Sompallae RR, Snow AN, Ma D, Moore SA, Bossler AD. Validation of Optical Genome Mapping for the Molecular Diagnosis of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy. J Mol Diagn. 2021 Nov.23(11):1506-1514. Pubmedid: 34384893. Pmcid: PMC8647435.
• Rieth JM, Swami U, Mott SL, Zanaty M, Henry MD, Bossler AD, Greenlee JD, Zakharia Y, Vanneste M, Jennings B, Milhem MM. Melanoma Brain Metastases in the Era of Targeted Therapy and Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Mar.13(7). Pubmedid: 33804910. Pmcid: PMC8037963.
• Rieken A, Bossler AD, Mathews KD, Moore SA. CLIA Laboratory Testing for Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy: A Retrospective Analysis. Neurology. 2021 Feb.96(7):e1054-e1062. Pubmedid: 33443126. Pmcid: PMC8055331.
• Swami U, Chennamadhavuni A, Borcherding N, Bossler AD, Mott SL, Garje R, Zakharia Y, Milhem M. Multivariable Analysis of 169 Cases of Advanced Cutaneous Melanoma to Evaluate Antibiotic Exposure as Predictor of Survival to Anti-PD-1 Based Immunotherapies. Antibiotics (Basel). 2020 Oct.9(11). Pubmedid: 33120998. Pmcid: PMC7692514.
• Xiu Y, Dong Q, Fu L, Bossler A, Tang X, Boyce B, Borcherding N, Leidinger M, Sardina JL, Xue HH, Li Q, Feldman A, Aifantis I, Boccalatte F, Wang L, Jin M, Khoury J, Wang W, Hu S, Yuan Y, Wang E, Yuan J, Janz S, Colgan J, Habelhah H, Waldschmidt T, Müschen M, Bagg A, Darbro B, Zhao C. Coactivation of NF-κB and Notch signaling is sufficient to induce B-cell transformation and enables B-myeloid conversion. Blood. 2020 Jan.135(2):108-120. Pubmedid: 31697816. Pmcid: PMC6952829.
• Dong Q, Xiu Y, Bossler A, Syrbu S, Wang H, Xue W, Zhao J, Li Q, Jin M, Wang L, Boyce B, Sakr H, Ansari MQ, Zhao C. CLL dedifferentiation to clonally related myeloid cells. Blood Adv. 2020 Dec.4(24):6169-6174. Pubmedid: 33351112. Pmcid: PMC7756991.
• Carnahan RM, Waitman LR, Charlton ME, Schroeder MC, Bossler AD, Campbell WS, Campbell JR, McDowell BD, Smith NC, Gryzlak BM, Chrischilles EA. Exploration of PCORnet Data Resources for Assessing Use of Molecular-Guided Cancer Treatment. JCO Clin Cancer Inform. 2020 Aug.4:724-735. Pubmedid: 32795185. Pmcid: PMC7469597.
• Isaacson AL, Guseva NV, Bossler AD, Ma D. Urothelial carcinoma with an NRF1-BRAF rearrangement and response to targeted therapy. Cold Spring Harb Mol Case Stud. 2019 Jun.5(3). Pubmedid: 31010895. Pmcid: PMC6549557.
• Swami U, Monga V, Bossler AD, Zakharia Y, Milhem M. Durable Clinical Benefit in Patients with Advanced Cutaneous Melanoma after Discontinuation of Anti-PD-1 Therapies Due to Immune-Related Adverse Events. J Oncol. 2019 Jul.2019:1856594. Pubmedid: 31428149. Pmcid: PMC6683789.
• Swami U, Monga V, Freesmeier M, Zhang W, Bossler AD, Zakharia Y, Milhem M. Exceptional responses with sequential metronomic temozolomide after pembrolizumab failure in patients with metastatic melanoma. Melanoma Res. 2019 Dec.29(6):643-647. Pubmedid: 30829928. Pmcid: PMC6717692.
• Jones KA, Bossler AD, Bellizzi AM, Snow AN. BCR-NTRK2 fusion in a low-grade glioma with distinctive morphology and unexpected aggressive behavior. Cold Spring Harb Mol Case Stud. 2019 Apr.5(2). Pubmedid: 30936198. Pmcid: PMC6549568.
• Larson AA, Baker PR, Milev MP, Press CA, Sokol RJ, Cox MO, Lekostaj JK, Stence AA, Bossler AD, Mueller JM, Prematilake K, Tadjo TF, Williams CA, Sacher M, Moore SA. TRAPPC11 and GOSR2 mutations associate with hypoglycosylation of α-dystroglycan and muscular dystrophy. Skelet Muscle. 2018 May.8(1):17. Pubmedid: 29855340. Pmcid: PMC5984345.
• Guseva NV, Jaber O, Stence AA, Sompallae K, Bashir A, Sompallae R, Bossler AD, Jensen CS, Ma D. Simultaneous detection of single-nucleotide variant, deletion/insertion, and fusion in lung and thyroid carcinoma using cytology specimen and an RNA-based next-generation sequencing assay. Cancer Cytopathol. 2018 Mar.126(3):158-169. Pubmedid: 29364576.
• Brogden KA, Parashar D, Hallier AR, Braun T, Qian F, Rizvi NA, Bossler AD, Milhem MM, Chan TA, Abbasi T, Vali S. Genomics of NSCLC patients both affirm PD-L1 expression and predict their clinical responses to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. BMC Cancer. 2018 Feb.18(1):225. Pubmedid: 29486723. Pmcid: PMC5897943.
• Monga V, Swami U, Tanas M, Bossler A, Mott SL, Smith BJ, Milhem M. A Phase I/II Study Targeting Angiogenesis Using Bevacizumab Combined with Chemotherapy and a Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor (Valproic Acid) in Advanced Sarcomas. Cancers (Basel). 2018 Feb.10(2). Pubmedid: 29462961. Pmcid: PMC5836085.
• Grogan N, Swami U, Bossler AD, Zakharia Y, Milhem M. Toxicities with targeted therapies after immunotherapy in metastatic melanoma. Melanoma Res. 2018 Dec.28(6):600-604. Pubmedid: 30086073. Pmcid: PMC6436382.
• Sande CM, Chang B, Monga V, Bossler AD, Ma D. Biallelic TP53 gain of function mutations in rapidly progressing solid tumors. Cancer Genet. 2018 Apr.222-223:20-24. Pubmedid: 29666004.
• Brogden KA, Parashar D, Hallier AR, Braun T, Qian F, Rizvi NA, Bossler AD, Milhem MM, Chan TA, Abbasi T, Vali S. Correction to: Genomics of NSCLC patients both affirm PD-L1 expression and predict their clinical responses to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. BMC Cancer. 2018 Apr.18(1):413. Pubmedid: 29649990. Pmcid: PMC5898039.
• Zakharia Y, Monga V, Swami U, Bossler AD, Freesmeier M, Frees M, Khan M, Frydenlund N, Srikantha R, Vanneste M, Henry M, Milhem M. Targeting epigenetics for treatment of BRAF mutated metastatic melanoma with decitabine in combination with vemurafenib: A phase lb study. Oncotarget. 2017 Oct.8(51):89182-89193. Pubmedid: 29179510. Pmcid: PMC5687680.
• Wessels D, Lusche DF, Voss E, Kuhl S, Buchele EC, Klemme MR, Russell KB, Ambrose J, Soll BA, Bossler A, Milhem M, Goldman C, Soll DR. Melanoma cells undergo aggressive coalescence in a 3D Matrigel model that is repressed by anti-CD44. PLoS One. 2017 Mar.12(3):e0173400. Pubmedid: 28264026. Pmcid: PMC5338862.
• Guseva NV, Jaber O, Tanas MR, Stence AA, Sompallae R, Schade J, Fillman AN, Miller BJ, Bossler AD, Ma D. Anchored multiplex PCR for targeted next-generation sequencing reveals recurrent and novel USP6 fusions and upregulation of USP6 expression in aneurysmal bone cyst. Gene Chromosome Canc. 2017 Apr.56(4):266-277. Pubmedid: 27910166.
• Steussy B, Lekostaj J, Qian Q, Rosenthal N, Holman CJ, Syrbu S, Darbro B, Bossler A, Karandikar NJ. Leukemic Transdifferentiation of Follicular Lymphoma Into an Acute Histiocytic Leukemia in a 52-Year-Old Caucasian Woman. Lab Med. 2016 May.47(2):155-157. Pubmedid: 27069033. Pmcid: PMC7243928.
• Sabatini LM, Mathews C, Ptak D, Doshi S, Tynan K, Hegde MR, Burke TL, Bossler AD. Genomic Sequencing Procedure Microcosting Analysis and Health Economic Cost-Impact Analysis: A Report of the Association for Molecular Pathology. J Mol Diagn. 2016 May.18(3):319-328. Pubmedid: 27080370. Pmcid: PMC7212689.
• Guseva NV, Tanas MR, Stence AA, Sompallae R, Schade JC, Bossler AD, Bellizzi AM, Ma D. The NAB2-STAT6 gene fusion in solitary fibrous tumor can be reliably detected by anchored multiplexed PCR for targeted next-generation sequencing. Cancer Genet. 2016 Jul.209(7-8):303-312. Pubmedid: 27292373.
• Clamon GH, Bossler AD, Abu Hejleh T, Furqan M. Germline mutations predisposing to non-small cell lung cancer. Familial Cancer. 2015 Sep.14(3):463-469. Pubmedid: 25813228.
• Ma D, Stence AA, Bossler AB, Hackman JR, Bellizzi AM. Identification of KIT activating mutations in paediatric solitary mastocytoma. Histopathology. 2014 Jan.64(2):218-225. Pubmedid: 24128084.
• Snow AN, Stence AA, Pruessner JA, Bossler AD, Ma D. A simple and cost-effective method of DNA extraction from small formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue for molecular oncologic testing. BMC Clin Pathol. 2014.14:30. Pubmedid: 25067909. Pmcid: PMC4110377.
• Marko DC, Saffert RT, Cunningham SA, Hyman J, Walsh J, Arbefeville S, Howard W, Pruessner J, Safwat N, Cockerill FR, Bossler AD, Patel R, Richter SS. Evaluation of the Bruker Biotyper and Vitek MS matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry systems for identification of nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli isolated from cultures from cystic fibrosis patients. J Clin Microbiol. 2012 Jun.50(6):2034-2039. Pubmedid: 22495566. Pmcid: PMC3372130.
• Bossler A, Gunsolly C, Pyne MT, Rendo A, Rachel J, Mills R, Miller M, Sipley J, Hillyard D, Jenkins S, Essmyer C, Young S, Lewinski M, Rennert H. Performance of the COBAS® AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan® automated system for hepatitis C virus (HCV) quantification in a multi-center comparison. J Clin Virol. 2011 Feb.50(2):100-103. Pubmedid: 21145783.
• Tsumagari K, Chen D, Hackman JR, Bossler AD, Ehrlich M. FSH dystrophy and a subtelomeric 4q haplotype: a new assay and associations with disease. J Med Genet. 2010 Nov.47(11):745-751. Pubmedid: 20710047. Pmcid: PMC3043595.
• Shenoy AM, Markowitz JA, Bonnemann CG, Krishnamoorthy K, Bossler AD, Tseng BS. Muscle-Eye-Brain disease. J Clin Neuromuscul Dis. 2010 Mar.11(3):124-126. Pubmedid: 20215985. Pmcid: PMC2925645.
• Lace MJ, Anson JR, Klingelhutz AJ, Lee JH, Bossler AD, Haugen TH, Turek LP. Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 18 induces extended growth in primary human cervical, tonsillar, or foreskin keratinocytes more effectively than other high-risk mucosal HPVs. J Virol. 2009 Nov.83(22):11784-11794. Pubmedid: 19740985. Pmcid: PMC2772696.
• Hoover AC, Strand GL, Nowicki PN, Anderson ME, Vermeer PD, Klingelhutz AJ, Bossler AD, Pottala JV, Hendriks WJ, Lee JH. Impaired PTPN13 phosphatase activity in spontaneous or HPV-induced squamous cell carcinomas potentiates oncogene signaling through the MAP kinase pathway. Oncogene. 2009 Nov.28(45):3960-3970. Pubmedid: 19734941. Pmcid: PMC2785129.
• Lace MJ, Anson JR, Klingelhutz AJ, Harada H, Taniguchi T, Bossler AD, Haugen TH, Turek LP. Interferon-beta treatment increases human papillomavirus early gene transcription and viral plasmid genome replication by activating interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-1. Carcinogenesis. 2009 Aug.30(8):1336-1344. Pubmedid: 19541854. Pmcid: PMC7110192.
• Spanos WC, Hoover A, Harris GF, Wu S, Strand GL, Anderson ME, Klingelhutz AJ, Hendriks W, Bossler AD, Lee JH. The PDZ binding motif of human papillomavirus type 16 E6 induces PTPN13 loss, which allows anchorage-independent growth and synergizes with ras for invasive growth. J Virol. 2008 Mar.82(5):2493-2500. Pubmedid: 18160445. Pmcid: PMC2258903.
• Spanos WC, Geiger J, Anderson ME, Harris GF, Bossler AD, Smith RB, Klingelhutz AJ, Lee JH. Deletion of the PDZ motif of HPV16 E6 preventing immortalization and anchorage-independent growth in human tonsil epithelial cells. Head Neck. 2008 Feb.30(2):139-147. Pubmedid: 17657785. Pmcid: PMC2600880.
• Wang HY, Bossler AD, Schaffer A, Tomczak E, DiPatri D, Frank DM, Nowell PC, Bagg A. A novel t(3;8)(q27;q24.1) simultaneously involving both the BCL6 and MYC genes in a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Cancer Genet Cytogen. 2007 Jan.172(1):45-53. Pubmedid: 17175379.
• Link BK, Ballas ZK, Weisdorf D, Wooldridge JE, Bossler AD, Shannon M, Rasmussen WL, Krieg AM, Weiner GJ. Oligodeoxynucleotide CpG 7909 delivered as intravenous infusion demonstrates immunologic modulation in patients with previously treated non-Hodgkin lymphoma. J Immunother. 2006 Sep.29(5):558-568. Pubmedid: 16971811.
• Bossler AD, Richards J, George C, Godmilow L, Ganguly A. Novel mutations in ENG and ACVRL1 identified in a series of 200 individuals undergoing clinical genetic testing for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT): correlation of genotype with phenotype. Hum Mutat. 2006 Jul.27(7):667-675. Pubmedid: 16752392.
• Bossler AD, Richter SS, Chavez AJ, Vogelgesang SA, Sutton DA, Grooters AM, Rinaldi MG, de Hoog GS, Pfaller MA. Exophiala oligosperma causing olecranon bursitis. J Clin Microbiol. 2003 Oct.41(10):4779-4782. Pubmedid: 14532219. Pmcid: PMC254319.