I would like to provide background and introduction on my current position and some highlights. \n\nIntroduction and Background\n\nI am currently a Professor of Medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) and at the David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine in the Department(s) of Internal Medicine. I obtained my undergraduate and graduate degrees at University of London, England, and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan under Professor Halvor Christensen (Noble Prize Nominee). I joined UCLA School of Medicine as a faculty member in 1986 and at CDU at the end of 1992. I have retained both of my CDU and UCLA appointments. \n\nLeadership Experience: I have over 30 years of direct experience in Academia and strong understanding of the processes, policies and procedures necessary to attain academic excellence together with accreditation from regional and national organizations. I have continued to provide significant support and leadership to Faculty, Academic Senate, Division Chiefs, Department Chairs, Deans, Provosts, and University Presidents on matters relevant to academic processes, challenges, and growth. \n\nI was recruited to CDU in 1992 as Director of Laboratory Research and Development. Soon after I was appointed as Division Chief for Cancer Research and Training, the first ever Endowed Professor at CDU, Center Director, Associate Vice President for Research and Health Affairs, and since December 2012, as Interim Executive Vice President for Research and Health Affairs. I have had the opportunity to strengthen clinical, basic, and translational research/programs and integrate them with academic programs across campus and develop strong partnerships with UCLA, Cedars and other institutions. \n\nI was asked to step in as the Interim Executive Vice President for Research and Health Affairs in December 2012. In addition, I have held the position as the Chief of the Division of Cancer Research and Training since 2003, and as the Director for Center to Eliminate Cancer Health Disparities since 2019, and Director of Molecular Oncology Program since 1996. I serve as the Associate Director at the CDU site of the Clinical and Translational Scientific Award grant (CTSA). I hold the Endowed Chair for Cancer Research since 2007, and am the Director of the Cancer Cluster at CDU. At the request of the University president and Deans, I have represented the University at several national forums on cancer and health disparities and I serve in an advisory capacity to the president and deans for directing research initiatives at CDU in partnership with UCLA. \n\nStrength in Diversity: I have over 20 years of experience in working at Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and Hispanic Serving institution (HIS).I was born and raised in Tanzania, East Africa and completed my High School, College and Graduate education in England. After completing my doctoral studies, I moved to The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor Michigan as postdoctoral fellow and later junior faculty. In 1986, I was recruited for a faculty position at UCLA School of Medicine, where I am a Full Professor. In 1992/3, I was recruited to Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science as Director of Laboratory Research and Development to develop research infrastructure in Biomedical Sciences that supported minority and underserved undergraduate students, graduate students, medical residents, clinical fellows, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty. In addition, during these last twenty one years and prior, I have had extensive experience working with minority and underserved communities in South Central Los Angeles and neighboring communities. It continues to be an honor and privilege to make differences in the day to day lives of our students, faculty, staff, and community partners. I will bring to your institution a rich experience with excellent track record on working with diversity issues with a focus on reducing health inequities, health disparities, and inequities in education and learning processes. I have strong experience in building programs that focus in education, training, and translational research from bench to bedside to communities. \n\nI have listed below, some of my more recent role(s) responsibilities as they relate to institutional leadership. \n\nRole and responsibilities as Associate Vice President (since July 2011) and Interim Executive Vice President for Research and Health Affairs (since December 2012). Additional responsibilities and experience in Academic Medicine:\n\n1. Provide overall leadership and oversight on Research Enterprise at CDU. \r\n2. Increased the growth of research portfolio, publications, and extramural funding. These are aligned with the Research Strategic Plan and the overall Charles Drew’s Strategic Plan. I work with various teams to generate specific targets and deadlines.\r\n3. I have brought in over $45M of research funding at CDU since 2009 and over $100M since my tenure at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.\r\n4. Continue to strengthen Clinical, Basic and Outreach/Community engagement research/programs and work toward their integration with academic programs across all colleges, College of Science and Health (COSH), College of Medicine (COM), and School of Nursing (SON). These are integrated with the goals and objectives with WASC. \r\n5. Member of the Task Force to develop a four year medical school.\r\n6. Work with the WASC team to ensure that we have optimal accountability, that our actions are transparent and in harmony with institutional standards and goals.\r\n7. Provide leadership on academic matters, including, research, education, and service. Work with the University President, the Executive Team, and Deans and Provost to enhance our academic enterprise and institute a strong and sustainable infrastructure. \r\n8. Served as Chair for Institution Wide Academic Appointment and Promotion Committee. Provided significant leadership to establish and streamline processes for academic appointment and promotion. Served for two years as Chair. \r\n9. Serve on the Council of Deans. Provide significant input on Academic Program Development and Assessment; Faculty Appointment and Promotion; and Faculty Salary and Contracts.\r\n10. Create an environment of interdisciplinary research for COM, COSH, and SON with respect to graduate programs and campus life for students and faculty and enhance academic services and health sciences.\r\n11. Work with the key academic teams that will perform needs assessment and/or subsequent creation of sustainable graduate programs (Masters and doctoral programs), consistent with the overall University and Research strategic plans.\r\n12. Collaborate with Medical Director(s) and the Executive Team(s) to develop stronger and lasting relationship with MLK-MACC and the new hospital (Martin Luther King Hospital). Help lay the foundation for re-establishing CDU residency programs.\r\n13. Integrate in a seamless manner the programmatic goals and objectives of several large center grants at CDU. These include: CDU-UCLA U54 Cancer Center Partnership (PI Vadgama); Accelerating Excellence in Translational Science (AXIS U54, PI Vadgama); the UCLA CTSI (Associate Director at CDU); EXPORT; Life Sciences Endowment Program (PI Carlisle, Program Director, Vadgama); RCMI Translational Research Network (RTRN): MBRS Score Program; and others. \r\n14. Provide oversight to ensure that regulatory departments/committee such as IRB, AALAC, Institutional Biosafety and others are able to conduct their respective functions in an effective and timely manner. I serve as the Institutional Official who reports to the NIH and Federal Agencies. \r\n15. Lead Cancer research that integrates clinical, basic and community partnerships. The cancer center focuses on Translational Cancer Research and on “Women’s Health Program”.\r\n16. Establish partnerships with external research enterprise, example National Research Institute focused on performing clinical trials in the treatment of Diabetes and other Cardiovascular diseases. \r\n17. Establish partnerships with several community oncologists, example Long Beach Memorial Medical Center; and others.\r\n18. Serve as Chair and/or provide leadership on several institutional committees (please see more details on my CV). I established the following committees since 2012: Institutional Space Committee; Intellectual Property/Patent Committee; PhD Program Development Committee; Laboratory Safety Task Force Committee; Development of various manuals necessary for the conduct and oversight of research; Faculty Recruitment and Retention Committee; and others. \r\n19. Continue to serve as Reviewer on NIH, DOD, Komen Foundation and several international research funding organizations in the United Kingdom, France and others.\r\n20. Continue to serve as Editor-In-Chief and on Editorial Boards of several Journals. Serve as reviewer on over 14 scientific journals. \r\nI have represented CDU and RCMI institutions at National and Congressional level. As recent as April 2013, I represented CDU to advocate for RCMI activities in Washington DC in collaboration with several RCMI leaders and the Health and Medicine Counsel of Washington. I met with 6 representatives from congressional offices including several from California (Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Barbara Lee) as well as policy-makers in the House Appropriations Committees. My participation with RCMI/RTRN leadership team has contributed to the visibility of the RCMI activities and stressed the importance of continued RCMI funding to eliminate health disparities across the nation. Specifically, the advocacy has resulted in congressional language to ensure continued support for RCMI. I continue to be a dedicated and ever-ready advocate for RCMI and other NIH initiatives on health disparity programs both locally and nationally. \n\nTranslational Research Experience: I have extensive experience in conducting oncology research that integrates clinical, basic, and community-based research. The outcome of these efforts has resulted in the development of translational cancer research at CDU. Research programs in my division focus on: 1) genetics and epigenetics; 2) identification of cellular/molecular markers, and novel genes for early detection, prevention and management of breast, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancers; 3) mechanisms associated with bone metastasis from breast cancer; 4) role of mismatch repair proteins and microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer in minority populations; 5) identification and characterization of normal and cancer stem cells in breast and prostate cancers that contribute to drug resistance; 6) cancer outreach and prevention studies. My research team is providing significant leadership in understanding the role of comorbidities such Diabetes and Hypertension in the risk and prognosis for cancer diagnosis and treatment. My group has identified that Obesity contributes significantly to the risk for cancer development and poor clinical outcome. I have been a recipient of numerous extramural grants. Recent examples include: 1) Identification of novel biomarkers associated with risk for bone metastasis from breast cancer (NIH/NCI CA15083-25S3); and 2) Role of Mismatch Repair Proteins and Microsatellite Instability in Colorectal Cancer in African American and Hispanic patients (CA 15083-25S3). Currently, I am the principal investigator of several center grants in cancer at CDU in partnership with UCLA: 1U54CA143931 and 1U56 CA101599-01 from NCI/NIH, programs funded to enhance cancer research infrastructure at CDU and to establish a Center to Eliminate Cancer Health Disparities. I was the PI of the DOD BC043180 grant, a program funded by the Department of Defense to develop a center of excellence in breast cancer research, education, and treatment at CDU. I am currently the principal investigator of the AXIS grant (U54MD007598) funded by NIH-NIMHD. This program was recently re-funded with an outstanding score and at $16M over five years. I have several additional grants. I have extensive collaborations with renowned cancer investigators at UCLA, Cedars, Harbor-UCLA, and some international groups. Currently, I am working on multiple grants with collaborators at UCLA to develop breast cancer studies, which target triple-negative breast cancers.\n\nOther Professional Experience: On a national level, I have and continue to serve as reviewer for grants submitted to the NIH, DOD, VHA, and EPSRC. I also serve as an international reviewer for grants, such as for the French NCI (Institut National du Cancer, INCa). I am scientific reviewer for 14 peer-reviewed journals, for example: Clinical Cancer Research; Cancer Research; PLOS ONE; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, Current Cancer Therapy Reviews; Journal of Biological Chemistry; International Journal of Cancer; American Journal of Physiology; Journal of Cellular Biochemistry; etc.; and am on the editorial board for several journals. I am “Editor-in- Chief” for International Journal of Biomedical Sciences and Senior Editor for American Journal for Cancer Research. I have participated at national and international cancer meetings as chair, co-chair, invited honorary and keynote speaker. \n\nTeaching and Training Experience: I have has extensive experience in training minority and non-minority students in basic, clinical, and translational research. I was funded for many years with the 1R25DK067015 NIDDK grant, a program that provided opportunity for undergraduate minority students to be trained in biomedical research. This program is now superseded by a five year funded program in Cancer Education and Training focused on cancer health disparities. My team and I have developed successful teaching and training programs for: undergraduate, medical, masters, and nursing students, as well as clinical residents, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty from CDU, UCLA, and other Universities. My division conducts weekly “Research- in-Progress”, Journal Club meetings, Continuing Medical Education Series, in addition to monthly seminars with visiting speakers, and workshops. I continue to serve as mentor and thesis advisor for Master’s students and Medical students. In addition, I have served as PhD thesis advisor for international students and am currently working with faculty to develop an integrated PhD program at CDU. \n\nMentoring Experience: I have had the opportunity to mentor over 30 postdoctoral fellows, 13 clinical residents, >15 graduate or medical students (mostly underrepresented), >60 undergraduate students across the nation, and several high school students. I continue to serve as a mentor for several funded junior faculty at CDU and the UCLA School of Medicine. In addition, I mentor several minority students from schools such as CDU, UCLA, UCI, UCR, CSUDH, USC, and others.\n\nOn a personal level, I am very well respected by my students, resident, fellows, faculty, staff and administration. I have an impeccable reputation for integrity, honesty, hard work, fairness, and loyalty to my team members. \r\nI am confident that I can continue to enhance the goals and objectives of your institution. I am committed to work with each and every member of your institution in a respectful, trusting, and compassionate manner. I am a team player and a consensus builder. It will be an honor to be member of your team. \r\nThank you for this opportunity and I am happy to provide any further information that is needed.\r\n
