Omeed Moaven, MD
Assistant Professor-Clnical Surgery
Surgical Oncology
Key Personnel:
Research Associate:
Joycelynn Coleman-Barnett
Trainee Fellow:
Conner Hartupee
Postdoctoral Fellow:
Sina Aslanabadi
Moaven Laboratory
The Moaven Laboratory is focused on optimizing immune-oncology approaches in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. His translational research program is focused on investigating oncolytic virotherapy to improve response to immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer. His lab has designed oncolytic viruses being investigated to target and remodel pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironment and improve immune response against pancreatic cancer. The approach aims to convert pancreatic cancer from an immunologically cold tumor to a hot tumor. In vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models are used to investigate tumor cytotoxicity and immune-modulatory roles of the designed oncolytic viruses and their combination with standard systemic treatments and conventional immunotherapeutic approaches. In collaboration with other labs, they also investigate the treatment efficacy of targeting tumor microenvironment with oncolytic viruses, with other novel immune-oncology approaches such as cancer vaccines.
Moaven lab has access to and closely collaborates with various LSU Cancer Center cores, including genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and histopathology cores, which are crucial components of conducting cutting-edge research. Dr. Moaven is also the director of the biorepository core and the cancer center biobank and has an active role in maintaining perspective tissue cohorts.