Mehdi Nikkhah, Ph.D., an Arizona State University professor of biomedical engineering, is the principal investigator on a team developing a “GBM-on-a-Chip” platform that closely mimics the human Glioblastoma microenvironment for use in drug development.
Nikkhah was one of seven researchers awarded a $100,000 grant from the Flinn Foundation Translational Seed Grants Program in 2026. The Foundation’s Translational Seed Grants Program funds academic and medical research teams and aims to help the state improve health outcomes – a foundational goal of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap.
Nikkhah says the technology his team is developing will allow for the testing of multiple compounds and therapeutic drugs in a faster and safer manner on numerous types of tumors to improve patient outcomes.
Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer with a low survival rate and is the most common brain tumor in adults.
The Foundation is accepting applications for its 12th cohort of seed grantees. The deadline to apply is Friday, Sept. 11.