Kian Behbakht, MD

Education
MD (1989), The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

Contact
Academic Office 1
12631 East 17th Avenue
Room 4419, MS B198-3
Aurora, CO 80045

Phone: (303) 724-2066
Fax: (303) 724-2061

Research Interests
Dr. Behbakht is Professor and Emily McClintock Addlesperger Endowed Chair in Ovarian Cancer; and Vice-Chair for Clinical Affairs, Quality and Improvement at University of Colorado. He is also director of the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program and heads a research lab focusing on clinical, translational, and basic science approaches to treating ovarian cancer. His interests are novel drug development and screening in ovarian cancer and he has led an independent and funded laboratory since 2004. In addition to his independent studies, he collaborates extensively within and outside the institution and serves on national steering committees.

Full List of Publications

Recent Publications

1. Sawyer BT, Qamar L, Yamamoto TM, McMellen A, Watson ZL, Richer JK, Behbakht K, Schlaepfer IR, Bitler BG. Targeting Fatty Acid Oxidation to Promote Anoikis and Inhibit Ovarian Cancer Progression. Mol Cancer Res. 2020 Mar 20. PMID: 32198139.
2. Ross ME, Scott S, Behbakht K, Harper T. Spontaneous dichorionic-diamniotic twins in a noncommunicating uterine horn: A case report. Case Rep Womens Health. 2020 Apr; 26:e00177. PMID: 32055454.
3. Watson ZL, Yamamoto TM, McMellen A, Kim H, Hughes CJ, Wheeler LJ, Post MD, Behbakht K, Bitler BG. Histone methyltransferases EHMT1 and EHMT2 (GLP/G9A) maintain PARP inhibitor resistance in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Clin Epigenetics. 2019 11 27; 11(1):165. PMID: 31775874.
4. O'Cearbhaill RE, Deng W, Chen LM, Lucci JA, Behbakht K, Spirtos NM, Muller CY, Benigno BB, Powell MA, Berry E, Tewari KS, Hanjani P, Lankes HA, Aghajanian C, Sabbatini PJ. A phase II randomized, double-blind trial of a polyvalent Vaccine-KLH conjugate (NSC 748933 IND# 14384) + OPT-821 versus OPT-821 in patients with epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer who are in second or third complete remission: An NRG Oncology/GOG study. Gynecol Oncol. 2019 12; 155(3):393-399. PMID: 31653510.
5. Park PH, Yamamoto TM, Li H, Alcivar AL, Xia B, Wang Y, Bernhardy AJ, Turner KM, Kossenkov AV, Watson ZL, Behbakht K, Casadei S, Swisher EM, Mischel PS, Johnson N, Bitler BG. Amplification of the Mutation-Carrying BRCA2 Allele Promotes RAD51 Loading and PARP Inhibitor Resistance in the Absence of Reversion Mutations. Mol Cancer Ther. 2020 02; 19(2):602-613. PMID: 31575654.
6. Armstrong DK, Alvarez RD, Bakkum-Gamez JN, Barroilhet L, Behbakht K, Berchuck A, Berek JS, Chen LM, Cristea M, DeRosa M, ElNaggar AC, Gershenson DM, Gray HJ, Hakam A, Jain A, Johnston C, Leath CA, Liu J, Mahdi H, Matei D, McHale M, McLean K, O'Malley DM, Penson RT, Percac-Lima S, Ratner E, Remmenga SW, Sabbatini P, Werner TL, Zsiros E, Burns JL, Engh AM. NCCN Guidelines Insights: Ovarian Cancer, Version 1.2019. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2019 08 01; 17(8):896-909. PMID: 31390583.
7. Ramzan AA, Bitler BG, Hicks D, Barner K, Qamar L, Behbakht K, Powell T, Jansson T, Wilson H. Adiponectin receptor agonist AdipoRon induces apoptotic cell death and suppresses proliferation in human ovarian cancer cells. Mol Cell Biochem. 2019 Nov; 461(1-2):37-46. PMID: 31292831.
8. Adams CL, Dimitrova I, Post MD, Gibson L, Spillman MA, Behbakht K, Bradford AP. Identification of a novel diagnostic gene expression signature to discriminate uterine leiomyoma from leiomyosarcoma. Exp Mol Pathol. 2019 10; 110:104284. PMID: 31301306.
9. Yamamoto TM, McMellen A, Watson ZL, Aguilera J, Ferguson R, Nurmemmedov E, Thakar T, Moldovan GL, Kim H, Cittelly DM, Joglar AM, Brennecke EP, Wilson H, Behbakht K, Sikora MJ, Bitler BG. Activation of Wnt signaling promotes olaparib resistant ovarian cancer. Mol Carcinog. 2019 10; 58(10):1770-1782. PMID: 31219654.
10. Moroney MR, Davies KD, Wilberger AC, Sheeder J, Post MD, Berning AA, Fisher C, Lefkowits C, Guntupalli SR, Behbakht K, Corr BR. Molecular markers in recurrent stage I, grade 1 endometrioid endometrial cancers. Gynecol Oncol. 2019 06; 153(3):517-520. PMID: 30910249.