Chief Scientist, Cancer Commons - I am a cancer researcher with extensive experience in cancer biology and treatment. I have in-depth understanding of cancer signal transduction and metabolism, cancer models, target and drug discovery and validation, as well as clinical research. I have received my PhD in molecular biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science where I identified the fused transcript between two cellular genes, BCR and ABL in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), the first demonstration of an oncogenic gene product derived from a chromosomal translocation.

As a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), I characterized the molecular consequences of chromosomal translocations in Burkitt lymphoma and identified gene products relevant to the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma.  I worked at Systemix on establishing a novel SCID-hu metastasis model to enable the in vivo analysis of human tumor metastasis. I continued my research activity at the UCSF Cancer Center analyzing deregulation of signal transduction pathways in human cancer and the molecular underpinnings of metastatic progression. Before joining Cancer Commons, I worked at BioNovo, Inc., researching new drugs that selectively target breast and pancreatic cancers based on their metabolic preferences.

I have joined Cancer Commons in 2012 where I collaborate with leading clinical researchers to create comprehensive molecular models for certain types of cancer. Currently, my work involves interactions with cancer patients, providing advice on treatment options and clinical trials, as well as creation of Cancer Maps – a tool for patients to navigate their treatments.  I am active as reviewer for multiple scientific publications specializing in cancer research and treatment.