Sepideh Mokhtari, MD

Cancer Focus:
Brain Cancer, Glioblastoma, Meningioma, Neurofibromatosis

Dr. Sepideh Mokhtari is an Assistant Member in the Department of Neuro-Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center. Dr. Mokhtari received her medical degree from Texas A&M College of Medicine in Temple, TX. She completed a Neurology Residency at Houston Methodist Hospital, where she also served as Chief Resident. She most recently completed a Neuro-Oncology Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Mokhtari’s clinical interests are primarily in brain tumors and neurologic complications of cancer. Her research focus is neurologic complications of immunotherapy  and paraneoplastic syndromes. In addition, her research interests include patients with neurofibromatosis with plexiform neurofibromas, meningiomas, acoustic neuromas and ependymomas.
She is the director of Tuberous Sclerosis clinic and co-director of Neurofibromatosis clinic at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Education & Training

Fellowship:

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center - Neuro-Oncology

Residency:

• Houston Methodist Hospital - Neurology

Medical School:

• Texas A&M - MD

Clinical Trial 23552
Complications and Management of Neurocutaneous Disorders
Condition: Neurologic Oncology
Status: Open

If you believe you are eligible for one of these trials or studies, please call
813-745-6100 or toll-free 1-800-679-0775.

• Martinez Salazar A, Mokhtari S, Peguero E, Jaffer M. The Role of Complement in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis. Cells. 2025 May.14(10). Pubmedid: 40422242. Pmcid: PMC12110157.
• Jacome MA, Wu Q, Chen J, Mohamed ZS, Mokhtari S, Piña Y, Etame AB. Molecular Underpinnings of Brain Metastases. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Mar.26(5). Pubmedid: 40076927. Pmcid: PMC11900073.
• Sahebjam S, Raval RR, Forsyth PA, Enderling H, Tran ND, Arrington JA, Macaulay R, Perlow HK, Palmer JD, Ghose J, Rajappa P, Giglio P, Li Z, Etame AB, Mokhtari S, Cruz-Chamorro RJ, Bhandari M, Thapa R, Robinson TJ, Chen DT, Yu HM. Phase 1 trial of hypofractionated stereotactic re-irradiation in combination with nivolumab, ipilimumab, and bevacizumab for recurrent high-grade gliomas. Neurooncol Adv. 2025 Feb.7(1):vdaf033. Pubmedid: 40134851. Pmcid: PMC11934552.
• Elzaafarany O, Lester D, Mokhtari S, Kissil JL. NF2-associated schwannomatosis (NF2): genetics, manifestations, and emerging therapeutic approaches. Trends Mol Med. 2025 Dec.31(12):1154-1155. Pubmedid: 40885618. Pmcid: PMC12404673.
• Piña Y, Law V, Sahebjam S, Tran N, Siddarajappa N, Li J, Mo Q, Phadke MS, Arrington J, Macaulay R, Mokhtari S, Evernden B, Ahmed KA, Smalley I, Yu M, Smalley KSM, Forsyth PA. Phase IB Study of Avelumab and Whole Brain Radiotherapy (WBRT) in Patients with Leptomeningeal Disease (LMD) from Solid Tumors: Results and Molecular Analyses. Neurooncol. 2025 Aug. Pubmedid: 40888040.
• Elzaafarany O, Elhomosany S, Rincones A, Dlugi V, Mokhtari S. Optic Pathway Glioma: Current Treatment Approaches and Ongoing Clinical Trials. Brain Sci. 2025 Aug.15(8). Pubmedid: 40867225. Pmcid: PMC12385051.
• Mokhtari S, Peeri NC, Beer-Furlan A, Anderson MD, Chowdhary S, LaRocca RV, Mammoser AG, Nabors LB, Olson JJ, Thompson RC, Thompson ZJ, Martinez YC, Egan KM. Clinical and descriptive characteristics associated with high-grade meningioma in a large clinical series. Br J Neurosurg. 2025 Apr.39(2):224-227. Pubmedid: 37287223.
• Mokhtari S, Asquith JM, Kareem SS, Bachmeier CA, Pina Y, Faramand RG, Kim Y, Peguero EN, Sahebjam S, Jaffer MH, Iacono DP, Jain MD, Vogelbaum MA, Davila ML, Forsyth PA, Locke FL, Lazaryan A. Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) for Patients with Severe Neurotoxicity Associated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell (CAR-T) Therapy. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Apr.26(8). Pubmedid: 40332772. Pmcid: PMC12028060.
• Boldig C, Warman M, Chavez J, Dubey D, Abukhdeir A, Iacono D, Verma N, Jaffer M, Teeling A, DeLuca K, Riedel H, Mokhtari S. A case of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with a paraneoplastic neurologic syndrome and leptomeningeal disease. Discov Med (Cham). 2024 Nov.1(120).
• Boldig C, Boldig K, Mokhtari S, Etame AB. A Review of the Molecular Determinants of Therapeutic Response in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Brain Metastases. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jun.25(13). Pubmedid: 39000069. Pmcid: PMC11241836.
• Verma N, Jaffer MH, Kolli AS, Mokhtari S. Updates in the Management of Paraneoplastic Syndrome. Semin Neurol. 2024 Feb.44(1):36-46. Pubmedid: 38183975.
• Boldig C, Boldig K, Mokhtari S, Etame A. CLO24-085: Precision Medicine Drivers in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Brain Metastases. J Natl Compr Canc Ne. 2024 Apr.22(2.5). Pubmedid: 38579794.
• Kundalia R, Hanini A, Kareem SS, Gonzalez R, Gatewood T, Mishra A, Pina Y, Mokhtari S. Successful management of central nervous system manifestations of chronic graft-vs-host disease: a case report. Leuk Lymphoma. 2023 Jul.64(8):1485-1489. Pubmedid: 37322898.
• Bricoune O, Kareem SS, Wallace G, Iacono DP, Macaulay R, Etame A, Pina Y, Robinson TJ, Mokhtari S. Epstein‑Barr virus‑associated primary central nervous system lymphoma in an immunosuppressed patient with a comorbid autoimmune disorder: A case report. Exp Ther Med. 2023 Aug.26(2):410. Pubmedid: 37522053. Pmcid: PMC10375448.
• Kareem SS, Viswanathan N, Sahebjam S, Tran ND, Gatewood T, Tobon K, Baz R, Piña Y, Shain KH, Mokhtari S. Leukoencephalopathy During Daratumumab-Based Therapy: A Case Series of Two Patients with Multiple Myeloma. Onco Targets Ther. 2022 Sep.15:953-962. Pubmedid: 36097632. Pmcid: PMC9464026.
• Liu JKC, Kang R, Bilenkin A, Prorok R, Whiting J, Patel KB, Beer-Furlan A, Naso C, Rogers A, Castro XB, Peguero E, Mokhtari S, Tran N, Etame A, Pina Y, Spiess PE, Forsyth P, Vogelbaum MA. Patient satisfaction and cost savings analysis of the telemedicine program within a neuro-oncology department. J Neurooncol. 2022 Nov.160(2):517-525. Pubmedid: 36367630. Pmcid: PMC9651094.
• Hoogland AI, Barata A, Logue J, Kommalapati A, Hyland KA, Nelson AM, Eisel SL, Small BJ, James BW, Christy SM, Bulls HW, Booth-Jones M, Jayani RV, Jain MD, Mokhtari S, Chavez JC, Lazaryan A, Shah BD, Locke FL, Jim HSL. Change in Neurocognitive Performance Among Patients with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in the First Year after Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy. Transplant Cell Ther. 2022 Jun.28(6):305.e1-305.e9. Pubmedid: 35378330. Pmcid: PMC9197947.
• Barata A, Hoogland AI, Kommalapati A, Logue J, Welniak T, Hyland KA, Eisel SL, Small BJ, Jayani RV, Booth-Jones M, Oswald LB, Gonzalez BD, Kirtane KS, Jain MD, Mokhtari S, Chavez JC, Lazaryan A, Shah BD, Locke FL, Jim HSL. Change in Patients' Perceived Cognition Following Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy for Lymphoma. Transplant Cell Ther. 2022 Jul.28(7):401.e1-401.e7. Pubmedid: 35580732. Pmcid: PMC9339228.
• Kutuk T, Grass GD, Oliver D, Mokhtari S, Sahebjam S, Kim S, Penagaricano J, Yu HM, Tran N, Etame A, Peterson JL, Forsyth P, Robinson T. Revisiting the Concept of Recurrence of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphomas After Complete Response to Methotrexate-Based Therapy: Periventricular Reseeding as the Predominant Mechanism of Recurrence. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2022 Jul.7(4):100940. Pubmedid: 35814853. Pmcid: PMC9260129.
• Rubino S, Lynes J, McBride P, Sahebjam S, Mokhtari S, Farinhas JM, Perry A, Macaulay R, Vogelbaum MA. NTRK3 gene fusion in an adult ganglioglioma: illustrative case. J Neurosurg Case Lessons. 2022 Jan.3(5). Pubmedid: 36130567. Pmcid: PMC9379748.
• Sheikh S, Mokhtari S, Silverman JA, Reid K, Faramand R, Davila ML, Franke N, Locke FL, Jain MD, Wong D, Kuruvilla JG. Transverse myelitis after anti-CD19 directed CAR T cell therapy for relapsed large B cell lymphoma. EJHaem. 2022 Feb.3(1):223-227. Pubmedid: 35846190. Pmcid: PMC9175700.
• Lowe SR, Wang CP, Brisco A, Whiting J, Arrington J, Ahmed K, Yu M, Robinson T, Oliver D, Etame A, Tran N, Beer Furlan A, Sahebjam S, Mokhtari S, Piña Y, Macaulay R, Forsyth P, Vogelbaum MA, Liu JKC. Surgical and anatomic factors predict development of leptomeningeal disease in patients with melanoma brain metastases. Neurooncol. 2022 Aug.24(8):1307-1317. Pubmedid: 35092434. Pmcid: PMC9340645.
• Vogelbaum MA, Kroll D, Etame A, Tran N, Liu J, Ford A, Sparr E, Kim Y, Forsyth P, Sahebjam S, Mokhtari S, Peguero E, Macaulay R. A Prospective Validation Study of the First 3D Digital Exoscope for Visualization of 5-ALA-Induced Fluorescence in High-Grade Gliomas. World Neurosurg. 2021 May.149:e498-e503. Pubmedid: 33561551.
• Verma N, Jaffer M, Pina Y, Peguero E, Mokhtari S. Rituximab for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Myasthenia Gravis. Cureus. 2021 Jul.13(7):e16337. Pubmedid: 34395120. Pmcid: PMC8357079.
• Samanic CM, Teer JK, Thompson ZJ, Creed JH, Mokhtari S, Fridley BL, Nabors LB, Williams SL, Egan KM. Mitochondrial DNA sequence variation and risk of meningioma. J Neurooncol. 2021 Dec.155(3):319-324. Pubmedid: 34669147.
• Sahebjam S, Forsyth PA, Tran ND, Arrington JA, Macaulay R, Etame AB, Walko CM, Boyle T, Peguero EN, Jaglal M, Mokhtari S, Enderling H, Raghunand N, Gatewood T, Long W, Dzierzeski JL, Evernden B, Robinson T, Wicklund MC, Kim S, Thompson ZJ, Chen DT, Chinnaiyan P, Yu HM. Hypofractionated stereotactic re-irradiation with pembrolizumab and bevacizumab in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas: results from a phase I study. Neurooncol. 2021 Apr.23(4):677-686. Pubmedid: 33173935. Pmcid: PMC8041351.
• Jaffer M, Chung M, Sharda E, Ramsakal A, Peguero E, Verma N, Mokhtari S. Immunotherapy Induced Myasthenic-Like Syndrome in a Metastatic Melanoma Patient With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Clin Med Insights Oncol. 2020 Dec.14. Pubmedid: 33447124. Pmcid: PMC7780164.
• Chung M, Jaffer M, Verma N, Mokhtari S, Ramsakal A, Peguero E. Immune checkpoint inhibitor induced anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (Anti-GAD 65) limbic encephalitis responsive to intravenous immunoglobulin and plasma exchange. J Neurol. 2020 Apr.267(4):1023-1025. Pubmedid: 31832829.
• Figura NB, Rizk VT, Mohammadi H, Evernden B, Mokhtari S, Yu HM, Robinson TJ, Etame AB, Tran ND, Liu J, Washington I, Diaz R, Czerniecki BJ, Soliman H, Han HS, Sahebjam S, Forsyth PA, Ahmed KA. Clinical outcomes of breast leptomeningeal disease treated with intrathecal trastuzumab, intrathecal chemotherapy, or whole brain radiation therapy. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2019 Jun.175(3):781-788. Pubmedid: 30859348.
• B Figura N, Long W, Yu M, Robinson TJ, Mokhtari S, Etame AB, Tran ND, Diaz R, Soliman H, S Han H, Sahebjam S, Forsyth PA, Ahmed KA. Intrathecal trastuzumab in the management of HER2+ breast leptomeningeal disease: a single institution experience. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2018 Jun.169(2):391-396. Pubmedid: 29392582.
• Sahebjam S, Stallworth DG, Mokhtari S, Tran ND, Arrington JA. Assessing Response of High-Grade Gliomas to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Cancer Control. 2017 Apr.24(2):180-186. Pubmedid: 28441372.