Sarki Abba Abdulkadir

I am a molecular geneticist and clinical pathologist working in translational cancer research. My research has focused on deciphering the molecular mechanisms that drive epithelial cancer initiation, progression and recurrence with an emphasis on prostate cancer. My lab has been active in establishing accurate models of MYC and PIM driven prostate cancer and we were the first to show evidence of cooperativity between MYC and PIM kinase in prostate cancer and to provide evidence that PIM kinase inhibition can impair MYC-driven prostate cancer and reverse therapy resistance. These concepts have recently been extended to breast cancer by several investigators, including a collaborator on this U54 project, Dr. Horiuchi. I have extensive experience in cancer modeling in vitro (e.g. organoids), and in vivo (xenografts, genetically engineered mice, tissue recombination models). I serve as Director of Research for the Department of Urology at Northwestern and play a key role in the Chicago Prostate SPORE as PI of Project 3 and Head of the Leadership Development Program. I have excellent working relationships and active collaborations with all investigators in the U54. For example, I am co-PI with Chakravarti on a multi-PI RO1, co-I with Meeks on a PCF grant, and co-I with Yu on an H Foundation grant. I collaborate on CTCs with Cristofanilli and with Hussain on a SPORE supported clinical trial. I was selected to serve as a co-PI with Dr. Cristofanilli on this application.