About

Dr. Tae Joon Moon is an Assistant Professor of Communication and Endowed Professor in Communication and Alcohol Studies at the University of Arizona. His research is dedicated to the design, development, and implementation of technology-enhanced interventions for individuals impacted by alcohol and/or substance use disorders. He leverages advanced healthcare technologies, such as remote biosensors and mobile health applications, to enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of treatment for these conditions. His current research initiatives have expanded to encompass community-based interventions that aim to increase awareness about the risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption and to improve accessibility to treatment for individuals facing alcohol-related challenges. Dr. Moon has been actively engaged in NIH-funded research projects, serving as both Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator. His work focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of interventions for heavy alcohol users and alcohol-impaired drivers, as well as exploring the socio-cognitive mechanisms that contribute to the development of substance use disorders and the recovery process.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Internal medicine
• Political Science
• Medicine
• Artificial Intelligence
• Intensive care medicine
• Pathology
• Nursing

Selected publications

• Don’t Forget the Cardiac Fibroma: Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Management of Patient with a Large Cardiac Fibroma

  Authorea (Authorea) · 2021

  • Political Science
  • Medicine
  • Intensive care medicine

  COVID-19 has introduced a monumental challenge to the routine delivery of healthcare and protection of healthcare professionals. Conditions that are life threatening and need urgent intervention add another layer of complexity. This brief report reviews the management of a large cardiac fibroma found in the setting of COVID-19.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Approach to Selection of Agents for Cancer Prevention Trials

  CRC Press eBooks · 2021

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Medicine
  • Artificial Intelligence

  The primary objective of cancer prevention research is to select agents that reduce the incidence of cancer. Stages in the selection of possible cancer-preventive agents have been defined but have not been fully validated. Evaluation and updating of the rationale and interrelationship between these stages can result in an effective and more efficient plan to select agents. The plan is based upon the integration of current understanding of therapeutic drug development, experimental carcinogenesis, and accumulating data from laboratory and human cancer prevention research. The integration of resources of the federal government, universities, and industry can produce the timely selection and application of cancer-preventive agents. The history of cancer therapeutic agent development is impressive in many ways including its duration and magnitude. Criteria useful in the selection of agents requires that studies include the quantity and duration of exposure of the agent and quantitative endpoints.

  PublisherDOI

• Moxifloxacin Increases Heart Rate in Humans

  Antibiotics · 2017-02-05 · 9 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  (1) Background: We assessed the effect of moxifloxacin on heart rate, and reviewed the heart rate effects of other antibiotics; (2) Methods: A total of 335 normal volunteers had 12-lead electrocardiograms recorded at multiple time points before and during treatment with moxifloxacin and with placebo in seven consecutive, thorough QT studies of crossover design; (3) Results: The average baseline heart rate across the seven studies was 61.5 bpm. The heart rate after moxifloxacin dosing was analyzed at five time points shared by all seven studies (hours 1, 2, 3, 12 and 24). The maximum mean heart rate (HR) increase for the seven studies combined was 2.4 bpm (95% CI 1.6, 3.3) at hour 2. The range of mean maximum increases among the seven studies was 2.1 to 4.3 bpm. For the seven studies combined, the increase was statistically significant at all but the 24 h time point. The maximum observed individual increase in HR was 36 bpm and the mean maximum increase was 30 ± 4.1 bpm by time point and 8 ± 6.9 bpm by subject. Many antibiotics increase HR, some several-fold more than moxifloxacin. However, clinicians and clinical investigators give little attention to this potential adverse effect in the medical literature; (4) Conclusions: The observed moxifloxacin-induced increase in HR is large enough to be clinically relevant, and it is a potentially important confounder in thorough QT studies using moxifloxacin as an active control. More attention to heart rate effects of antibiotics is warranted.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A fundamental relationship between intraventricular conduction and heart rate

  Journal of Electrocardiology · 2016-03-05 · 23 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Automated measurements for individualized heart rate correction of the QT interval

  Clinical Trials · 2015-01-09 · 5 citations

  articleSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Subject-specific electrocardiographic QT interval correction for heart rate is often used in clinical trials with frequent electrocardiographic recordings. However, in these studies relatively few 10-s, 12-lead electrocardiograms may be available for calculating the individual correction. Highly automated QT and RR measurement tools have made it practical to measure electrocardiographic intervals on large volumes of continuous electrocardiogram data. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an automated method can be used in lieu of a manual method. METHODS: In 49 subjects who completed all treatments in a four-armed crossover study we compared two methods for derivation of individualized rate-correction coefficients: manual measurement on 10-s electrocardiograms and automated measurement of QT and RR during continuous 24-h electrocardiogram recordings. The four treatments, received by each subject in a latin-square randomization sequence were placebo, moxifloxacin, and two doses of an investigational drug. RESULTS: Analysis of continuous electrocardiogram data yielded a lower standard deviation of QT:RR regression values than the manual method, though the differences were not statistically significant. The within-subject and within-treatment coefficients of variation between the manual and automated methods were not significantly different. Corrected QT values from the two methods had similar rates of true and false positive identification of moxifloxacin's QT prolonging effect. CONCLUSION: An automated method for individualized rate correction applied to continuous electrocardiogram data could be advantageous in clinical trials, as the automated method is simpler, is based upon a much larger volume of data, yields similar results, and requires no human over-reading of the measurements.

  PublisherDOI

• A randomized, placebo-controlled, four-period crossover, definitive QT study of the effects of APF530 exposure, high-dose intravenous granisetron, and moxifloxacin on QTc prolongation

  Cancer Management and Research · 2014-03-01 · 19 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Regulatory concern about potential QT-interval prolongation by serotonin-receptor antagonist antiemetics prompted product-label changes. The first-generation serotonin-receptor antagonist granisetron is available in oral (PO), intravenous (IV), and transdermal formulations. APF530 is a formulation that provides sustained release of granisetron when administered as a single subcutaneous (SC) injection. The Phase I study reported here evaluated effects of APF530 on electrocardiographic intervals. METHODS: This single-site, double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-period crossover trial randomized healthy men and women to receive varying sequences of APF530 1 g SC, granisetron 50 μg/kg IV, moxifloxacin 400 mg PO, and placebo. Subjects were assessed for 49 hours after each treatment. The primary objective was to evaluate differences between baseline-adjusted, heart rate-corrected QT-interval change using the Fridericia rate correction (dQTcF) for APF530 1 g SC and placebo. Electrocardiograms were performed at various times throughout the assessment period. Pharmacokinetics and safety were evaluated. RESULTS: The upper one-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) for mean baseline-adjusted dQTcF at each post-dose time point between APF530 and placebo excluded 10 ms, indicating that APF530 1 g SC had no clinically significant effect on QTcF. Maximum observed QTcF change was 4.15 ms (90% CI, 0.94 to 7.36) at Hour 3. No clinically significant changes in other electrocardiogram intervals were observed. APF530 SC pharmacokinetics were as expected, with slow absorption (maximum plasma concentration 35.8 ng/mL, median time to maximum plasma concentration 11.1 hours) and slow elimination (mean half-life 18.6 hours; systemic clearance 20.2 L/hour) of granisetron versus the expected early peak concentration and elimination of granisetron IV. APF530 SC was well tolerated. Adverse events, most commonly constipation and SC injection-site reactions, were generally mild and quickly resolved. CONCLUSION: APF530 1 g SC did not induce clinically significant QTcF interval prolongation or changes in the other electrocardiogram intervals, and was well tolerated at twice the recommended dose.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Comparison of the effects of subcutaneous APF530, intravenous granisetron, moxifloxacin, and placebo on the QT interval in humans.

  Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2013-05-20 · 2 citations

  article

  e20539 Background: This study evaluated effects of subcutaneous (SC) APF530 (sustained-release granisetron) and intravenous (IV) granisetron on placebo-adjusted change from baseline in QT corrected with the Fridericia method (QTcF) over 48 h (ddQTcF), using moxifloxacin as an active control. The FDA recently required a label warning regarding risk of QT prolongation by granisetron and other 5-HT 3 antagonists for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on the basis of anecdotal reporting. Methods: Normal healthy subjects received 1 of 4 treatments in a 4-period crossover: APF530 1 g SC (20 mg granisetron; 2 x therapeutic dose), IV granisetron 50 µg/kg (5 x therapeutic dose), oral (PO) moxifloxacin 400 mg, or placebo. Drugs were given at the start of each 10-day period. 12-lead ECGs and blood samples for pharmacokinetic evaluations were taken at prespecified times. Results: 51 subjects completed the study. APF530 had no clinically significant effect on QTcF. Maximum adjusted mean change (ddQTcF) was 3.75 ms for APF530 1 g at 3 h (Table). While CI excluded 0 at 3 and 12 h, upper boundaries of 6.89 and 6.70 ms were well below the level of FDA concern (10 ms). Mean APF530 C max was 35.8 ng/mL, twice that observed in patients receiving the standard dose. IV granisetron also had minimal effect on ddQTcF, while moxifloxacin produced the expected large change. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling revealed a very small granistetron-ddQTcF gradient; the linear model predicted a ddQTcF value of 1.37 ms at the highest concentration observed in patients (97.8 ng/mL). Conclusions: No clinically significant QT prolongation occurred with SC APF530 up to 1 g, despite achievement of mean C max greater than that in previous studies. APF530 was well tolerated. Clinical trial information: NCT01416259. [Table: see text]

  PublisherDOI

• Pharmacokinetics and Repolarization Effects of Intravenous and Transdermal Granisetron

  Clinical Cancer Research · 2012-03-28 · 27 citations

  article

  PURPOSE: The need for greater clarity about the effects of 5-HT(3) receptor antagonists on cardiac repolarization is apparent in the changing product labeling across this therapeutic class. This study assessed the repolarization effects of granisetron, a 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist antiemetic, administered intravenously and by a granisetron transdermal system (GTDS). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: In a parallel four-arm study, healthy subjects were randomized to receive intravenous granisetron, GTDS, placebo, or oral moxifloxacin (active control). The primary endpoint was difference in change from baseline in mean Fridericia-corrected QT interval (QTcF) between GTDS and placebo (ddQTcF) on days 3 and 5. RESULTS: A total of 240 subjects were enrolled, 60 in each group. Adequate sensitivity for detection of QTc change was shown by a 5.75 ms lower bound of the 90% confidence interval (CI) for moxifloxacin versus placebo at 2 hours postdose on day 3. Day 3 ddQTcF values varied between 0.2 and 1.9 ms for GTDS (maximum upper bound of 90% CI, 6.88 ms), between -1.2 and 1.6 ms for i.v. granisetron (maximum upper bound of 90% CI, 5.86 ms), and between -3.4 and 4.7 ms for moxifloxacin (maximum upper bound of 90% CI, 13.45 ms). Day 5 findings were similar. Pharmacokinetic-ddQTcF modeling showed a minimally positive slope of 0.157 ms/(ng/mL), but a very low correlation (r = 0.090). CONCLUSION: GTDS was not associated with statistically or clinically significant effects on QTcF or other electrocardiographic variables. This study provides useful clarification on the effect of granisetron delivered by GTDS on cardiac repolarization.

  PublisherDOI

• Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Three Moxifloxacin Dosage Forms: Implications for Blinding in Active‐Controlled Cardiac Repolarization Studies

  The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology · 2010-02-10 · 25 citations

  article

  Moxifloxacin is used in thorough QT studies to assess sensitivity for detection of an increase in QTc. Moxifloxacin is usually over-encapsulated for blinding. However, there is concern that over-encapsulation alters its pharmacokinetics. In a 4-arm, randomized crossover study, 22 volunteers received over-encapsulated moxifloxacin, over-encapsulated placebo, bare moxifloxacin, and intravenous (IV) moxifloxacin. Placebo capsules and IV infusions were administered so that treatments in each arm, except for bare moxifloxacin, were indistinguishable. Pharmacokinetics of the oral treatments were found to be nearly identical and to meet Food and Drug Administration criteria for bioequivalency. Relative to the IV infusion administered over 1 hour, the tablet formulation was bioequivalent to total exposure but not peak exposure maximum plasma concentration, which was lower by 22%. Median time to maximum plasma concentration of the IV infusion was 1.00 hour. A 2-compartment model with oral absorption and linear elimination adequately described the observed moxifloxacin data. Changes in QTcF mirrored the pharmacokinetic changes, and there was a linear relationship between plasma concentration of moxifloxacin and change in QTcF. A 2-stage infusion scheme for IV moxifloxacin mimics the oral plasma concentration versus time curve. Over-encapsulation of moxifloxacin did not alter its peak or total systemic exposures or pharmacodynamics after oral administration.

  PublisherDOI

• Oritavancin, a New Lipoglycopeptide Antibiotic: Results From a Thorough QT Study

  The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology · 2010-05-20 · 14 citations

  article

  Oritavancin is a lipoglycopeptide with broad activity against gram-positive bacteria. To exclude an effect on cardiac repolarization, oritavancin was studied in a thorough QT study. In vitro assays have demonstrated a 10-fold safety margin between the concentration that resulted in 50% block of the cardiac potassium current and therapeutic plasma levels in patients and no safety margin for block of the sodium currents. In a parallel-group study, 240 male and female subjects received treatment with either the clinical dose (200 mg intravenously) or a supratherapeutic dose (800 mg intravenously) of oritavancin, placebo, or a positive control (400 mg of oral moxifloxacin). Electrocardiograms were recorded in triplicate at several time points after dosing. The primary end point was the largest baseline-adjusted, placebo-corrected QTcI observed at any point after oritavancin dosing. The study's sensitivity to demonstrate a sufficiently small QTc change was confirmed by the moxifloxacin effect. The baseline-adjusted, placebo-corrected QTcI was between -3 milliseconds and 3 milliseconds after 800 mg of oritavancin, and an effect exceeding 6 milliseconds was confidently excluded. Other electrocardiographic parameters were unaffected by the treatment. It was concluded that oritavancin did not cause QTc prolongation in this thorough QT study.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant U01CA034256

  NIH · $4.2M · 1993

• NIH Grant P01CA017094

  NIH · $40.7M · 2013

Frequent coauthors

• Brian H. Annex

  42 shared

• M.J. Whitehouse

  39 shared

• Marilyn C. Pike

  36 shared

• Neal S. Kleiman

  Methodist Hospital

  36 shared

• Roger J. Laham

  36 shared

• Ernesto V. Gervino

  Harvard University

  36 shared

• Timothy D. Henry

  Pfizer (United States)

  36 shared

• Michael Simons

  Yale University

  36 shared

Awards & honors

• Endowed Professorship in Alcohol Studies and Communication