[1] He joined the laboratory of Dr Len Neckers in Urological Oncology Branch, (Chief Dr. W. Marston Linehan), at the National Cancer Institute as a research fellow in 2007.

His work demonstrated how reversible biochemical reactions can become directional and ordered, and in general, how a house-keeping machine (Hsp90) can be modulated through signaling inputs and consequently regulating many cellular pathways such cell cycle, steroid hormone receptor and autophagy.

[7][8][9] Mollapour’s finding on canonical and non-canonical post-translational modifications of the Hsp90 chaperone machinery has also explained the reasons for tumors sensitivity and selectivity towards the Hsp90 inhibitors.

[6] Mutations and loss of function of the Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene play a causal role in the pathogenesis of clear cell renal carcinomas (ccRCC), a pathological subtype that accounts for the majority kidney cancer each year.

[16][17][18] Building on this foundation, Mollapour's team developed a selective PP5 inhibitor, demonstrating its ability to activate the extrinsic apoptotic pathway in kidney cancer cells by disrupting complex II.

These findings not only elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying kidney cancer progression but also present potential new therapeutic strategies for treatment.

Mollapour’s team has identified the human tumor suppressor folliculin (FLCN) as a binding partner and uncompetitive inhibitor of LDHA.

He serves on the scientific advisory panel for KidneyCAN, a patient-created and patient-driven movement dedicated to accelerating cures for kidney cancer.

[22] Mollapour's commitment to rare kidney cancer research is further exemplified by his membership on the Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) Science Advisory Board.

This board is part of the Myrovlytis Trust, a UK charity founded in 2007 to promote research into rare conditions and advance public education in medical and molecular genetics.

[1] Sager RA, Woodford MR, Backe SJ, Makedon AM, Baker-Williams AJ, DiGregorio BT, Loiselle DR, Haystead TA, Zachara NE, Prodromou C, Bourboulia D, Schmidt LS, Linehan WM, Bratslavsky G, Mollapour M. Post-translational Regulation of FNIP1 Creates a Rheostat for the Molecular Chaperone Hsp90.

Sager RA, Woodford MR, Shapiro O, Mollapour M, Bratslavsky G. Sporadic renal angiomyolipoma in a patient with Birt-Hogg-Dube: chaperones in pathogenesis.

Woodford MR, Sager RA, Marris E, Dunn DM, Blanden AR, Murphy RL, Rensing N, Shapiro O, Panaretou B, Prodromou C, Loh SN, Gutmann DH, Bourboulia D, Bratslavsky G, Wong M, Mollapour M. Tumor suppressor Tsc1 is a new Hsp90 co-chaperone that facilitates folding of kinase and non-kinase clients.

Dushukyan N, Dunn DM, Sager RA, Woodford MR, Loiselle DR, Daneshvar M, Baker-Williams AJ, Chisholm JD, Truman AW, Vaughan CK, Haystead TA, Bratslavsky G, Bourboulia D, Mollapour M. P hosphorylation and Ubiquitination Regulate Protein Phosphatase 5 Activity and Its Prosurvival Role in Kidney Cancer.

Woodford MR, Dunn D, Miller JB, Jamal S, Neckers L, Mollapour M. Impact of Posttranslational Modifications on the Anticancer Activity of Hsp90 Inhibitors.

Woodford MR, Dunn DM, Blanden AR, Capriotti D, Loiselle D, Prodromou C, Panaretou B, Hughes PF, Smith A, Ackerman W, Haystead TA, Loh SN, Bourboulia D, Schmidt LS, Marston Linehan W, Bratslavsky G, Mollapour M. The FNIP co-chaperones decelerate the Hsp90 chaperone cycle and enhance drug binding.

Woodford MR, Truman AW, Dunn DM, Jensen SM, Cotran R, Bullard R, Abouelleil M, Beebe K, Wolfgeher D, Wierzbicki S, Post DE, Caza T, Tsutsumi S, Panaretou B, Kron SJ, Trepel JB, Landas S, Prodromou C, Shapiro O, Stetler-Stevenson WG, Bourboulia D, Neckers L, Bratslavsky G, Mollapour M. Mps1 Mediated Phosphorylation of Hsp90 Confers Renal Cell Carcinoma Sensitivity and Selectivity to Hsp90 Inhibitors.

Dunn DM, Woodford MR, Truman AW, Jensen SM, Schulman J, Caza T, Remillard TC, Loiselle D, Wolfgeher D, Blagg BS, Franco L, Haystead TA, Daturpalli S, Mayer MP, Trepel JB, Morgan RM, Prodromou C, Kron SJ, Panaretou B, Stetler-Stevenson WG, Landas SK, Neckers L, Bratslavsky G, Bourboulia D, Mollapour M. c-Abl Mediated Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Aha1 Activates Its Co-chaperone Function in Cancer Cells.

Mollapour M, Bourboulia D, Beebe K, Woodford MR, Polier S, Hoang A, Chelluri R, Li Y, Guo A, Lee MJ, Fotooh-Abadi E, Khan S, Prince T, Miyajima N, Yoshida S, Tsutsumi S, Xu W, Panaretou B, Stetler-Stevenson WG, Bratslavsky G, Trepel JB, Prodromou C, Neckers L. Asymmetric Hsp90 N Domain SUMOylation Recruits Aha1 and ATP-Competitive Inhibitors.