Nestor M. Davidson
· Nestor M. DavidsonHarvard University · Landscape Architecture
Active 1965–2026
About
Nestor M. Davidson is the Emma Bloomberg Professor of Real Estate at Harvard Graduate School of Design. His scholarship and teaching focus on transactional dynamics in real estate and regulatory frameworks for real estate markets, including doctrinal and legal-structural concerns in affordable housing and fair housing, property theory, and the constitutional dimensions of property law. He has distinguished himself in the field of urban law by exploring constitutional and administrative dimensions of urban governance, the role of law in city life, and critical fault-lines in the legal relationship between states and local governments. Professor Davidson has published widely in leading law journals such as the Columbia Law Review, Michigan Law Review, Virginia Law Review, and Yale Law Journal. He has co-authored and co-edited books including Law and the New Urban Agenda, The New Preemption Reader, The Cambridge Handbook of the Law of the Sharing Economy, and Law Between Buildings: Emergent Global Perspectives on Urban Law. His current book project, Cities in Law: Urbanism as a Legal Phenomenon, is forthcoming from Cambridge University Press. Prior to his academic career, he practiced commercial real estate at Latham & Watkins LLP, working on corporate mergers, private equity real estate, international project finance, and large-scale development projects, with a focus on affordable multifamily housing investment and compliance. He has served at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as special counsel and principal deputy general counsel, and has held positions on the Board of the New York State Housing Finance Agency and as chair of the New York City Rent Guidelines Board. He previously was the Albert A. Walsh Professor of Real Estate, Land Use and Property Law at Fordham Law School, where he founded the Urban Law Center. Davidson earned his AB from Harvard College and JD from Columbia Law School, and clerked for Judge David S. Tatel and Justice David H. Souter.
Research topics
- Political Science
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Economic growth
- Internal medicine
- Family medicine
- Medical physics
- Virology
- Law
- Oncology
Selected publications
npj Breast Cancer · 2026-05-11
articleOpen accessEarly-career investigators face growing challenges: dwindling public funding, limited trial leadership opportunities, systemic mentorship barriers, and widening global disparities. At the 20th Breast International Group (BIG) – NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) annual meeting, four key themes emerged: funding, mentorship, clinical trials, and translational research. This report outlines recommendations for funding and mentorship. Investment in this area is strategic to ensure continued advances for patients globally.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2026-03-18 · 1 citations
articleOpen accessInvasive lobular breast carcinoma (ILC), the most common special histological subtype of breast cancer, is characterized by nearly universal expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ER) and unique sites of metastases, neither of which is fully recapitulated by genetically engineered mouse models. Using reporter-labeled ILC mouse xenografts, herein we used mammary fat pad, tail vein and intracardiac orthotopic growth to analyze spontaneous and experimental metastasis and gene expression. We observed ER-positive primary tumors with single-file histology and collagen deposition, and spontaneous metastasis from the mammary fat pad to bones, ovaries, and brain including the leptomeninges, thereby closely mirroring the growth and metastatic spread of human ILC. Brain metastases showed strong ER staining, confirmed by sequencing analyses which identified estrogen signaling as top activated pathway, and the lesions exhibited robust response to endocrine therapy. In summary, we report endocrine responsive mammary fat pad, tail vein and intracardiac xenografts that faithfully demonstrate unique ILC features and can serve as invaluable pre-clinical translational platforms for validating candidate ILC genetic drivers and testing novel therapeutics.
JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2025-08-23
letterOpen accessSenior authorBreast cancer affects a significant number of premenopausal women, with an estimated 50 830 cases in patients aged <50 years in the United States in 2024. 1 The incidence of breast cancer is increasing at a steeper rate in younger patients than in older patients. 2 Between 2012 and 2021, the annual increase in breast cancer cases was 1% overall, but was 1.4% in patients younger than 50 years in the United States. 1 This trend persists globally; from 1990 to 2021, the global burden of breast cancer among women of reproductive age significantly increased with a 118.7% increase in new cases, 121.3% increase in prevalence, and 66.8% increase in disability-adjusted life years. 3,4 Additionally, across cancer types in the United States, breast cancer accounts for the highest incidence of early-onset cancers (12 649 cases vs 5869 cases of thyroid cancer and 4097 cases of colorectal cancer in 2019). 5 Cancer diagnosed in young women leads to unique survivorship challenges, with one of the most frequent concerns being treatment-induced premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), which can lead to post-treatment infertility and/or early menopause.Improved strategies are needed to predict which patients are at greatest risk for developing treatment-induced POI so that appropriate counseling and interventions can be employed.Lambertini et al. 6 report a biomarker analysis from 2 randomized trials (BETH and KAITLIN) to predict ovarian function loss following combined chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapy in premenopausal women with high-risk HER2-positive early breast cancer (eBC).The investigators selected patients from these 2 trials who received chemotherapy regimens that are utilized in current practice: docetaxel/carboplatin plus trastuzumab for 6 cycles (BETH Cohort 1A), docetaxel plus trastuzumab for 3 cycles followed by anthracycline plus cyclophosphamide (AC) for 3-4 cycles (BETH Cohort 2A), or AC followed by a taxane plus trastuzumab and pertuzumab (KAITLIN Arm 1).The majority (71.6%) received both AC and taxane-based treatment, while 28.4% received taxane plus carboplatin.Sixty-eight percent of patients received pertuzumab in addition to trastuzumab.Patients were 45 years (with a secondary analysis for patients aged 46-55 years), clinically premenopausal (defined as less than 12 months since last menstrual period at time of study entry),
Cell Reports Medicine · 2025-09-23 · 6 citations
articleOpen accessInteractions between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells are critical for tumor biology and treatment response. We compare drug screening results from conventional 2D cancer cell lines with 3D tumor tissues and find that, on average, three times more drugs are effective in 3D microtumors. We confirm the effectiveness of doramapimod, a compound that reduces microtumor viability and suppresses tumor growth in mouse models but has no effect on cancer cell growth in monolayers. Mechanistically, doramapimod targets DDR1/2 and MAPK12 kinases in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), decreasing extracellular matrix (ECM) production and enhancing interferon signaling. These kinases regulate ECM through GLI1 activity in CAFs, independently of canonical hedgehog signaling. Inhibiting the DDR1/2-MAPK12-GLI axis enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy and immunotherapy in patient tumor slices and preclinical models. These findings highlight the importance of DDR1/2-MAPK12-GLI axis in CAF function and demonstrate the utility of 3D tissue models in identifying microenvironment-specific therapeutic targets.
Breast Cancer Research · 2025-02-17 · 1 citations
articleOpen accessBACKGROUND: F-Fluorestradiol (FES) have been FDA approved for measuring tumor glycolytic activity and estrogen receptor (ER) uptake, respectively, in clinical positron emission tomography (PET) imaging for patients with hormone-receptor (HR) positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC), but little is known about its utility in patients with breast tumors that overexpress human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2). We hypothesize that comparing patterns of FDG and FES uptake in patients with HER2-positive versus HER2-negative MBC can guide further biologic and clinical studies into the HR/HER2-positive phenotype. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study examining uptake in matched lesions for FES and FDG-PET scans, assessing these parameters in 213 patients with ER-positive/HER2-positive (n = 33) versus ER-positive/HER2-negative MBC (n = 180). We employed log-rank and t-tests to assess the association of HER2 status with outcome variables and the hypotheses that patients expressing HER2-positive disease lived longer than patient with HER2-negative disease. RESULTS: No difference in FES or FDG avidity was observed between patients with HER2-negative or HER2-positive tumor status. Limited data also suggests that patients with HER2-positive disease had better overall survival (p = 0.024), than those with HER2-negative disease, but not time-to-progression between the same patient cohorts. CONCLUSION: This retrospective analysis suggests that there is a possible role for future trials using FES-PET in helping to select patients with ER+/HER2-positive primary tumors who retain ER expression at all sites of disease and may benefit from endocrine therapy.
Clinical Cancer Research · 2025-06-13
articleAbstract Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death in the US Hispanic/Latinx population and Latina women are 20% more likely to die from breast cancer (BC) compared to non-Latina women. An estimated 80% of US Latina women have overweight or obesity, which is a major contributor to BC incidence and recurrence. Culturally tailored, effective, and accessible weight loss interventions for Latina BC survivors are needed. Aims: The ¡Vida! Study primary aim is to compare the effectiveness of adaptive weight loss interventions in decreasing total body weight by ≥7% at 12 months in Latinas with early-stage BC and obesity not on current chemoradiotherapy. The secondary aim will investigate baseline characteristics as moderators of the intervention effects to inform personalized strategies for weight management. Exploratory aims will examine other moderators and mediators of intervention effects, effects of the intervention on cardiometabolic biomarkers, and contextual factors that contribute to study outcomes. Design: Participants will be recruited from NCI SEER registries in California and Washington. This study is a 4-group, 2-stage, sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) of: 1) the ¡Vida! Program, 2) ¡Vida! + Experiential Learning (EL), 3) ¡Vida! + EL + health coaching (HC), or 4) ¡Vida! + EL + HC + delivered groceries (DG). In Stage One, participants will be randomized to ¡Vida! or ¡Vida! + EL. In Stage Two, at week 8 participants who do not respond to the intervention (i.e., loss of &lt;2% of their body weight) will be re-randomized to receive additional components. A community advisory board of project stakeholders, community-based organizations in Washington and California representing medical services, social services, and patient-advocates will provide input throughout the study process. Intervention: The ¡Vida! Program adapts the National Diabetes Prevention Program to Latina BC survivors using the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications. Live, remotely delivered, nutritional and physical activity (PA) educational sessions through the Fred Hutch Cancer Center Cook for Your Life website will be delivered over 12 months. The EL component will include live, virtual, hands-on sessions delivered by lifestyle health educators (promotoras) and will focus on increasing knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy to achieve and maintain weight, diet and PA goals. The HC component will include individualized remote sessions. Health coaches will identify patient diet and PA goals, and support weight loss self-efficacy, motivation for adopting a hypocaloric high-quality diet, and increasing moderate-to-vigorous PA. The DG component will include a bag of supplemental fresh vegetables, whole grains, and healthy oils. DG will include ingredients used in recommended recipes and recipes prepared in the EL sessions. Data Collected: Baseline data will be collected on participant demographics, clinical characteristics, acculturation, and taste preferences. Body weight, daily PA, and accelerometry; patient-reported food intake and diet quality, global quality of life, social support, perceived stress, and self-efficacy for healthy eating and PA; and dried blood spot biomarkers will be monitored for change between baseline and 12 months. Conclusion: The ¡Vida! trial is on track to open in Fall 2024. The results of this adaptive, remotely delivered, and culturally tailored weight loss trial in Latina early-stage BC survivors will identify scalable, effective, personalized strategies to support weight loss and improve BC related outcomes due to obesity in this population with high cancer health disparities. Citation Format: Blake Langley, Eileen Rillamas-Sun, Jennifer Whitten, Yarizel Herrera, Sheryl Rothmuller, Sara Buzali, Jennifer Dearden, Ashkan Ertefaie, Chongzhi Di, Nancy Davidson, Rachel Yung, India Ornelas, Heather Greenlee. Using a SMART Approach to Culturally-Adapt and Remotely Deliver a Weight Loss Intervention for Latina Breast Cancer Survivors: The ¡Vida! Study Methods [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2024; 2024 Dec 10-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2025;31(12 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-08-23.
Cancer · 2025-09-23
articleBACKGROUND: Depression has been identified as an adverse mental health outcome in women with breast cancer (BC). Depression was investigated as a risk factor for poor survival in premenopausal women with hormone-responsive early BC treated in the TEXT (Tamoxifen and Exemestane Trial) and SOFT (Suppression of Ovarian Function Trial) trials. METHODS: The data used were from a subset of patients who participated in TEXT or SOFT and completed the Center of Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. Associations between baseline depression-score categories and baseline characteristics were assessed using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test controlling for antidepressant use. Multivariable proportional hazards regression models were used to test the association between baseline depression and disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Regression models were adjusted for factors known to be associated with outcomes, baseline antidepressant use, and early treatment cessation. RESULTS: Forty percent (2287 of 5738) of the women enrolled in the SOFT and TEXT trials were included in this analysis (SOFT, n = 1259; TEXT, n = 1028). Twenty-seven percent of women reported mild-to-moderate or severe depression at baseline. Race (p = .001), body mass index (p = .02), family history (p = .02), and performance status (p =.007) were significantly associated with the severity of depression. Relative to the no-symptomatology group, the hazard ratios (overall p = .04) for DFS were 1.34 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.76) for women with mild-to-moderate depression and 1.34 (95% CI, 0.96-1.87) for those with severe depression. Relative to the no-symptomatology group, the hazard ratios (overall p = .008) for OS were 1.68 for mild-to-moderate depression (95% CI, 1.15-2.44) and 1.67 for those with severe depression (95% CI, 1.05-2.66). CONCLUSIONS: In premenopausal women with hormone-responsive early BC, depression at baseline is a risk factor for poorer DFS and OFS. Further investigation of the underlying interactive processes is needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00066703 (SOFT) and NCT00066690 (TEXT).
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention · 2025-09-18
articleAbstract Purpose: Latina women experience a 20% higher breast cancer (BC) mortality rate than non-Latina women, with over 80% classified as overweight or obese—risk factors for recurrence. Few culturally tailored interventions support sustainable weight loss in this population. The ¡Vida! trial is a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of adaptive, remotely delivered weight loss strategies among Latina BC survivors with obesity. Participants in Washington and California are recruited via SEER registries and community outreach. Methods: Women who self-identify as Latina, have a prior diagnosis of stage I–III breast cancer, have completed treatment (endocrine therapy allowed), and have a body mass index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m2 are eligible. In Stage 1, participants are randomized to: (1) ¡Vida!, a virtually delivered, culturally adapted lifestyle weight loss program with 24 one-hour group sessions over 12 months; or (2) ¡Vida! plus Experiential Learning, which adds monthly Zoom sessions focused on cooking and physical activity. In Stage 2 (week 8), participants who lose &lt;2% of baseline weight (measured via Fitbit Aria scale) are re-randomized to either continue the initial intervention or receive individualized health coaching using motivational interviewing or a Mailed Toolkit with culturally tailored shelf-stable foods, kitchen tools, and physical activity equipment. All participants receive a Fitbit Charge 6 and Aria scale for self-monitoring and have access to Cook for Your Life, a bilingual nutrition website for cancer survivors. Data are collected at baseline, 2, 6, and 12 months. A subset of participants provide ActiGraph data at each time point to assess physical activity patterns, and in-depth qualitative interviews will be conducted post-intervention. All components are offered in Spanish and English. Findings: As of June 24, 2025, 22 English-speaking participants have completed baseline assessments, and 14 Spanish-speaking participants have consented. The first intervention cohort will begin once 60–70 English-speaking participants are enrolled. Recruitment to date has been limited to the Washington State SEER registry, with expansion to California anticipated in summer 2025. However, the most common reason for ineligibility is BMI &lt;30, and many SEER-provided phone numbers are unresponsive or inactive. In response, the BMI threshold was lowered to ≥27, and recruitment strategies are being broadened beyond SEER. Additionally, logistical issues with planned grocery delivery prompted a shift to Mailed Toolkits with shelf-stable foods and health-related equipment. Conclusions: The ¡Vida! trial has begun enrolling participants to test culturally tailored adaptive interventions to promote weight loss in Latina BC survivors. In response to recruitment and implementation challenges, the study team has adapted core components of the intervention and infrastructure to support broader reach and engagement. These early adaptations position the trial for future intervention effectiveness testing. Citation Format: Juan Gudino, Blake Langley, Jennifer Whitten, Yarizel Herrera, Kelley Nay, Sheryl Rothmuller, Sara Buzali, Jennifer Dearden, Sayan Dasgupta, Ashkan Ertefaie, Chongzhi Di, Nancy Davidson, Rachel Yung, India Ornelas, Heather Greenlee. ¡Vida! SMART Trial: Implementation readiness and early adaptation insights from a culturally tailored weight loss trial for Latina breast cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2025 Sep 18-21; Baltimore, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B099.
Annals of Oncology · 2025-09-01
articleJournal of Physical Activity and Health · 2025-12-01
articleBACKGROUND: Self-reported and wearable device derived data on physical activity (PA) differ in burden, transparency, and validity, underscoring the need for comparison in cancer survivorship research. Physical activity and sedentary behavior measured from the ActiGraph, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and Fitbit Inspire device in women with early-stage breast cancer were compared. METHODS: Breast cancer survivors participating in a lifestyle intervention trial concurrently provided ActiGraph and IPAQ data at baseline and 6 months. Fitbit devices were used for PA self-monitoring after randomization and data were available at follow-up only. Comparisons of PA measurements were estimated via Pearson correlation coefficients and visualized using Bland-Altman plots. Prevalence of meeting moderate to vigorous PA guidelines of ≥150 minutes per week were also calculated. RESULTS: At baseline (n = 73), mean vigorous PA was 2 and 5 minutes per day for ActiGraph and IPAQ, respectively (r = .22, P = .06), while mean sedentary hours per day were 11.4 and 6.2 for ActiGraph and IPAQ, respectively (r = .29, P = .01). Correlations between ActiGraph and IPAQ at 6-month follow-up (n = 50) were not statistically significant. Six-month comparisons of PA measures between ActiGraph and Fitbit (n = 30) were higher than those between IPAQ and Fitbit (n = 30). Prevalence of meeting moderate to vigorous PA guidelines at baseline was 40% for ActiGraph and 59% for IPAQ (P = .01). At 6 months, proportions meeting moderate to vigorous PA guidelines were 50%, 73%, and 67% for ActiGraph, IPAQ, and Fitbit, respectively. CONCLUSION: Correlations of PA comparing self-report from IPAQ and activity devices from ActiGraph and Fitbit were weak. Strengths and limitations of PA measurement methods should be weighed accordingly in studies of lifestyle interventions for breast cancer survivors.
Recent grants
NIH · $222k · 1995
NIH · $548k · 1995
Cancer Research Career Enhancement and Related Activities
NIH · $96.9M · 1997–2027
NIH · $1.4M · 2000
NIH · $677k · 2004
Frequent coauthors
- 1586 shared
Silvana Martino
Angeles Clinic and Research Institute
- 1239 shared
Edith A. Perez
Mayo Clinic in Florida
- 1151 shared
George W. Sledge
- 746 shared
Julie R. Gralow
- 738 shared
Peter A. Kaufman
University of Vermont
- 725 shared
Joseph A. Sparano
Tisch Cancer Institute
- 696 shared
James N. Ingle
Mayo Clinic
- 618 shared
Antonio C. Wolff
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
Education
- 1990
Ph.D., Architecture
Harvard University
- 1985
M.A., Architecture
Harvard University
- 1982
B.A., Architecture
Harvard University
Awards & honors
- Emma Bloomberg Chairs (2025)
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