Special Interview with Prof. Wafik S. El-Deiry
On December 1, 2022, the Editorial Office of Cancer Drug Resistance (CDR) was very honored to interview Journal Editorial Board member Prof. Wafik S. El-Deiry, who is Associate Dean for Oncologic Sciences at the Warren Alpert Medical School, Director of the Cancer Center at Brown University, and Director of the Joint Program in Cancer Biology at Brown University and Affiliated Hospitals, Providence, RI, USA.
In the interview, Prof. El-Deiry shared what motivated him to enter the field of oncology research, research advances, and challenges in the field. In addition, he shared that the original discovery of p21 is one of the most exciting things in his career. p21 was the first mammalian CDK inhibitor to be discovered, which eventually led to the discovery and development of a new class of now FDA approved CDK inhibitor drugs. Furthermore, he also gave some advice to young researchers. He stressed that young researchers should really consider pursuing oncology research when they do have some interest and skills on it. He said that they can really make a difference in the world. Finally, he talked about how cancer drug resistance is very important and has huge challenges, and hoped that we could continue making important progress.
Interview outline:
Q1. From naming the WAF1 gene as an oncology fellow to becoming one of the most outstanding researchers in oncology field, can you share with us how you got into this field? What motivated you to do more research about oncology?
Q2. You have made important contributions to cell death signaling and understanding of the sensitivity of tumors to chemotherapy, which are the implications for drug resistance research. Can you talk about the latest research in this regard?
Q3. We know you are still very actively involved in oncology research and drug resistance. What advances would you like to see from these researches in the next few years? What will be the challenges?
Q4. It is generally known that your academic achievements in the field are quite fruitful and have a high academic and social influence. Can you share with us the most monumental research experience and the story behind?
Q5. In addition to academic research, you are also passionate about education and have trained many students, post-doctoral fellows, and physician-scientists. Do you have any suggestions for young scholars who are about to enter this field?
Q6. Finally, as an Editorial Board member of CDR, combined with your personal editorial experience, do you have any suggestions for the further development of the journal?
We are so honored to cooperate with Prof. El-Deiry. Inspired and strongly supported by Prof. El-Deiry, we will continue working with outstanding experts to facilitate the research of cancer drug resistance.
Introduction of Prof. Wafik S. El-Deiry
Prof. Wafik S. El-Deiry is Associate Dean for Oncologic Sciences at the Warren Alpert Medical School, Director of the Cancer Center at Brown University, and Director of the Joint Program in Cancer Biology at Brown University and Affiliated Hospitals. He was previously Deputy Director & Program Leader at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Rose Dunlap Professor of Medicine & Chief of Hematology/Oncology, and Interim Director at Penn State Cancer Institute. Prof. El-Deiry has made important contributions to cell death signaling and understanding of the sensitivity of tumors to chemotherapy, including the original discovery of TRAIL death receptor 5 (DR5) as a p53 target and mediator of extrinsic cell death after DNA damage.
Prof. El-Deiry has more than 450 publications & edited 5 books. He is active as an NCI grant reviewer, has served on ACS Council, lectures widely, and is a highly cited researcher (H-index 124 in December 2022 with more than 90,000 citations in Google Scholar). He was named one of America's Top Oncologists by Consumer Res Council of America in 2008 and 2009.
Respectfully Submitted by the Journal Editorial Office
Cancer Drug Resistance
