Asfar S. Azmi, PhD
Professor of Oncology | Director of Pancreas Cancer Research, Karmanos Cancer Institute | Wayne State University School of Medicine
Overview
Dr. Asfar Azmi is a Professor of Oncology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and serves as the Director of Pancreas Cancer Research at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Detroit, Michigan. His laboratory focuses on drug discovery and translational therapeutics for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs).
Leadership & Roles
- Director – Pancreas Cancer Research, Karmanos Cancer Institute
- Professor of Oncology – Wayne State University School of Medicine
- Program Leader – Molecular Therapeutics
- Co-Leader – Tumor Biology and Microenvironment Research Program
Scientific Focus
Dr. Azmi’s research centers on understanding and targeting the molecular mechanisms that drive pancreatic cancer growth and therapeutic resistance. His lab investigates:
- Aberrant nuclear protein transport and its role in pancreatic cancer progression and drug resistance
- KRAS-driven oncogenic signaling and pathway vulnerabilities in pancreatic tumors
- Nuclear export inhibition as a therapeutic approach using small-molecule inhibitors
- Development of next-generation targeted drugs for PDAC and PNETs
Major Discoveries & Drug Development
- Led pioneering work identifying nuclear export inhibition as a strategy to overcome chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer.
- Contributed to the pre-clinical and early-phase clinical development of selinexor (KPT-330), a first-in-class selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE compound).
- His team’s work directly contributed to the FDA approval of selinexor for multiple tumor indications.
- Active in developing KRAS pathway-targeted therapies for pancreatic and other gastrointestinal cancers.
Selected Publications & Research Highlights
- View all PMC studies & articles (PubMed)
- Targeting nuclear export in pancreatic cancer: a therapeutic strategy to disrupt aberrant protein trafficking. Oncotarget, 2017 (PubMed)
- Selinexor sensitizes pancreatic cancer cells to chemotherapy by blocking XPO1-mediated nuclear export. Cancer Research, 2019 (PubMed)
- Disruption of nuclear export enhances efficacy of KRAS-targeted therapy in PDAC models. Clinical Cancer Research, 2022 (AACR Journal)
Recognition & Impact
- Internationally recognized for work in molecular therapeutics and translational oncology.
- Program Leader at NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Invited speaker and panelist at multiple National and International Conferences.
- Principal Investigator on federally funded grants supporting early-phase drug discovery programs.