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Vahid Afshar-Kharghan, M.D.

Present Title & Affiliation

Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment

Associate Professor, Thrombosis Research Section, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Office Address

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
2121 W. Holcombe Blvd
Unit Number: 1100
Houston, TX 77030
Room Number: IBT7.716
Phone: 713-563-5267
Fax: 713-563-0411

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1991 Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey, MD, Summa Cum Laude, Medicine

Postgraduate Training

7/1997-7/2000 Research Fellowship, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
7/1993-7/1997 Clinical Residency, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
8/1991-6/1993 Graduate Training in the Department of Biotechnology, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
10/1984-7/1991 Medical School, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

Board Certifications

2006 American Board of Internal Medicine-Internal Medicine
2001 American Board of Internal Medicine-Hematology
2000 American Board of Internal Medicine-Medical Oncology
1996 American Board of Internal Medicine-Internal Medicine
1992 Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)

Experience/Service

Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities

Associate Professor, Benign Hematology, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 4/2008-present
Staff Physician, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology Oncology, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, 6/2005-4/2008
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 9/2000-4/2008

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Stone RL, Nick AM, McNeish IA, Balkwill F, Han HD, Bottsford-Miller J, Rupaimoole R, Armaiz-Pena GN, Pecot CV, Coward J, Deavers MT, Vasquez HG, Urbauer D, Landen CN, Wei h, Gershenson H, Matsuo K, Shahzad MMK, King ER, Tekedereli I, Ozpolat B, Ahn EH, Bond VK, Wang R, Drew AF, Gushiken F, Collins K, DeGeest K, Lutgendorf SK, Chiu W, Lopez-Berestein G, Afhsra-Kharghan V, Sood AK. Paraneoplastic Thrombocytosis in Ovarian Cancer. New England Journal Of Medicine. In Press.
2. Cho MS, Bottsford-Miller J, Vasquez HG, Stone R, Zand B, Kroll MH, Sood AK, Afshar-Kharghan V. Platelets increase the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. Blood 120(24):4869-72, 12/2012. e-Pub 9/2012. PMID: 22966171.
3. Feng S, Kroll MH, Nolasco L, Moake J, Afshar-Kharghan V. Complement activation in thrombotic microangiopathies. Br J Haematol. e-Pub 11/2012. PMID: 23116127.
4. Zalpour A, Kroll MH, Afshar-Kharghan V, Yusuf SW, Escalante C. Role of factor xa inhibitors in cancer-associated thrombosis: any new data? Adv Hematol, 10/2011. e-Pub 10/2011.
5. Divakaran V, Mehta S, Yao D, Hassan S, Simpson S, Wiegerinck E, Swinkels DW, Mann DL, Afshar-Kharghan V. Hepcidin in anemia of chronic heart failure. Am. J. Hematology 86(1):107-9, 1/2011.
6. Hanzelka KM, Zalpour A, Afshar-Kharghan V, Fitousis K, Anderlini P, Yeung SC. Severe thrombosis and acute thrombocytopenia in a cancer patient. Am J Hematology 85(11):887-90, 11/2010.
7. Jelinek J, Li J, Mnjoyan Z, Issa JP, Prchal JT, Afshar-Kharghan V. Epigenetic control of PRV-1 expression on neutrophils. Exp Hematol 35(11):1677-83, 11/2007. PMID: 17976520.
8. Diz-Kucukkaya R, Inanc M, Afshar-Kharghan V, Zhang QE, López JA, Pekcelen Y. P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 VNTR polymorphisms and risk of thrombosis in the antiphospholipid syndrome. Ann Rheum Dis 66(10):1378-80, 10/2007. PMID: 17545190.
9. Luo SZ, Mo X, Afshar-Kharghan V, Srinivasan S, López JA, Li R. Glycoprotein Ibalpha forms disulfide bonds with 2 glycoprotein Ibbeta subunits in the resting platelet. Blood 109(2):603-9, 1/2007. PMID: 17008541.
10. Mnjoyan Z, Yoon D, Li J, Delhommeau F, Afshar-Kharghan V. The effect of the JAK2 V617F mutation on PRV-1 expression. Haematologica 91(3):411-2, 3/2006. PMID: 16503546.
11. Mnjoyan Z, Li J, Afshar-Kharghan V. Expression of polycythemia rubra vera-1 decreases the dependency of cells on growth factors for proliferation. Haematologica 90(3):405-6, 3/2005. PMID: 15749675.
12. Del Conde I, Crúz MA, Zhang H, López JA, Afshar-Kharghan V. Platelet activation leads to activation and propagation of the complement system. J Exp Med 201(6):871-9, 3/2005. PMID: 15781579.
13. Afshar-Kharghan V, Matijevic-Aleksic N, Ahn C, Boerwinkle E, Wu KK, López JA. The variable number of tandem repeat polymorphism of platelet glycoprotein Ibalpha and risk of coronary heart disease. Blood 103(3):963-5, 2/2004. PMID: 14592833.
14. Afshar-Kharghan V, López JA, Gray LA, Padilla A, Borthakur G, Roberts SC, Pruthi RK, Tefferi A. Hemostatic gene polymorphisms and the prevalence of thrombotic complications in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis 15(1):21-4, 1/2004. PMID: 15166939.
15. Meisel C, Afshar-Kharghan V, Cascorbi I, Laule M, Stangl V, Felix SB, Baumann G, López JA, Roots I, Stangl K. Role of Kozak sequence polymorphism of platelet glycoprotein Ibalpha as a risk factor for coronary artery disease and catheter interventions. J Am Coll Cardiol 38(4):1023-7, 10/2001. PMID: 11583876.
16. Baker RI, Eikelboom J, Lofthouse E, Staples N, Afshar-Kharghan V, López JA, Shen Y, Berndt MC, Hankey G. Platelet glycoprotein Ibalpha Kozak polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Blood 98(1):36-40, 7/2001. PMID: 11418460.
17. Afshar-Kharghan V, Diz-Küçükkaya R, Ludwig EH, Marian AJ, López JA. Human polymorphism of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 attributable to variable numbers of tandem decameric repeats in the mucinlike region. Blood 97(10):3306-7, 5/2001. PMID: 11342464.
18. Afshar-Kharghan V, Craig FE, López JA. Bernard-Soulier syndrome in a patient doubly heterozygous for two frameshift mutations in the glycoprotein ib alpha gene. Br J Haematol 110(4):919-24, 9/2000. PMID: 11054083.
19. Afshar-Kharghan V, Gineys G, Schade AJ, Sun L, Li CQ, McIntire LV, Dong JF, López JA. Necessity of conserved asparagine residues in the leucine-rich repeats of platelet glycoprotein Ib alpha for the proper conformation and function of the ligand-binding region. Biochemistry 39(12):3384-91, 3/2000. PMID: 10727232.
20. Sachs UJ, Kiefel V, Böhringer M, Afshar-Kharghan V, Kroll H, Santoso S. Single amino acid substitution in human platelet glycoprotein Ibbeta is responsible for the formation of the platelet-specific alloantigen Iy(a). Blood 95(5):1849-55, 3/2000. PMID: 10688847.
21. Afshar-Kharghan V, Li CQ, Khoshnevis-Asl M, López JA. Kozak sequence polymorphism of the glycoprotein (GP) Ibalpha gene is a major determinant of the plasma membrane levels of the platelet GP Ib-IX-V complex. Blood 94(1):186-91, 7/1999. PMID: 10381512.
22. López JA, Andrews RK, Afshar-Kharghan V, Berndt MC. Bernard-Soulier syndrome. Blood 91(12):4397-418, 6/1998. PMID: 9616133.
23. Afshar-Kharghan V, López JA. Bernard-Soulier syndrome caused by a dinucleotide deletion and reading frameshift in the region encoding the glycoprotein Ib alpha transmembrane domain. Blood 90(7):2634-43, 10/1997. PMID: 9326230.
24. Dong JF, Li CQ, Sae-Tung G, Hyun W, Afshar-Kharghan V, López JA. The cytoplasmic domain of glycoprotein (GP) Ibalpha constrains the lateral diffusion of the GP Ib-IX complex and modulates von Willebrand factor binding. Biochemistry 36(41):12421-7, 10/1997. PMID: 9376345.
25. Ma Q, Li D, Patenia R, Nurieva R, Jones D, Bassett R, Vasquez HG., He H, Cao W, Molldrem JL, Kroll MH, Champlin RE, Sale GE, and Afshar-Kharghan V. Reduced GVHD in C3-deficient mice is associated with the decrease of donor Th1/Th17 differentiation and recipient dendritic cell activation. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Submitted.

Grant & Contract Support

Title: 0.12 Cal, Complement system regulates immue responses in scleroderma
Funding Source: DOD/Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (DOD/CDMRP)
Role: Principal Investigator-MDACC
Duration: 10/1/2013 - 3/31/2015
 
Title: 2.40 CAL, Platelets promote growth of ovarian cancer
Funding Source: NIH/NCI
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 7/1/2013 - 6/30/2016
 
Title: 0.12 Cal, Power of platelets in ovarian cancer
Funding Source: Ovarian Cancer Research Fund
Role: Investigator
Principal Investigator: Sood
Duration: 3/1/2013 - 2/29/2016
 
Title: Complement system regulates immune responses in scleroderma
Funding Source: National Scleroderma Foundation
Role: Co-Investigator
Principal Investigator: Ma
Duration: 1/1/2013 - 12/31/2014
 
Title: The role of complement system in alloimmune responses
Funding Source: NIH/NIAID
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Duration: 7/1/2012 - 6/30/2014
 
Title: Role of Platelets in Ovarian Cancer Pathogenesis
Funding Source: Baylor/UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Role: Collaborator
Principal Investigator: Chiu Sood
Duration: 1/1/2011 - 6/30/2013

Last updated: 2/20/2013