ABOUT DOCTOR SEBTI

Professor Saïd Sebti is a pioneer in the science of fighting cancer with expertise spanning from cancer cell biology, drug design and discovery to validation in human cancer cells, animal models, and biomarker-driven human clinical trials of novel anticancer drugs. Dr. Sebti’s work has resulted in over 310 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 102 issued patents, the training and mentoring of dozens of physician scientists, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, and—with his team and collaborators—the discovery of several licensed drugs that hold hope for cancer sufferers. Over the last 30 years, he has been funded as Principal Investigator by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) (over $ 60 million), with R01, P01 and the National Cooperative Drug Discovery Award grants. More recently, he was awarded the prestigious NCI Outstanding Investigator Award.

Professor Sebti received his Ph.D. in 1984 from Purdue University, and after a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University, joined the faculty at the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where he was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. In 1996, he was recruited by Moffitt Cancer Center as Professor and Chair to build the area of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery. He was an integral part of the team that successfully obtained Moffitt’s NCI designation and comprehensive status. In July 2019, Dr. Sebti was recruited as Associate Director of basic research at the Massey Cancer Center, and Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Virginia Commonwealth University. He has oversight and spearheads Massey’s basic research programs and initiatives, and promotes translation of Massey’s laboratory discoveries to the clinic through the Molecules to Medicine Initiative. He serves on Massey’s Executive Committee, and along with other leaders, plays a key role in defining and implementing the strategic vision of the cancer center. Dr. Sebti also has a broad role across VCU to promote interdisciplinary collaborations that lead to drug discovery and development to combat cancer as well as other diseases.

Current members