Center Profile: Pablo Arnoletti, M.D.

Crossroads salutes Pablo Arnoletti, M.D., associate professor of surgery and UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center associate scientist. Dr. Arnoletti specializes in the research and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers, including pancreatic, liver, colorectal and gastro-esophageal malignancies. He has received numerous awards and honors, and he is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.  

Uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America, with just three million people nestled between Brazil and Argentina along the Atlantic Ocean. But it is well represented at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center by associate scientist Pablo Arnoletti, M.D.

"Uruguay is the only country in South America that does not have a native population," he says. "Most of the population is of European descent—my ancestors are mostly from Italy and Spain. Only a little more than three million people live in the entire country."

Born in Montevideo, the capital, Dr. Arnoletti grew up in the surrounding countryside, where he would hear stories about his great-grandfather. “He was a surgeon in a small town at the turn of the century,” Dr. Arnoletti says. And while he never met his legendary relative, Dr. Arnoletti grew up with an interest in medicine.

So when the time came, Dr. Arnoletti enrolled in the University of the Republic School in Montevideo to pursue a medical career. There he met his future wife, Analia Castiglioni, who also was training to be a physician.  

An Opportunity in America
In medical school, Dr. Arnoletti developed an interest in surgery and hoped to come to the United States for training. He got the chance when he met the late Joel Roslyn, M.D., then chair of the Department of Surgery at the Medical College of Pennsylvania (MCP), who would become one of Dr. Arnoletti’s mentors.

"Dr. Roslyn was recruiting people who were interested in doing surgical research," Dr. Arnoletti recalls. "That's how I ended up in Philadelphia and becoming involved in surgery and surgical oncology research."

Dr. Arnoletti came to Philadelphia in 1993 as a research fellow in the MCP Department of Surgery. After a year, he secured a residency at the college, then returned to Uruguay to get married and came back to the United States with his new wife.

Dr. Arnoletti's time in Pennsylvania would prove to be extremely influential on his career because he developed an interest in cancer surgery and research. "My attraction to oncology came about through a combination of several disciplines that are always challenging in cancer patients," he says. "It was not only the variety and complexity of the surgery involved, but also the understanding of the biology of the disease and the research behind that. Also, there is the human aspect of taking care of these patients and their families. It's a unique combination that cancer treatment offers."

Specifically, Dr. Arnoletti focused on gastrointestinal cancers under the guidance of another mentor, John Hoffman, M.D., who "had a passion for that type of surgery," Dr. Arnoletti says. "It all comes down to who your mentors are and who you meet along the way that steer you in one direction or the other."  

An Opportunity in Alabama
After completing a surgical oncology fellowship at Philadelphia’s Fox-Chase Cancer Center in 2002, Dr. Arnoletti began looking for positions at medical centers across the country. That was when he heard about an open position at UAB in the Cancer Center's gastrointestinal oncology group. After meeting with center scientist Martin Heslin, M.D., Dr. Arnoletti was soon working at UAB—along with his wife, who accepted a position in internal medicine.

Since joining the Cancer Center, Dr. Arnoletti has concentrated his efforts in three areas: clinical care, basic science and translational research, and the education of residents and medical students. He finds the latter task particularly exciting.

"We set up a new surgical oncology laboratory in 2003 to sponsor residents who are interested in research to do basic and translational research," he says. "That's a very rich interaction because we have the opportunity to work with residents who are in training and mentor them for a career in cancer research. That's the wave of the future in the development of new and more effective therapies for cancer patients."

Dr. Arnoletti also is actively involved in both the clinical and research aspects of the Cancer Center's pancreatic SPORE (Specialized Program of Research Excellence) grant, which focuses on moving laboratory findings quickly and safely to patients with this particularly devastating cancer. He spends at least one day each week entirely in the lab and another entirely in the clinic; two days are dedicated to operating room, and the remaining day is for administrative tasks and working with residents. Because of his hectic schedule, Dr. Arnoletti often visits the hospital on weekends to see his patients.

"I have a passion for my work that comes from three groups of people," Dr. Arnoletti says. "The wonderful patients here at UAB, our residents and medical students, and my colleagues. When you see all those people put so much of themselves into what they do, that's very stimulating to me.”

He finds more support at home. "On a personal level, my family is certainly a priceless reward,” says Dr. Arnoletti. “They motivate me to get up early every morning and come to work." That family includes his two young children, Juan Martin and Lara.

Dr. Arnoletti is a lifelong soccer player who also likes to run and jog. He and his wife also try to visit Uruguay as often as possible to see their extended families. But for now, Birmingham—and UAB—is home. "I think we feel more at home in Birmingham because it's a very family-oriented place," Dr. Arnoletti says. "Since my wife and I decided to come here, we've never regretted our decision."