- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty
About Nilo Azad
Professional Titles
- Co-Director of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics
Primary Academic Title
Professor of Oncology
Background
Dr. Nilofer S. Azad is Professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and serves as the Associate Cancer Center Director for Clinical Research for the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.
Dr. Azad earned her medical degree and completed a residency in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She then completed a fellowship in oncology and hematology at the National Institute of Health's National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland where she served as chief fellow. Dr. Azad’s research focused on early phase drug development and the intersection of moving exciting laboratory findings into patients for new treatment options
Dr. Azad joined the faculty at the Kimmel Cancer Center in 2008. Dr. Azad’s clinical expertise is in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, with a concentration in colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma and pancreaticobiliary tract cancer. Her research efforts are dedicated to developing new drug combinations for patients with advanced cancer. In particular, Dr. Azad’s laboratory and clinical trials explore epigenetic therapy in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy to improve survival for patients, as well as molecularly targeted drugs. She is an active clinical trialist, leading multiple clinical trials of molecularly targeted agents for advanced cancer patients. Dr. Azad has received numerous grants for her work from entities such as the NCI (National Cancer Center), American Cancer Society, American Society of Clinical Research, Breakthrough Cancer Foundation, the Lustgarten Foundation, The Gateway Foundation, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, among others. She served as Principal for Johns Hopkins on the AACR Stand Up 2 Cancer Colorectal Cancer Dream Team and is a member of the Stand Up 2 Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team, leading the GI cancer initiatives for the group. Dr. Azad is a national leader in GI cancer, including serving as a member of the national NCI Colon Cancer Task Force and as Co-Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. She has a presidential appointment to the National Cancer Advisory Board.
Centers and Institutes
Clinical Trial Keywords
colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, bile duct cancer
Research Interests
GI Cancers: Colorectal, pancreatobiliary
Selected Publications
Azad NS, El-Khoueiry A, Yin J, Oberg AL, Flynn P, Adkins D, Sharma A, Weisenberger DJ, Brown T, Medvari P, Jones PA, Easwaran H, Kamel I, Bahary N, Kim G, Picus J, Pitot HC, Erlichman C, Donehower R, Shen H, Laird PW, Piekarz R, Baylin S, Ahuja N. Combination epigenetic therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with subcutaneous 5-azacitidine and entinostat: a phase 2 consortium/stand up 2 cancer study. Oncotarget. 2017 May 23;8(21):35326-35338. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.15108. PubMed PMID: 28186961; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5471058.
Azad N, Zahnow CA, Rudin CM, Baylin SB. The future of epigenetic therapy in solid tumours--lessons from the past. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2013 May;10(5):256-66. doi: 10.1038/nrclinonc.2013.42. Epub 2013 Apr 2. Review. PubMed PMID: 23546521;
PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3730253Azad NS, Posadas EM, Kwitkowski VE, Steinberg SM, Jain L, Annunziata CM, Minasian L, Sarosy G, Kotz HL, Premkumar A, Cao L, McNally D, Chow C, Chen HX, Wright JJ, Figg WD, Kohn EC. Combination targeted therapy with sorafenib and bevacizumab results in enhanced toxicity and antitumor activity. J Clin Oncol. 2008 Aug 1;26(22):3709-14. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2007.10.8332. Erratum in: J Clin Oncol. 2008 Sep 10;26(26):4363. Figg, William D [added]. PubMed PMID: 18669456.
Pelosof L, Yerram SR, Ahuja N, Delmas A, Danilova L, Herman JG, Azad NS. CHFR
silencing or microsatellite instability is associated with increased antitumor
activity of docetaxel or gemcitabine in colorectal cancer. Int J Cancer. 2014 Feb
1;134(3):596-605. doi: 10.1002/ijc.28390. Epub 2013 Aug 24. PubMed PMID:
23873170; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3830586.5Shroff RT, Yarchoan M, O'Connor A, Gallagher D, Zahurak ML, Rosner G, Ohaji C, Sartorius-Mergenthaler S, Subbiah V, Zinner R, Azad NS. The oral VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor pazopanib in combination with the MEK inhibitor trametinib in advanced cholangiocarcinoma. Br J Cancer. 2017 May 23;116(11):1402-1407. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2017.119. Epub 2017 Apr 25. Erratum in: Br J Cancer. 2018 Jan 09;:. PubMed PMID: 28441383; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5520097.
Locations
- Skip Viragh Outpatient Cancer Center
- 201 North Broadway Street, Viragh BLDG 5th FL, Baltimore, MD 21287
- phone: 410-955-8964
- fax: 410-367-2194
Expertise
Education
National Institutes of Health
Fellowship, Oncology and Hematology, 2008Baylor College of Medicine
Residency, Internal Medicine, 2004Baylor College of Medicine
Medical Education, MD, 2001Board Certifications
Medical Oncology
American Board of Internal Medicine, 2007Insurance
- Aetna
- CareFirst
- Cigna
- First Health
- Geisinger Health Plan
- HealthSmart/Accel
- Humana
- Johns Hopkins Health Plans
- MultiPlan
- Pennsylvania's Preferred Health Networks (PPHN)
- Point Comfort Underwriters
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- UnitedHealthcare
- Veteran Affairs Community Care Network (Optum-VACCN)
Ratings & Reviews
4.9 out of 5
35 ratings, 14 reviewsThe Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/9/2024
It is hard to improve on perfection! Dr. Azad listened carefully to my questions and explained the issues in terms I could easily understand.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/20/2024
Good communicator, very knowledgeable.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/20/2024
Nilo was extremely impressive, forthright and knowledgeable. We appreciated the information she provided and made decisions on my care from there. Thank you!
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/28/2024
Everyone should have the care of my team
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/30/2024
Excellent visit
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/11/2024
Excellent consultation regarding my recently diagnosed cancer. Explained details clearly and answered all of my questions. This visit was my first at this clinic and Dr Aa great experience.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/9/2024
I found Dr. Azad to be excellent. She communicates well, is professional but also friendly and approachable. She is clearly very knowledgable and able to explain things clearly.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/21/2024
Nilo was amazingly focused on my health and options with experience very relevant to my treatment
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/10/2024
Dr. Azad is very competent, knowledgeable and a pleasure. I am happy she is my doctor, and I told her this at my last visit.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/3/2024
Dr. Azad was very impressive. Dhe spent a good deal of time with me (and my wife who accompanied me).She showed warmth and compassion while speaking expertly and in some detail about my condition and future treatment options. She didn't seemed rushed at any point in our conversation,( though I am sure she has many demands on her time).She answered our questions completely and in what seemed to be appropriate detail. I felt lucky to have been referred to Dr.Azad and look forward to working with her.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/13/2024
Dr. Nilofer Azad is a wonderful, caring and professional doctor. I am so lucky that she has helped me through many checkups to keep me colon cancer free. I highly recommend her.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/6/2024
Dr Azad is knowledgeable, caring, and communicates quite well
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/6/2024
Johns Hopkins is worth the flight from Phx
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/10/2024
Dr. Azad is so knowledgeable, professional, while maintaining a warm and kind bedside delivery. One of the best physicians I have ever seen over my 65 years.