Massachusetts General Hospital

BiographyDr. Brian Nahed specializes in brain tumors and spinal disorders. As an attending neurosurgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital, he has appointments with the MGH Cancer Center, Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center for Neurooncology and is a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School. 

Dr. Nahed's research focuses on circulating tumor cells and metastatic disease. In collaboration with Drs. Daniel Haber and Shyamala Maheswaran, Dr. Nahed's research has received several grants supporting his laboratory effort at the MGH Cancer Center.  Dr. Nahed is an active member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and serves on national committees for the Tumor Section and Council of State Neurological Surgeons. 

ResearchCirculating Brain Tumor Cells
Metastatic Disease of the Brain and Spine


Dr. Nahed's research focuses on identifying and analyzing circulating tumor cells in the blood of patients with brain cancer. Through a collaboration between bioengineers, molecular biologists and clinicians, a circulating tumor cell capture device was developed to capture and detect tumor cells from patients with cancer. Under the mentorship of Drs. Daniel Haber, Shyamala Maheswaran, and Mehmet Toner, they aim to harness this technology to genetically characterize tumor cells without needing an invasive biopsy, and determine responsiveness to targeted cancer drugs. It also offers the opportunity to study cancer stem cells or@metastasis precursors, thought to be at the origin of cancer spread via the bloodstream, to define their molecular vulnerabilities and help design new therapies to prevent cancer metastasis.

Publications

View my most recent publications at PubMed