Aram Modrek

Brain tumor research & radiation oncology at USC. Assistant Professor sharing insights and updates. Thoughts are my own.

[Aram Modrek @AramModrek]

@LabMutwil Nice tool, does a similar tool exist for human/cancer bio?

[Shae McLaughlin @shae_mcl]

It’s estimated that the Protein Data Bank (PDB) cost around $13B to create. Alphafold was only possible because of it. If we want ML to solve biology, we should be funding the creation of databases and the development of new assay technologies. ML is nothing without data.

[Mukund Iyengar @mukundiyngr]

Every cancer drug you prescribe today
was once an NIH grant nobody noticed.

Pharma celebrates launches.

Few notice the 20–40 year runway behind that.

Gleevec took 41 years from NIH-funded discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome → FDA approval.

Behind every “breakthrough” sits a graveyard of failed attempts that made it possible.

Cut that lineage today,
the next Gleevec doesn’t arrive in 2067.

Funded science matters.

If someone says NIH funded science is inefficient,
show them this.

- - - - -
Source: NIH RePORTER · FDA · via @Jori_health
- - - - -

[Aram Modrek @AramModrek]

@dechen_lin Congratulations @dechen_lin !

[Joshua Schiff @JoshuaSchiffMD]

Had so much fun sharing the stage with some leaders in Adaptive Radiation at #ARS2026

One of the coolest parts about being a junior faculty is going from learning from your mentors to sharing the stage with them now as colleagues and friends @lauren_henke

[Floris Barthel @florisbarthel]

New preprint! We used Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing to ask: does chromosome-arm-specific telomere length shape how IDH-mutant astrocytoma genomes evolve? Short answer: yes, and in two opposite directions. 🔗 https://t.co/JlhHydzigr

[Leslie Vosshall PhD @leslievosshall]

Scientific publishing needs to change. In a new preprint, HHMI President Erin O'Shea and Bodo Stern argue that the incentives are misaligned. Researchers should be evaluated on what they choose to share, not what journals select. I’m proud that @hhmi_science is leading the way. Read the preprint here: https://t.co/CV1iiwgIvY

[Sasha Gusev @SashaGusevPosts]

Monthly median Received to Accepted time (days) at Nature Genetics

[PDBrown @PDBrownOnc]

ReRT with Spine SBRT
107 lesions most 18-24Gy/1 or 30-36Gy/3
Median time to reRT 12 mo
1 Yr LC 88%
No RM, 5 cases periph neuropathy
https://t.co/JOkKEjtF5j

[USC Brain Tumor Center (uscbtc) @USCBTC]

🚨 1 MONTH COUNTDOWN 🚨
In just one month, we’ll come together for the 3rd Annual Southern California Brain Tumor Conference, and you’re invited to be part of the momentum.

Join us on March 27, 2026 at the USC Health Sciences Campus for a powerful day of discovery, collaboration, and hope, featuring our exceptional keynote speaker, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, and leading experts from across Southern California’s top institutions sharing the newest research and breakthroughs aimed at finding better treatments—and ultimately, a cure for brain cancer.

✨ Why attend?
🧠 Hear cutting-edge updates in brain tumor science and clinical innovation
🤝 Learn how SoCal institutions are working together to accelerate progress
💛 Connect with physicians, researchers, patients, caregivers, and advocates united by one mission

✅ Register today (space is limited):
https://t.co/pjz0HytIhj

#BrainTumor #BrainCancer #Glioblastoma #NeuroOncology #CancerResearch #KeckMedicine #USC #SoCalBrainTumorConference #HopeThroughScience #TeamScience #ClinicalTrials #TogetherWeFight

[USC Brain Tumor Center (uscbtc) @USCBTC]

✨ We are proud to announce Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong as the Keynote Speaker for the 3rd Annual Southern California Brain Tumor Conference. His work at the intersection of science and innovation reflects the urgency of our mission: accelerating discovery and improving outcomes for patients facing the most challenging brain tumors. ✨

A physician-scientist and entrepreneur, Dr. Soon-Shiong has helped shape modern cancer treatment and immunotherapy. 

He is widely known for inventing Abraxane, a nanoparticle-based chemotherapy designed to deliver treatment more effectively to tumors. 

He also pioneered precision oncology platforms through NantHealth/NantOmics, integrating DNA, RNA, and protein profiling to guide individualized cancer care. 

Importantly, his work also highlights the role of AI, advanced computing, and digital infrastructure in accelerating data-driven medicine and cancer care. 

His work in precision oncology and immunotherapy is helping drive new strategies being explored across complex cancers: including those with urgent unmet needs like brain tumors. 

📅 March 27, 2026
📍 USC Health Sciences Campus
🔗 Register (link in bio)
https://t.co/Ot2iXzXyhU

#SouthernCaliforniaBrainTumorConference #KeckMedicineOfUSC #KeckSchoolOfMedicine #BrainTumor #BrainCancer #Glioblastoma #NeuroOncology #Neurosurgery #Immunotherapy #PrecisionOncology #AIinMedicine #CancerResearch #ClinicalTrials #HopeThroughScience #Collaboration

[USC Brain Tumor Center (uscbtc) @USCBTC]

Members of the USC Brain Tumor Center recently attended a seminar by Nobel Prize Laureate Ardem Patapoutian, who presented his groundbreaking work on the molecular mechanisms that allow cells to sense touch, pressure, and mechanical forces, discoveries that led to his Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The seminar sparked engaging discussion on the broader implications of mechanosensation in human health and disease. Pictured is BTC member Aram Modrek MD, PhD, meeting with Dr. Patapoutian following the seminar.

#science #nobelprize #physiology #medicine

[Aram Modrek @AramModrek]

@JustinLathia @TyMillerLab @caseccc congrats @TyMillerLab !

[Reads with Ravi @readswithravi]

Umberto Eco, who owned 50,000 books, had this to say about home libraries:

“It is foolish to think that you have to read all the books you buy, as it is foolish to criticize those who buy more books than they will ever be able to read. It would be like saying that you should use all the cutlery or glasses or screwdrivers or drill bits you bought before buying new ones.

“There are things in life that we need to always have plenty of supplies, even if we will only use a small portion.

“If, for example, we consider books as medicine, we understand that it is good to have many at home rather than a few: when you want to feel better, then you go to the ‘medicine closet’ and choose a book. Not a random one, but the right book for that moment. That’s why you should always have a nutrition choice!

“Those who buy only one book, read only that one and then get rid of it. They simply apply the consumer mentality to books, that is, they consider them a consumer product, a good. Those who love books know that a book is anything but a commodity.”

[The Nobel Prize @NobelPrize]

“I think that people need to understand that basic research is an investment. It’s an investment in our future.”

Frances Arnold will join us for this year’s Nobel Week Dialogue on 9 December where we will tackle issues including how mental health, diseases of ageing and the prevention of chronic disease conditions must rise up political agendas.

Nobel Prize laureates, academics, innovators and policymakers will explore one of the most urgent challenges of our time: how to deliver equitable, effective, and sustainable healthcare in the 21st century. The event will be live streamed on https://t.co/m577HIID0a.

In a new interview with Arnold she emphasises how science flourishes through open exchange of ideas, sustained investment in basic research and collaboration across borders to drive future innovation and sustainability.

Read the interview: https://t.co/VxHkfW862p

[American Brain Tumor Association @theABTA]

Behind every ABTA grant is a bold mind working to change the future for brain tumor patients.
This fall, we welcomed new researchers focused on:
🔬 Precision treatments
💜 Better outcomes & quality of life
💡 Inspiring the next generation
Together, we power breakthroughs.
Meet the grantees: https://t.co/RDsimSdVl4

[The Nobel Prize @NobelPrize]

BREAKING NEWS
The 2025 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi “for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.”

[Soma Sengupta @SomaSen79612182]

#AARN2025 @theABTA @TuftsMCNeuro

[Jane Skok @jane_skok]

Excited to share our new preprint:

[Suhn Rhie @RhieSuhn]

Excited to share that our manuscript on the Methyl-Micro-C technique, enabling simultaneous characterization of chromatin accessibility, interactions, and DNA methylation has been selected as Editor’s Choice! So proud of my lab: Leo, Claire, Huan, and Tim https://t.co/qae0caWWbT