Nizar M. Tannir

Nizar M. Tannir is a Senior Professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, specializing in genitourinary oncology with a focus on kidney cancer. His research centers on renal cell carcinoma (RCC), particularly the development of prognostic biomarkers such as KIM-1 and circulating tumor DNA for oligometastatic disease, as well as the clinical translation of novel therapeutics, including HIF-2 alpha inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations. He has led pivotal trials, including the phase 3 CheckMate 214 analysis of nivolumab plus ipilimumab versus sunitinib, and has investigated mechanisms of anti-tumor immunity in sickle cell disease. His work, published in venues such as European Urology, Nature Communications, and the Journal of Clinical Oncology, has been supported by awards including a 2018 grant for research on renal medullary carcinoma pathogenesis.