Aram Modrek

Title(s)Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology and Cancer Biology
SchoolKeck School of Medicine of Usc
Address1441 Eastlake Avenue
Health Sciences Campus
Los Angeles CA 90033
ORCID ORCID Icon0000-0001-7586-9833 Additional info
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    Collapse Biography 
    Collapse education and training
    New York University, New York City, NYMD2018M.D., Medicine
    New York University, New York City, NYPhD2016Ph.D., Molecular Biology and Tumor Immunology
    New York University, New York City, NY2023Radiation Oncology (Residency)
    New York University, New York City, NY2019Medicine Internship (Residency)
    New York University, New York City, NY2023Post-doctoral Research, Glioma Biology

    Collapse Overview 
    Collapse overview
    At the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Keck Medicine of USC, Dr. Aram Modrek, MD, PhD, cares for patients with a wide range of brain tumors. He is dedicated to providing highly personalized treatment, taking time to understand each patient’s individual goals and circumstances. His collaborative approach emphasizes trust, compassion, and tailoring therapies to achieve the best outcomes possible. As part of the multidisciplinary team at the USC Brain Tumor Center, Dr. Modrek offers advanced treatment options and ongoing support for patients and their families.

    In addition to his clinical role, Dr. Modrek leads a research laboratory within the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. The lab is part of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Epigenetic Regulation in Cancer Program, and the USC Brain Tumor Center. The research mission is to understand how DNA damage reshapes the genome and how these alterations drive changes in gene regulation and treatment resistance in brain tumors. By uncovering how cancer adapts to therapy, the team aims to identify new strategies to disrupt these processes and make treatments more effective.

    As a physician-scientist, Dr. Modrek combines his clinical expertise with laboratory research to bring forward innovations that can directly benefit patients. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on brain tumor research and is frequently invited to present his work nationally and internationally. Dr. Modrek is also active in professional societies, including the Society for Neuro-Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society for Radiation Oncology, the American Brain Tumor Association, and the Radiological Society of North America.

    Born and raised in Los Angeles as the proud son of immigrants from Armenia and Iran, Dr. Modrek brings both personal and professional passion to his work. Outside of medicine and research, he enjoys cycling, swimming, and spending time outdoors with his family.

    Collapse Research 
    Collapse research activities and funding
    V Foundation Oct 1, 2024 - Sep 30, 2027
    Role: PI
    Baxter Foundation Jun 30, 2024 - Jun 30, 2025
    Role: PI
    Epigenetic alterations after DNA damage repair drive treatment resistance in glioblastoma
    NIH K08CA263302Sep 20, 2022 - Aug 31, 2027
    Role: Principal Investigator

    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse selected publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Researchers can login to make corrections and additions, or contact us for help. to make corrections and additions.
    Newest   |   Oldest   |   Most Cited   |   Most Discussed   |   Timeline   |   Field Summary   |   Plain Text
    Altmetrics Details PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. Persistent chromatin alterations and gene expression reprogramming follow widespread DNA damage in glioblastoma. bioRxiv. 2025 Jun 24. Modrek AS, Chandradoss K, Do C, Ezhilarasan R, Sakellaropoulos T, Karp J, Ding Y, Zhang ZY, Graciani M, Cova G, Phillips-Cremins JE, Sulman EP, Skok JA. PMID: 40667295; PMCID: PMC12262309.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    2. mtgRNA-db: An annotated database of multi-target CRISPR-Cas9 guide-RNAs in the human genome. bioRxiv. 2025 May 10. Modrek AS, Huynh K, Do C, Karp J, Ding Y, Zhang ZY, Ezhilarasan R, Valor B, Cova G, Skok JA, Sulman EP. PMID: 40654676; PMCID: PMC12247669.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    3. Deconvolution of the tumor-educated platelet transcriptome reveals activated platelet and inflammatory cell transcript signatures. JCI Insight. 2024 Aug 27; 9(19). Karp JM, Modrek AS, Ezhilarasan R, Zhang ZY, Ding Y, Graciani M, Sahimi A, Silvestro M, Chen T, Li S, Wong KK, Ramkhelawon B, Bhat KP, Sulman EP. PMID: 39190500; PMCID: PMC11466191.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    4. Lineage-coupled clonal capture identifies clonal evolution mechanisms and vulnerabilities of BRAFV600E inhibition resistance in melanoma. Cell Discov. 2022 Oct 06; 8(1):102. Zhang ZY, Ding Y, Ezhilarasan R, Lhakhang T, Wang Q, Yang J, Modrek AS, Zhang H, Tsirigos A, Futreal A, Draetta GF, Verhaak RGW, Sulman EP. PMID: 36202798; PMCID: PMC9537441.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 4  
    5. PDPN marks a subset of aggressive and radiation-resistant glioblastoma cells. Front Oncol. 2022; 12:941657. Modrek AS, Eskilsson E, Ezhilarasan R, Wang Q, Goodman LD, Ding Y, Zhang ZY, Bhat KPL, Le TT, Barthel FP, Tang M, Yang J, Long L, Gumin J, Lang FF, Verhaak RGW, Aldape KD, Sulman EP. PMID: 36059614; PMCID: PMC9434399.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 6  
    6. Pulmonary Toxic Effects After Myeloablative Conditioning With Total Body Irradiation Delivered via Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy With Fludarabine. Pract Radiat Oncol. 2022 Nov-Dec; 12(6):e476-e480. Modrek AS, Karp JM, Byun D, Gerber NK, Abdul-Hay M, Al-Homsi AS, Galavis P, Teruel J, Yuan Y. PMID: 35598860.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:Humans
    7. Insight into the public's interest in tumour treating fields. Br J Cancer. 2021 09; 125(6):901-903. Byun DJ, Modrek AS, Sulman EP. PMID: 34316021; PMCID: PMC8437973.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:Humans
    8. Breaking Tradition to Bridge Bench and Bedside: Accelerating the MD-PhD-Residency Pathway. Acad Med. 2021 04 01; 96(4):518-521. Modrek AS, Tanese N, Placantonakis DG, Sulman EP, Rivera R, Du KL, Gerber NK, David G, Chesler M, Philips MR, Cangiarella J. PMID: 33464738.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    9. Design and implementation of a clinical decision support tool for primary palliative Care for Emergency Medicine (PRIM-ER). BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2020 Jan 28; 20(1):13. Tan A, Durbin M, Chung FR, Rubin AL, Cuthel AM, McQuilkin JA, Modrek AS, Jamin C, Gavin N, Mann D, Swartz JL, Austrian JS, Testa PA, Hill JD, Grudzen CR, Group Authorship: Corita R. Grudzen on behalf of the PRIM-ER Clinical Informatics Advisory Board. PMID: 31992301; PMCID: PMC6988238.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 32     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    10. Mutant Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors as Targeted Cancer Therapeutics. Front Oncol. 2019; 9:417. Golub D, Iyengar N, Dogra S, Wong T, Bready D, Tang K, Modrek AS, Placantonakis DG. PMID: 31165048; PMCID: PMC6534082.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 126  
    11. Multiple modes of PRC2 inhibition elicit global chromatin alterations in H3K27M pediatric glioma. Sci Adv. 2018 10; 4(10):eaau5935. Stafford JM, Lee CH, Voigt P, Descostes N, Saldaña-Meyer R, Yu JR, Leroy G, Oksuz O, Chapman JR, Suarez F, Modrek AS, Bayin NS, Placantonakis DG, Karajannis MA, Snuderl M, Ueberheide B, Reinberg D. PMID: 30402543; PMCID: PMC6209383.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 97     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    12. Modeling Glioma with Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Lineages. Methods Mol Biol. 2018; 1741:227-237. Modrek AS, Prado J, Bready D, Dhaliwal J, Golub D, Placantonakis DG. PMID: 29392705.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 4     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    13. Low-Grade Astrocytoma Mutations in IDH1, P53, and ATRX Cooperate to Block Differentiation of Human Neural Stem Cells via Repression of SOX2. Cell Rep. 2017 Oct 31; 21(5):1267-1280. Modrek AS, Golub D, Khan T, Bready D, Prado J, Bowman C, Deng J, Zhang G, Rocha PP, Raviram R, Lazaris C, Stafford JM, LeRoy G, Kader M, Dhaliwal J, Bayin NS, Frenster JD, Serrano J, Chiriboga L, Baitalmal R, Nanjangud G, Chi AS, Golfinos JG, Wang J, Karajannis MA, Bonneau RA, Reinberg D, Tsirigos A, Zagzag D, Snuderl M, Skok JA, Neubert TA, Placantonakis DG. PMID: 29091765; PMCID: PMC5687844.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 77     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    14. Modeling HSV-1 Latency in Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neurons. Pathogens. 2017 Jun 08; 6(2). Pourchet A, Modrek AS, Placantonakis DG, Mohr I, Wilson AC. PMID: 28594343; PMCID: PMC5488658.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 33     Fields:    
    15. Notch signaling regulates metabolic heterogeneity in glioblastoma stem cells. Oncotarget. 2017 Sep 12; 8(39):64932-64953. Bayin NS, Frenster JD, Sen R, Si S, Modrek AS, Galifianakis N, Dolgalev I, Ortenzi V, Illa-Bochaca I, Khahera A, Serrano J, Chiriboga L, Zagzag D, Golfinos JG, Doyle W, Tsirigos A, Heguy A, Chesler M, Barcellos-Hoff MH, Snuderl M, Placantonakis DG. PMID: 29029402; PMCID: PMC5630302.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 42     Fields:    
    16. GPR133 (ADGRD1), an adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor, is necessary for glioblastoma growth. Oncogenesis. 2016 Oct 24; 5(10):e263. Bayin NS, Frenster JD, Kane JR, Rubenstein J, Modrek AS, Baitalmal R, Dolgalev I, Rudzenski K, Scarabottolo L, Crespi D, Redaelli L, Snuderl M, Golfinos JG, Doyle W, Pacione D, Parker EC, Chi AS, Heguy A, MacNeil DJ, Shohdy N, Zagzag D, Placantonakis DG. PMID: 27775701; PMCID: PMC5117849.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 32  
    17. Traumatic brain injury and subsequent glioblastoma development: Review of the literature and case reports. Surg Neurol Int. 2016; 7:78. Tyagi V, Theobald J, Barger J, Bustoros M, Bayin NS, Modrek AS, Kader M, Anderer EG, Donahue B, Fatterpekar G, Placantonakis DG. PMID: 27625888; PMCID: PMC5009580.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 20  
    18. Adult Primary Spinal Epidural Extraosseous Ewing's Sarcoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Case Rep Neurol Med. 2016; 2016:1217428. Bustoros M, Thomas C, Frenster J, Modrek AS, Bayin NS, Snuderl M, Rosen G, Schiff PB, Placantonakis DG. PMID: 27610254; PMCID: PMC5005550.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 7  
    19. Preplanning prediction of the left anterior descending artery maximum dose based on patient, dosimetric, and treatment planning parameters. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2016 Oct-Dec; 1(4):373-381. Cooper BT, Li X, Shin SM, Modrek AS, Hsu HC, DeWyngaert JK, Jozsef G, Lymberis SC, Goldberg JD, Formenti SC. PMID: 28740908; PMCID: PMC5514165.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 6  
    20. Radiation therapy improves survival in rectal small cell cancer - Analysis of Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data. Radiat Oncol. 2015 Apr 24; 10:101. Modrek AS, Hsu HC, Leichman CG, Du KL. PMID: 25902707; PMCID: PMC4464878.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 11     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    21. Selective lentiviral gene delivery to CD133-expressing human glioblastoma stem cells. PLoS One. 2014; 9(12):e116114. Bayin NS, Modrek AS, Dietrich A, Lebowitz J, Abel T, Song HR, Schober M, Zagzag D, Buchholz CJ, Chao MV, Placantonakis DG. PMID: 25541984; PMCID: PMC4277468.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 14     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    22. Glioblastoma stem cells: Molecular characteristics and therapeutic implications. World J Stem Cells. 2014 Apr 26; 6(2):230-8. Bayin NS, Modrek AS, Placantonakis DG. PMID: 24772249; PMCID: PMC3999780.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 37  
    23. Helicase SUV3, polynucleotide phosphorylase, and mitochondrial polyadenylation polymerase form a transient complex to modulate mitochondrial mRNA polyadenylated tail lengths in response to energetic changes. J Biol Chem. 2014 Jun 13; 289(24):16727-35. Wang DD, Guo XE, Modrek AS, Chen CF, Chen PL, Lee WH. PMID: 24770417; PMCID: PMC4059117.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 24     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    24. Brain stem cells as the cell of origin in glioma. World J Stem Cells. 2014 Jan 26; 6(1):43-52. Modrek AS, Bayin NS, Placantonakis DG. PMID: 24567787; PMCID: PMC3927013.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 50  
    25. Targeting tumor suppressor networks for cancer therapeutics. Curr Drug Targets. 2014 Jan; 15(1):2-16. Guo XE, Ngo B, Modrek AS, Lee WH. PMID: 24387338; PMCID: PMC4032821.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 39     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    26. Uncoupling the roles of the SUV3 helicase in maintenance of mitochondrial genome stability and RNA degradation. J Biol Chem. 2011 Nov 04; 286(44):38783-38794. Guo XE, Chen CF, Wang DD, Modrek AS, Phan VH, Lee WH, Chen PL. PMID: 21911497; PMCID: PMC3207411.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 13     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
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