Bret Friday, MD, PhD

Essentia Health
Duluth, United States

Bret Friday MD, PhD is currently a medical oncologist and the Medical Director of Oncology Research at Essentia Health in Duluth, MN. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Boston University in 1993 and then received his MD and PhD from Emory University. Dr. Friday’s thesis work examined calcium regulated signaling pathways involved in skeletal muscle atrophy and regeneration after injury. He completed his Internal Medicine training at Mayo Clinic in 2005 and then a fellowship in Medical Oncology as part of the Clinical Investigator Training Program in 2008. Dr. Friday researched novel therapeutics in the laboratory of Dr. Alex Adjei which ultimately to the development and completion of the NCCTG N0779 clinical trial “Phase II trial of vorinostat with bortezomib in recurrent glioblastoma: a north central cancer treatment group study.” After completing fellowship, Dr. Friday joined the community practice at Essentia Health in 2008, and he took over a leadership role as PI of the Essentia Health Community Cancer Research Program in 2014 including oversight of the NCORP and MNCCTN programs. He has maintained a strong clinical practice while continuing with significant research activities including the development of multiple investigator initiated studies. Dr. Friday has participated in multiple NCTN committees and has been a member of the NCI Brain Malignancy Steering Committee and the Neuroendocrine Tumor Task Force.