Translational scientist, trying to find a cure for patients diagnosed with DIPG / DMG.
Dr. Javad Nazarian is the Scientific Director of the Brain Tumor Institute at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. and the Head of DMG Research Center at University Children’s Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland. He is also an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. In his role, Dr. Nazarian has formed national and international collaborations to establish a translational and multi-disciplinary team focusing on childhood high grade gliomas.
Dr. Nazarian’s research focus has been understanding the molecular pathways driving childhood brain cancers and, most importantly, finding ways for rapid translation of laboratory findings to the clinic. His research groups in Zurich and Washington, D.C. have extensive expertise in developing biorepositories, disease preclinical models, performing molecular analyses, drug assays, and correlative studies for ongoing clinical trials, including utilization of liquid biopsy and low intensity focused ultrasound. His laboratory at Children’s National houses one of the most comprehensive and well annotated brain tumor biorepositories in the world. This has enabled the team to conduct extensive studies toward understanding mutations that drive tumors and the genomic landscape that can help to advance the development of novel mechanisms for targeted therapies. He has recently expanded his research group at Children’s National to focus on Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) transformed low-grade gliomas (LGGs). This research includes associated gliomas with a special emphasis on NF1-associated transformed anaplastic LGGs. His team is developing new avenues of research into childhood and young adult NF-associated LGGs with a special emphasis on transformed high-grade gliomas.
Dr. Nazarian is an expert in forming and leading national and international collaborations, and in disease/pathway-focused team building. He currently serves on the Scientific Committee and Executive Board of the Children’s Brain Tumor Network. Additionally, working in close collaboration with Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC), Dr. Nazarian established a working group encompassing 18 international institutions across North America, Europe and Australia. The Diffuse Midline Glioma-Adaptive Combinatory Trial (DMG-ACT) team’s primary goal is to generate hypothesis derived preclinical data, test across institutions, validate using multiple preclinical DMG models, and provide input to the clinical team. The team’s vision is to accelerate the discovery of clinically translatable therapies for the treatment of childhood brain cancers. Since inception in January 2020, the DMG-ACT team has generated data to support two new clinical trials with adaptive arms for children diagnosed with diffuse midline gliomas.
Dr. Nazarian earned his B.S. in Biochemistry from Florida State University and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Genetics from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
