Milan G. Chheda, MD

Milan G. Chheda, MD

Associate Professor

Address:
Division of Oncology
Mail Stop 8069-0004-07
Washington University
660 South Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110

Center for Advanced Medicine, Suite 7A (clinic)
Room 7609 BJC Institute of Health (office)

Admin:
Ebony McGee
ebonyvmcgee@wustl.edu

Clinical Interests
  • Aggressive treatment of brain tumors
  • Maintenance of excellent quality of life
Research Interests
  • Cancer stem cells
  • Oncolytic viruses
  • Functional genomics of brain tumors
Research

We are interested in identifying and characterizing the genetic and epigenetic events that induce cancer and maintain tumors. Often, in other contexts, these same molecules enable normal human development.

Our initial work has focused on glioma as a model to study the tumor initiating cell state (sometimes known as the cancer stem cell state). Glioblastoma, the highest-grade glioma, is the most common and aggressive brain tumor. Tumor initiating cells exist in many types of cancer and are often more resistant to treatment than other parts of any given patient’s tumor.

Genetic aberrations found in patient tumors guide our experiments. We use these clues to discover fundamental biological mechanisms that impel tumors. We identified transcription factors and chromatin remodeling factors that are required to maintain the glioma tumor initiating cell state. This work provided a proof of principle that differentiation therapy might be feasible in solid tumors. We want to unearth new ways to kill tumor cells and uncover the signals and pathways that tumor cells use to resist our treatments. To advance our mission, we employ patient-derived tumor cells, functional genomics (loss-of-function and gain-of-function screens), biochemistry, in vivo imaging, and computational techniques.

Milan Chheda Lab
Profiles (publications)
WU Physician Bio

Biosketch

Education

  • 2006: Certificate in Clinical Effectiveness, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
  • 2001-1996: MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY
  • 1994-1993: Wallenberg Scholar, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
  • 1993-1989: AB in Physics and Mathematics, Harvard College, Cambridge, MA

Post-Graduate Training

  • 2015-2010: Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Ingo L. Mellinghoff, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
  • 2015-2007: Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of William C. Hahn, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA and Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
  • 2007-2005: Fellow in Neuro-oncology, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
  • 2005-2002: Resident in Neurology, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
  • 2002-2001: Intern in Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT

Academic Positions

  • present-2021: Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology and Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • present-2021: Director, Neuro-oncology, Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • present-2020: Director, Neuro-oncology Fellowship Program (United Council of Neurologic Subspecialties), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • present-2017: Co-leader, Neuro-oncology, Mechanisms of Cancer Biology Program (previously Cell-to-Cell Communications in Cancer), Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center
  • 2021-2015: Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology and Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 2015-2010: Clinical Instructor in Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
  • 2010-2007: Clinical Instructor in Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

University & Hospital Appointments & Committees

  • present-2016: Protocol Review Monitoring Committee, Siteman Cancer Center

Board Certification

  • Board Certification in Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (expired 2018)
  • Board Subspecialty Certification in Neuro-oncology, United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (expires 2025)

Honors & Awards

  • 2020: Young Investigator Award, Midwest Tumor Microenvironment Meeting
  • 2018: Siteman Cancer Center Rock Doc
  • 2018: Neuro-oncology Investigator Award, American Academy of Neurology
  • 2010: Jerome B. Posner Teaching Award for Neurology Resident Teaching, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
  • 2010-2008: American Brain Tumor Association Basic Science Research Fellow
  • 2009-2008: American Association for Cancer Research-National Brain Tumor Foundation Scholar in Memory of Bonnie Brooks
  • 2005: Senior Resident Teacher of the Year, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • 2001: Doyle Award in Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • 2001: MD With Distinction, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • 2001-1999: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Continued Support Scholarship
  • 1998: Howard Hughes Medical Institute – NIH Research Scholar

International Committees

  • 2017: Ad hoc Member, Scientific Review Committee, The Brain Tumour Charity, UK

Editorial Responsibilities

  • present-2020: Associate Editor, Neuro-oncology Advances
  • present-2020: Editorial Board Member, Frontiers in Neurology and Frontiers in Oncology

National Scientific Panels

  • present-2020: Member, External Advisory Committee, K12 Training Program in Nervous System Tumors, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • present-2018: Co-chairman, Young Investigator Committee, Society for Neuro-Oncology
  • present-2016: Member, Advisory Committee, K12 Training Program in Nervous System Tumors, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • present-2015: Member, Scientific Review Committee, Medical Student Summer Fellowships, American Brain Tumor Association
  • 2021: Ad hoc member, Scientific Review Committee, DT, Developmental Therapeutics Study Section, NIH
  • 2020: Ad hoc member, Scientific Review Committee, Health Disparity Research, NCI Loan Repayment Program, NIH
  • 2020: Member, Planning Committee, Annual Neuro-Oncology Fellow and Early Clinician/Investigator Career Retreat, Society for Neuro-oncology
  • 2019: Ad hoc Member, Scientific Review Committee, DT, Developmental Therapeutics Study Section, NIH
  • 2019: Member, Brain Tumor Immunology Think Tank, Society for Neuro-oncology
  • 2018: Ad hoc Member, Scientific Review Committee, CNBT, Clinical Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumors Study Section, NIH
  • 2017: Ad hoc Member, Scientific Review Committee, ZRG1 OBT-G Special Emphasis Panel, Exploratory Grant Award in Basic Cancer Research, NIH
  • 2017: Ad hoc Member, Scientific Review Committee, Bankhead-Coley Cancer Research Program and the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program, Florida Department of Health

National Meeting Moderator

  • 2018: Experimental Therapeutics; Society for Neuro-Oncology
  • 2017: Cell Signaling, Genetics, Epigenetics; Society for Neuro-Oncology

Professional Societies

  • present-2015: Society for Neuro-Oncology
  • present-2012: American Brain Tumor Foundation Alumni Network (Co-chairman, 2013)
  • present-2011: American Academy of Neurology
  • present-2008: American Association for Cancer Research