Seyed Javad M. Moghaddam, MD, ATSF
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine
About Dr. Seyed Javad M. Moghaddam
Dr. Moghaddam is a Professor in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Immunology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He currently chairs the research committee at the Division of Internal Medicine and has led the Immunology Graduate Program at UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences for the past three years. With a robust background in laboratory research, Dr. Moghaddam is renowned for his contributions to lung tumor immunobiology. His basic and translational research expertise spans cancer immunology, molecular and cellular biology, and transgenic animal modeling. His laboratory has developed and studied various human-relevant models that closely replicate the molecular pathobiology of human airway inflammation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. His group’s seminal and pioneering work on the role of pro-tumor cytokine network in lung cancer pathogenesis has earned him numerous awards and high-impact publications, providing a solid foundation for his team's ongoing projects.
Present Title & Affiliation
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Professor, Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Faculty, Department of CPRIT Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Prevention Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, HOUSTON, TX
Faculty, Department of First Year Medical Students Research Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Faculty, Department of CPRIT-CURE Training Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Faculty, Department of Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation Summer Program in Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, HOUSTON, TX
Faculty, Department of CCSG Lung Cancer Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Faculty, Department of Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
Faculty, Department of Immunology & Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX
Faculty, Department of Center for Inflammation and Cancer, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Professor, Tecnologico de Monterrey School of Medicine, Monterrey
Research Interests
My research is focused on airway inflammation and its role in airway epithelial carcinogenesis. Tumor-promoting inflammation is a cancer hallmark, and it is considered an enabling characteristic due to its contributions to the acquisition of core hallmark capabilities. Cigarette smoking is the principal cause of lung carcinogenesis. However, several studies have found that smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory disease of the lung, have an increased risk of lung cancer compared to smokers with comparable cigarette exposure but without COPD. This suggests a strong link between COPD-related airway inflammation and lung cancer. In addition, it is known that mutant epithelial cells begin to edit the microenvironment as soon as they transform but the exact mechanisms involved in this immuno-editing process from escaping the immunosurveillance to tumor progression still not well understood. We have previously shown that the numerous cytokines released during inflammation (oncogene-driven or COPD-related) promote lung tumorigenesis in a genetic mouse model of lung cancer. We are currently dissecting the sex- and cell-type specific mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon with genetic and pharmacologic approaches. This will provide a better understanding of the role of specific inflammatory pathways in lung carcinogenesis, and subsequently allow preclinical testing of the efficacy of anti-inflammatory agents in preventing lung cancer in high-risk population or patient with early metaplastic lesions. This would also have a major impact on the treatment of patients with lung cancer by providing the basis for rationally directed immunotherapeutic modalities to improve the efficacy of currently available treatment regimens.
Clinical Interests
We are interested in discovering mechanisms by which inflammation drives lung cancer development and progression, as well as its promotion by COPD for preventive and therapeutic purposes.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 1996 | Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS), Tehran, IR, Medicine, MD |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2025 | GCP for Clinical Trials with Investigational Drugs and Biologics |
| 2023 | EHS Virus Safety Training |
| 2023 | EHS- Safety in a Laboratory Environment |
| 2022 | NIH Review Integrity |
| 2022 | NIH Eliminating Bias in Peer Review |
| 2021 | Research Foundations: Human Subjects Research |
| 2013 | Aseptic Technique for Rodent Survival Surgery |
| 2008 | Introduction to Mice |
| 1996 | Permanent Medical License from Medical Council of Iran |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2022 - 2024
Associate Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2018 - 2024
Assistant Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2012 - 2018
Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2009 - 2012
Instructor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2007 - 2009
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Director, Immunology Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, 2021 - 2024
Intramural Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Academic Review Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2025 - Present
Chair, Research Committee, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2024 - Present
Member, IOTOX Retreat Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2022 - Present
Member, Academic Policy Advisory Council, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2021 - Present
Member, Research Promotion and Harmonization Council, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2021 - Present
Member, Research Grand Round Committee, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2021 - Present
Member, The Mid- Career Faculty Academic Leadership Team, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2020 - Present
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Student Success and Well-Being Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 2024 - Present
Member, Programming Committee, Assembly on Thoracic Oncology (ATO), American Thoracic Society, 2023 - Present
Member, Steering Committee, Gulf Coast Immunology Consortium, 2023 - Present
Editorial Activities
Editor, Cells, 2020 - Present
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Oncology, 2019 - Present
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Immunology, 2019 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2024 | Faculty Excellence Award in Education, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2024 | Faculty Excellence Honoree in Community Outreach, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2023 | Distinguished Faculty Mentor Award Finalist, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2022 | Fellow of American Thoracic Society, American Thoracic Society |
| 2021 | Lung Cancer Discovery Award, American Lung Association |
| 2017 | Early Career Achievement Award in Thoracic Oncology, American Thoracic Society |
| 2017 | Lung Cancer Discovery Award, American Lung Association |
| 2015 | Cyrus Scholar Award in Basic/Translational Research, Cyrus Family Foundation |
| 2011 | Research Scholar Award, American Cancer Society |
| 2009 | Lung Cancer Discovery Award, American Lung Association/LUNGevity Foundation |
| 2008 | Career Development Award, The University of Texas SPORE in Lung Cancer |
| 2007 | Bristol-Meyers Squibb Award in Clinical/Translational Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Velasco WV, Grimaldo MT, Karimi N, Clowers MJ, Krishna A, Wu R, Ejaz R, Yuan B, Aguila SD, Bouchelkia I, Barragan JEM, Larsen KE, Rezai Y, Khalaj F, Mitra K, Rodriguez CR, Millares R, de Anda AB, Castro-Pando S, Karandikar UC, Petrosino JF, McAllister F, Kadara H, Ostrin EJ, Fahrmann JF, Hoffman KL, Moghaddam SJ. Comparative effects of combustible cigarette versus electronic cigarette exposures on KRAS mutant lung cancer promotion. Neoplasia 67:101185, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40516145.
- Clowers MJ, Rahal Z, Cho SN, Krishna A, Yuan B, Hamana Zorrilla LG, Eckols TK, Kasembeli MM, Liu S, Peng S, Ramos-Castaneda M, Thompson AL, Rodriguez Reyna CI, Larsen KE, Grimaldo MT, Deng S, Karimi N, Chou C, Velasco WV, Zarghooni M, Alekseev S, Solis Soto LM, Ostrin EJ, Kadara H, Ekmekcioglu S, Tweardy DJ, Moghaddam SJ. Selective inhibition of canonical STAT3 signaling suppresses K-ras mutant lung tumorigenesis and reinvigorates anti-tumor immunity. Front Immunol 16:1575181, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40356899.
Invited Articles
- Moghaddam SJ, Savai R, Salehi-Rad R, Sengupta S, Kammer MN, Massion P, Beane JE, Ostrin EJ, Priolo C, Tennis MA, Stabile LP, Bauer AK, Sears CR, Szabo E, Rivera MP, Powell CA, Kadara H, Jenkins BJ, Dubinett SM, Houghton AM, Kim CF, Keith RL. Premalignant Progression in the Lung: Knowledge Gaps and Novel Opportunities for Interception of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 210(5):548-571, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39115548.
Book Chapters
- Karimi N, De Anda AB, Yang R, Aksan E, Grimaldo MT, Moghaddam SJ. The Multipotential Effect of Microbiome in Lung Cancer Development and Progression. In: Int Rev Cell Mol Biol, 171-196, 2025.
- Ramos-Castaneda M, Moghaddam SJ. Lung Cancer Murine Models and Methodology for Immunopreventive Study. In: Methods Mol Biol. Springer Science, 203-214, 2022.
- Velasco WV, Ramos-Castaneda M, Clowers MJ, Deng S, Moghaddam SJ. KRAS: The Art of Understanding a Complex Gene. Reference Module in Biomedical Sciences. In: Encyclopedia of Respiratory Medicine. 2. Elsevier, 876–888, 2020.
- Sharafkhaneh A, Velamuri S, Moghaddam SJ, Badmaev V, Dickey B, Kurie J. Natural Agents for Chemoprevention of Lung Cancer. In: Lung Cancer. Blackwell, 2008.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified December 29, 2025