Parvez Khan, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. His research focuses on understanding the progression of small cell lung cancer, a highly aggressive neuroendocrine malignancy characterized by rapid tumor growth, early metastatic dissemination and nearly inevitable relapse following treatment. His research integrates cancer biology, tumor immunology, neuropeptide signaling and metabolic reprogramming to elucidate the mechanisms underlying metastatic progression and therapy resistance.

He employs patient-derived models, genetically engineered mouse models, and integrative multi-omics approaches to study how tumor cell metabolism, mitochondrial dynamics and the immune microenvironment collectively regulate tumor initiation, progression, metastatic dissemination (to liver and brain) and the emergence of resistance to chemoimmunotherapy.

Dr. Khan seeks to understand how circulating tumor cells cross some of the defense barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier, adapt to the unique microenvironment of the brain, and evade immune surveillance. Using advanced GEMMs that recapitulate spontaneous, metastatic and relapsed disease, he is working to identify novel therapeutic vulnerabilities and develop innovative strategies that improve treatment outcomes for patients facing this recalcitrant disease.