🇧🇷 IMPORTED FROM BRAZIL 🇧🇷

DR. ALAN SKARBNIK

Oncologist. Saxophonist. Pizzaiolo. Beer Brewer.
Investor. Father of Three. Husband of One (thankfully).

"Other doctors have hobbies. Alan has an entire second life."

Scroll to discover the legend
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0+ Research Papers
0 Kids Who Think Dad's "Cool"
0 Instruments Played (Badly?)
0 Midlife Crisis (the band)
0K+ $ Raised for LLS
Dr. Alan Skarbnik
Yes, this man saves lives AND makes pizza. We don't understand either.

The Origin Story

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Alan was clearly not satisfied with just being a doctor. That would be too normal.

After graduating from the prestigious Universidade de São Paulo (2003), he thought: "You know what? One country isn't enough." So he moved to the US, completed residency at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in NYC, a fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center, AND another at City of Hope.

Most people collect stamps. Alan collects fellowships.

He's fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese — or as he calls it, "the bare minimum for ordering food in three continents."

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Fun Fact: Before becoming a world-class oncologist, Alan co-owned an 1980s nightclub in Brazil and his band played on Brazilian radio. Because apparently, curing cancer wasn't enough of a flex.

By Day: Saving Lives 🩺

Director of Lymphoma & CLL Program + Director of CAR-T Cell Therapy at Novant Health Cancer Institute, Charlotte, NC

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CAR-T Cell Pioneer

Led the first-ever CAR-T infusion at Novant Health in September 2020 — during a global pandemic, no less. Because Alan doesn't believe in "easy mode."

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90+ Publications

Has published over 90 peer-reviewed manuscripts. That's roughly one paper for every pizza he's perfected. (Citation needed on the pizza count.)

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Hackensack → Charlotte

Previously directed the CLL Program at John Theurer Cancer Center in New Jersey. Left because... well, have you been to New Jersey? (Sorry, Marcia.)

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$550K+ Fundraiser

Raised over $550,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. That's a lot of pizza ovens he could've bought instead.

"I chose hematology because blood is fascinating. Also, I look great in a white coat."
— Dr. Skarbnik (probably)

By Night: Rock Star 🎸

Alan is a member of "Midlife Crisis" — a band name so on-the-nose it should be a medical diagnosis.

He plays saxophone, guitar, AND keyboards. Because learning one instrument would've been quitting, and Brazilians don't quit.

The band's lead singer? A former patient. That's right — Alan literally saved a man's life and then recruited him into a rock band. This is either the most wholesome thing ever or the setup for a movie starring The Rock.

Before Midlife Crisis, his band in Brazil actually recorded music and played on Brazilian radio. So technically, he's an international recording artist. Put that on your LinkedIn.

🎷 Saxophone
🎸 Guitar
🎹 Piano/Keys
🩺 Stethoscope (Solo)
MIDLIFE CRISIS ft. Dr. Skarbnik "Chemo-therapy Sessions"

The Gourmet Life 🍕🔥🍺

Because saving lives and playing saxophone still leaves time for artisanal everything

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Pizza Master

Alan doesn't just make pizza — he makes pizza. The kind where you start explaining the hydration percentage of the dough and everyone's eyes glaze over. Neapolitan? Naturally. Wood-fired? Obviously. Does he have strong opinions about San Marzano tomatoes? Do not get him started.

Neighborhood Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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BBQ Guru

A Brazilian man who BBQs. Shocking, right? But Alan doesn't just throw some picanha on the grill — he does gourmet BBQ. We're talking 14-hour briskets, custom rubs, and a smoker that costs more than some people's cars. His churrasco would make a gaúcho weep.

Smoke Ring: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Brewmaster

Of course he brews his own beer. OF COURSE HE DOES. IPAs, stouts, lagers — Alan's garage looks like a microbrewery had a baby with a science lab. He approaches beer-making with the same precision he uses for CAR-T cell therapy. Both involve cultures, incubation, and hoping nothing explodes.

ABV Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"The secret to great pizza dough is patience, high-quality flour, and ignoring your wife when she says the kitchen is a mess."

The Skarbnik Dynasty 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

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Marcia Skarbnik

Wife, Co-Pilot, Jersey Girl

From New Jersey — which means she's tougher than any cancer Alan has ever treated. Marcia is the reason Alan is still alive, organized, and wearing matching socks. Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes at his 47th hobby.

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Kid #1

Old enough to be embarrassed by Dad's band name

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Kid #2

Still thinks Dad's pizza is the best in the world (it might be)

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Kid #3

Future member of "Midlife Crisis 2: Electric Boogaloo"

🏠 The Skarbnik household is essentially a restaurant, brewery, recording studio, and investment firm that also happens to have bedrooms.

The AI Whisperer & Wall Street Wannabe 📈🤖

Alan loves investing in AI — because apparently being a pioneer in CAR-T cell therapy wasn't enough cutting-edge technology for one man.

While other doctors are checking their 401k once a year, Alan is on his fourth monitor watching AI stock tickers, reading Sam Altman's tweets, and explaining to Marcia why they "need" to invest in another AI startup.

"Honey, it's not gambling — it's disrupting the healthcare paradigm."

Alan's Investment Philosophy:

  • ✅ If it has "AI" in the name → BUY
  • ✅ If it mentions "machine learning" → DOUBLE DOWN
  • ✅ If it promises to "revolutionize healthcare" → MORTGAGE THE HOUSE
  • ❌ If it's a stable, boring index fund → WHERE'S THE FUN?
$NVDA +4.2% $ALAN +999% $PIZZA +12% $SLEEP -100% $MSFT +2.1% $SAX +69% $BEER +15% $CART +8.3%

Globetrotter 🌎✈️

Alan loves to travel. Next stop: Indianapolis. Yes, really. Indianapolis.

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São Paulo, Brazil

Where it all began. Nightclubs, medical school, and dreams bigger than Sugarloaf Mountain.

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New York City

Residency years. Learned medicine. Found wife from NJ. Both equally life-changing.

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Philadelphia & LA

Fox Chase + City of Hope. Collected fellowships like Pokémon cards.

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Charlotte, NC

Home base. Where the pizza oven lives. And technically, the family too.

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🏁

Indianapolis, IN

NEXT TRIP! Is he going for the Indy 500? A medical conference? A secret pizza competition? Only Alan knows. (It's probably all three.)

Faithful to the Squad 🇧🇷🤝

You can take the man out of Brazil, but you can't take Brazil out of the man.

Alan is legendarily faithful to his friends from Brazil. Despite living in the US for over two decades, he maintains deep bonds with his crew back home. Group chats that never sleep. Video calls across time zones. WhatsApp messages at 3 AM about futebol results.

When his Brazilian friends visit Charlotte, they get the full Skarbnik Experience™:

🍕 Homemade artisanal pizza
🍺 Craft beer from Alan's personal brewery
🔥 14-hour smoked brisket
🎷 Live saxophone performance (whether they want it or not)
📈 Unsolicited AI investment advice
🏥 Free medical opinions (also unsolicited)

The Résumé of Absurdity 📋

🇧🇷 São Paulo

Co-owned a nightclub. Played in a band on Brazilian radio.

Normal pre-med activities.

2003

Graduated from Universidade de São Paulo

One of the top medical schools in Latin America. No big deal.

NYC

Residency at St. Luke's-Roosevelt

Survived New York. Met a Jersey girl. Both are equally dangerous.

2010-14

TWO Fellowships: Fox Chase + City of Hope

Because one fellowship is for amateurs.

NJ

Director, CLL Program — Hackensack

Spent years in New Jersey. Emerged stronger. Possibly traumatized.

2020

First CAR-T infusion at Novant Health

During COVID. In a pandemic. While others were baking sourdough, Alan was reengineering immune cells.

Now

Living the dream in Charlotte, NC

Curing cancer by day, playing sax by night, making pizza at midnight, brewing beer at dawn. Sleep is optional.

Soon

Indianapolis bound 🏁

Destination: unknown purpose. Likely involves food, music, and explaining AI to strangers.