Vida Chitsazzadeh, MD, PhD

Dr. Vida Chitsazzadeh is a board-certified dermatologist, an Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Scholar in Cancer Research, and a National Institutes of Health Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences T32 Research Fellow. She earned her Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2007. She received her medical degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, in 2016. Dr. Chitsazzadeh completed her Internal Medicine internship in 2017 and her Dermatology residency in 2020, both at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She also received her Ph.D. from The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston in 2016. Dr. Chitsazzadeh joined Kelsey-Seybold in April 2022.

Awards & Publications

• Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, 2015
• MD Anderson Trainee Research Day Graduate Poster Competition Finalist in Category of Translational Research, 2015
• MD Anderson Trainee Research Elevator Speech Competition Finalist, 2014
• MD Anderson Trainee Research Day Oral Competition Finalist in Category of Translational Research, 2014
• Oral Presentation Award Winner: Translational Science National Conference at Washington, D.C., 2014
• Cancer Answers Foundation and Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Scholarship in Cancer Research, 2013
• Texas Regional CTSA Consortium, TL1 & KL2 Scholars Retreat, special recognition for the best TL1 poster presentations from Houston CTSA, 2013
• Award for outstanding academic achievement in the course of Histology, Immunology, Gross Anatomy, Neuroscience, and Developmental Anatomy from University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 2012
• The Cullen Trust for Higher Education Physician/Scientist Fellowship recipient, 2008
• Bachelor of Science (summa cum laude), biology (honors), University of California, Los Angeles, Calif., 2007
• Academic Advancement Program Warner Brothers Scholarship recipient, 2006
• HHMI Exceptional Research Opportunities Program nominee, 2006
• Iranian American Scholarship Recipient, 2005
• Momeni Foundation Scholarship Recipient, 2005
• Alpha Lambda Delta: National Academic Honor Society for Freshmen, 2004
• Member of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, 2004

Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Nguyen TN, Rajapakshe K, Avdieiev S, Nicholas C, Chitsazzadeh V, Welsh E, Fang B, Koomen J, Tsai KY. A proteome-transcriptome-miRnome integrated analysis identifies similarity between UV-exposed skin and wounding skin (abstract). JID. 2018 Mar.
• Nguyen TN, Rajapakshe, K, Chitsazzadeh V, Truong K, Schmults C, South A, Cho R, Coarfa C, Tsai, KY. Genomic analysis reveals drivers of high-risk subsets of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. (abstract). JID. 2017 Feb.
• Nguyen TN, Rajapakshe, K, Chitsazzadeh V, Truong K, Schmults C, South A, Cho R, Coarfa C, Tsai, KY. A cohort of miRNAs can be used as an early predictive biomarker of UV-driven cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (abstract). JID. 2017 Feb.
• Ku AT, Shaver TM, Rao AS, Howard JM, Rodriguez CN, Miao Q, Garcia G, Le D, Yang D, Borowiak M, Cohen DN, Chitsazzadeh V, Diwan AH, Tsai KY, Nguyen H. TCF7L1 promotes skin tumorigenesis independently of β-catenin through induction of LCN2. Elife. 2017 May.
• Chitsazzadeh V, Coarfa C, Drummond JA, Nguyen T, Joseph A, Chilukuri S, Charpiot E, Adelmann CH, Ching G, Nguyen TN, Nicholas C, Thomas VD, Migden M, MacFarlane D, Thompson E, Shen J, Takata Y, McNiece K, Polansky MA, Abbas HA, Rajapakshe K, Gower A, Spira A, Covington KR, Xiao W, Gunaratne P, Pickering C, Frederick M, Myers JN, Shen L, Yao H, Su X, Rapini RP, Wheeler DA, Hawk ET, Flores ER, Tsai KY. Cross-species identification of genomic drivers of squamous cell carcinoma development across preneoplastic intermediates. Nat Commun. 2016 Aug.
• Feldmeyer L, Ching G, Vin H, Ma W, Bansal V, Chitsazzadeh V, Jahan-Tigh R, Chu EY, Fuller P, Maiti S, Davis RE, Cooper LJ, Tsai KY. Differential T-cell subset representation in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma arising in immunosuppressed versus immunocompetent individuals. Exp Dermatol. 2016 Mar.
• Planque SA, Mitsuda Y, Chitsazzadeh V, Gorantla S, Poluektova L, Nishiyama Y, Ochsenbauer C, Morris MK, Sapparapu G, Hanson CV, Massey RJ, Paul S. Deficient synthesis of class-switched, HIV-neutralizing antibodies to the CD4 binding site and correction by electrophilic gp120 immunogen. AIDS. 2014 Sep.
• Vin H, Ching G, Ojeda SS, Adelmann CH, Chitsazzadeh V, Dwyer DW, Ma H, Ehrenreiter K, Baccarini M, Ruggieri R, Curry JL, Ciurea AM, Duvic M, Busaidy NL, Tannir NM, Tsai KY. Sorafenib suppresses JNK-dependent apoptosis through inhibition of ZAK. Mol Cancer Ther. 2014 Jan.
• Poduri A, Heinzen EL, Chitsazzadeh V, Lasorsa FM, Elhosary PC, LaCoursiere CM, Martin E, Yuskaitis CJ, Hill RS, Atabay KD, Barry B, Partlow JN, Bashiri FA, Zeidan RM, Elmalik SA, Kabiraj MM, Kothare S, Stödberg T, McTague A, Kurian MA, Scheffer IE, Barkovich AJ, Palmieri F, Salih MA, Walsh CA. SLC25A22 is a novel gene for migrating partial seizures in infancy. Ann Neurol. 2013 Dec.
• Vin H, Ojeda SS, Ching G, Leung ML, Chitsazzadeh V, Dwyer DW, Adelmann CH, Restrepo M, Richards KN, Stewart LR, Du L, Ferguson SB, Chakravarti D, Ehrenreiter K, Baccarini M, Ruggieri R, Curry JL, Kim KB, Ciurea AM, Duvic M, Prieto VG, Ullrich SE, Dalby KN, Flores ER, Tsai KY. BRAF inhibitors suppress apoptosis through off-target inhibition of JNK signaling. Elife. 2013 Nov.
• Poduri A, Chitsazzadeh V, D'Arrigo S, Fedrizzi E, Pantaleoni C, Riva D, Busse C, Küster H, Duplessis A, Gaitanis J, Sahin M, Garganta C, Topcu M, Dies KA, Barry BJ, Partlow J, Barkovich AJ, Walsh CA, Chang BS. The syndrome of perisylvian polymicrogyria with congenital arthrogryposis. Brain Dev. 2010 Aug.
• Poduri A, Wang Y, Gordon D, Barral-Rodriguez S, Barker-Cummings C, Ulgen A, Chitsazzadeh V, Hill RS, Risch N, Hauser WA, Pedley TA, Walsh CA, Ottman R. Novel susceptibility locus at chromosome 6q16.3-22.31 in a family with GEFS+. Neurology. 2009 Oct.
• Call GB, Olson JM, Chen J, Villarasa N, Ngo KT, Yabroff AM, Cokus S, Pellegrini M, Bibikova E, Bui C, Cespedes A, Chan C, Chan S, Cheema AK, Chhabra A, Chitsazzadeh V, Do MT, etc, Banerjee U. Genomewide clonal analysis of lethal mutations in the Drosophila melanogaster eye: comparison of the X chromosome and autosomes. Genetics. 2007 Oct.

Poster Presentations

National

• AACR 106th Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pa., 2015
• Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Ga., 2015
• American Society for Clinical Investigation and American Physician Scientists Association Joint 11th Annual Meeting, Chicago, Ill., 2015
• Translational Science National Conference, Washington, D.C., 2015
• Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, N.M., 2014
• American Society for Clinical Investigation and American Physician Scientists Association Joint 10th Annual Meeting, Chicago, Ill., 2014
• Translational Science National Conference, Washington, D.C., 2014
• American Society for Clinical Investigation and American Physician Scientists Association Joint 9th Annual Meeting, Chicago, Ill., 2013
• American Society of Clinical Oncology, Chicago, Ill., 2012
• American Epilepsy Society 62nd Annual Meeting, Seattle, Wash., 2008
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Exceptional Research Opportunities Program conference, Chevy Chase, M.D., 2006

Regional

• Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston Genes and Development Retreat, T Bar M Conference Center, Texas, 2014
• Texas Regional CTSA Consortium, TL1 & KL2 Scholars retreat, San Antonio, Texas, 2013
• American Physician Scientists Association South Regional Meeting, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, 2013
• Fourth Annual Advances in Oncology – From Clinical Science to Clinical Practice Conference, Houston, Texas, 2013
• Annual Medical School Research Retreat, Houston, Texas, 2013
• Center for Cancer Immunology Research Retreat, Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Conference Center, Texas, 2012
• American Physician Scientists Association South Regional Meeting; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, 2012
• Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston Genes and Development Retreat, T Bar M Conference Center, Texas, 2012
• University of California, Los Angeles Ninth Annual Science Poster Day, LA, CA. 2006 University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Physiological Sciences, Undergraduate Research Poster Presentation, Los Angeles, Calif., 2006

Research

• 2011 – 2016 The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Thesis: Integrated cross-species genomic analysis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma development through the preneoplastic actinic keratosis stage using matched human samples and a solar ultraviolet radiation-driven Hairless mouse model. Mentor: Dr. Kenneth Y. Tsai
• 2009 The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Tutorial: Investigating the Role of PCI-24781, a Novel Hydroxamic Acid HDAC Inhibitor, as an Apoptosis Inducer in Osteosarcoma Cells. Mentor: Dr. Dennis Hughes
• 2009 The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Tutorial: Impaired adaptive immune response to HIV CD4 binding site and restoration of immunogenicity by covalent immunization. Mentor: Dr. Sudhir Paul
• 2008 The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Tutorial: Investigating the role of TGFBR1 mutation in pathogenesis of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection. Mentor: Dr. Dianna Milewicz
• 2007 – 2008 Research Assistant at Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School: Identification of genes involved in Generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus syndrome. Mentor: Dr. Annapurna Poduri
• 2006 HHMI Exceptional Research Opportunities Summer Program: Identifying genes responsible for the combined condition of bilateral Perisylvian Polymicrogyria and Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita. Mentor: Dr. Annapurna Poduri
• 2005 – 2007 HHMI Consortium in Functional Genomics Researcher at UCLA: Functional Genomic Analysis of Nine Genes in the Drosophila Eye Development. Mentor: Dr. Utpal Banerjee
• 2005 – 2007 UCLA Directed Research Program in Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences: Examining the expression of the serotonin receptor, 5HT2A, in the spinal cords of spinally transected mice in response to treatment of quipazine