Professor, Department of Neurology
Director, Division of Neuro-oncology Secondary Appointments: Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Cell Biology
Professional Background: 1991, University of Tennessee College of Medicine
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Office: FOT 1020, 510 20th St South, Birmingham AL 35294-3410
Personal Info: Dr. Nabors' subspecialty is neuro-oncology, the main focus of which is the Brain Tumor Treatment & Research Program. Medical therapy is an integral part of treatment for patients with brain tumors and includes conventional chemotherapy as well as the use of novel, experimental therapies that are designed to destroy tumors that cannot be removed by surgery or radiation therapy. Neuro-oncologists oversee this part of the treatment plan for patients with brain tumors. In addition, they take care of the medical and neurologic problems that many patients with brain tumors develop, including seizures, infections, and emotional problems.
Dr. Nabors obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Mississippi State University in 1985. He then obtained his M.D. degree from the University of Tennessee in 1991. He is an active participating member of the medical staff with the Neurology Service for UAB Hospital, an attending physician for the Neurology Service at the Birmingham VA Hospital, an Associate Scientist in the Neuro-oncology Program at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Director of the Division of Neuro-oncology since March of 2005. Dr. Nabors has secondary appointments with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Cell Biology.
Specialty / Research Interests Research efforts are focused into three major areas. The first is a basic effort to understand the role post-transcriptional processes play in cancer initiation and progression. I am investigating the role of post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in primary brain tumors, particularly tumors of astrocytic lineage. I am focused on growth factors, cytokines, and regulatory genes involved in proliferation, survival, angiogenesis and invasion. RNA stabilization is an emerging area of importance in the control of mRNA levels. I am interested in factors important in stabilization (RNA-binding proteins) and the signaling pathways which control this level of gene regulation.
The second area of research interest takes advantage of my engineering background and appointment in the School of Engineering. We are interested in the acquistion and post-processing of magnetic resonnance imaging data in patients with primary brain tumors. We are particularly interested in the utility of perfusion and diffusion tensor imaging as non-invasive modalities to evaluate tumor angiogenesis, proliferation, and invasion. This effort compliments our early phase evaluation of novel glioma therapies.
The third area of interest is the logical extension of the first two for a physician-scientist and involves the early phase clinical evaluation of novel cancer therapies. This includes the design and implementation of trials for newly diagnosed and recurrent malignant glioma that utilize biologically targeted strategies and includes non-invasive endpoints in the evaluation of a biological effect.
Publications Dr. Nabors in Health System Directory
