Majid Momeny, PhD
The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine within McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston

BTSI

The North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) and the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation congratulate Majid Momeny, PhD, instructor at The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine within McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, as the 2026 recipient of NANETS’ Basic/Translational Science Investigator Award (BTSI). Dr. Momeny received the award for his proposal: Targeting the Stress-Adaptation Phosphatase DUSP1 to Unmask JNK-Driven Apoptotic Vulnerabilities in Poorly Differentiated Neuroendocrine Carcinomas.

Dr. Momeny brings fifteen years of cancer-signaling research experience to his work in neuroendocrine tumors, a path supported by competitive fellowships from the Finnish Cancer Institute, the Maud Kuistila Foundation, and the Turku University Foundation, as well as multidisciplinary research conducted across Australia, Europe, and the United States. He has authored more than 80 PubMed-indexed publications. Since joining UTHealth Houston in 2022, he has developed a research focus on stress-adaptation signaling and oncogenic phosphatases in neuroendocrine neoplasms, presenting his findings at the AACR Annual Meeting and the NETRF Research Symposium. He is building an independent translational research program focused on converting mechanistic discoveries into new therapeutic strategies for patients with neuroendocrine carcinomas.

Dr. Momeny will be mentored by Ali Azhdarinia, PhD, Professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. “He has consistently demonstrated exceptional scientific rigor, creativity, independence, and the qualities of an emerging leader in neuroendocrine carcinoma research,” said Dr. Azhdarinia. “I give him my highest recommendation and am fully committed to supporting his success.” Daniel M. Halperin, MD, Associate Professor at Emory University, will serve as Clinical Co-Mentor, and Po-Hien Ear, PhD, Associate Professor at Emory University, will serve as Translational Co-Mentor.

Dr. Momeny’s project targets poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas, which relapse almost universally following standard chemotherapy. For patients with advanced disease, median survival is approximately one year. His research focuses on DUSP1, a stress-adaptation phosphatase that helps these tumor cells withstand chemotherapy-induced stress and evade apoptosis. Preliminary data suggest that inhibiting DUSP1 sustains pro-apoptotic JNK signaling and sensitizes tumor cells to platinum chemotherapy, providing a potential new strategy to improve the effectiveness of first-line treatment for this aggressive disease.

The BTSI Award is a two-year, $100,000 grant made possible through generous support from the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NETRF). The BTSI Award encourages early-career scientists in a fellowship or new faculty appointment to pursue research focused on neuroendocrine cancer.

"NETRF is proud to collaborate with NANETS to support Dr. Momeny’s career development and research, which has the potential to transform the treatment of neuroendocrine carcinoma," said Elyse Gellerman, CEO of NETRF.

NANETS is grateful to NETRF, whose tremendous investment and support of this annual research grant have made a difference in the neuroendocrine cancer medical community and the patients they serve. The NANETS Scientific Review & Research Committee establishes the award criteria, reviews applications, and independently selects the recipient.