Wafik El-Deiry

Dr. El-Deiry is also a licensed practicing physician-scientist and Medical Oncologist with clinical privileges at The Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. Until December, 2018, Dr. El-Deiry served as the Deputy Cancer Center Director for Translational Research, co-Leader of the Molecular Therapeutics Program, Professor of Oncology, and the William Wikoff Smith Endowed Chair in Cancer Research at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

From March 1, 2010 through September 30, 2014 Dr. El-Deiry was the Rose Dunlap Professor of Medicine and Chief of Hematology-Oncology at Penn State University.

In 2009,

Dr. El-Deiry became one of 40 active American Cancer Society Research Professors and continues to serve the ACS whenever possible.

Dr. El-Deiry elucidated the genomic DNA-binding consensus sequence for the p53 tumor suppressor protein. He went on to discover cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p21(WAF1) as a p53 target gene and cell cycle inhibitor that explained the mammalian cell stress response. This work led to discovery and development of a new class of now FDA approved CDK inhibitor drugs. Dr. El-Deiry discovered and brought first-in-class TRAIL-pathway activating small-molecule ONC201/TIC10 into clinical trials for patients with cancer. ONC201 entered clinical trials by 2014 and has been found to have anti-tumor activity in patients with GBM (DIPG with H3K27M mutations), prostate cancer, endometrial cancer and other tumor types.

Dr. El-Deiry has over 400 peer-reviewed publications and 5 edited books.