Azam Ghafoor, M.D.
- Center for Cancer Research
- National Cancer Institute
- Building 10, Room 4-5330 G
- Bethesda, MD 20892
- 240-858-3289
- azam.ghafoor@nih.gov
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Dr. Ghafoor's primary interests are studying early-onset cancers in healthy and cancer patients with predisposition syndrome such as BRACA1-Associated Protein-1 (BAP1). He is an expert in studying families and individual patients through radiographic imaging to determine the frequency and incidence of cancers as well as potential for early intervention.
Dr. Ghafoor is also a medical oncologist in thoracic malignancies, where he treated patient with mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer. His clinical research is focused on the use of anti-mesothelin therapies, including immunotoxins and CAR T tharpies against NSCLC and mesothelioma, and targeted therapies in comibination with local therapies for EGFR mutated NSCLC. His focus also includes optimizing immunotherapies and precision medicine for lung cancer patients using combination-based approaches to overcome and delay resistance.
Areas of Expertise
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Azam Ghafoor, M.D.
Research
Dr. Ghafoor is a thoracic and immuno-oncologist. His clinical and translational research focuses on investigating the clinical use of immunotoxin therapy and immunotherapy in thoracic malignancies such as mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancers. His work also involves developing novel immunotherapy-based combinations for improving responses and outcomes for patients with lung cancer using different immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Publications
Local Ablative Therapy followed by Osimertinib Rechallenge in Oligoprogressive, Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase 2 study
Mesothelin-targeting T cell receptor fusion construct cell therapy in refractory solid tumors: phase 1/2 trial interim results
Orbital metastases from malignant mesothelioma
Targeting mesothelin in ovarian cancer
Biography
Azam Ghafoor, M.D.
Dr. Ghafoor graduated from Purdue University with distinction in 2007, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology (West Lafayette, IN). He was awarded a cancer research training award (CRTA) at the NIH in 2007 (Bethesda, MD). He then received a M.D. from Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis, IN) in 2013. Following graduation in 2016 from an internal medicine residency at St. Vincent Hospital (Indianapolis, IN) he completed his medical oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in 2018 (Bethesda, MD). He joined the Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch as an Assistant Research Physician.
Dr. Ghafoor is board certified in internal medicine and board-eligible in oncology. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society. He has received a Yale University Science and Engineering Award.