Thompson’s teammates bring wealth of research and experience to CTRC
Thomas Slaga, Ph.D., interim deputy director, CTRC
Susan Mooberry, Ph.D., interim director, Institute for Drug Development
Serving as CTRC’s interim deputy director is Thomas J. Slaga, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology. He is co-leader of the CTRC’s Cancer Progression and Development program and director for research for the Health Science Center’s Regional Academic Health Center in Edinburg, Texas.
Dr. Slaga brings to the job a wealth of research and experience in directing and establishing research centers. He has been involved for almost 40 years with scientific studies of cancer; his current interests center on cancer causation and prevention.
His research program is currently supported by several National Institutes of Health grants. Founder of the Journal of Molecular Carcinogenesis,
Dr. Slaga has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and a lay book, “The Detox Revolution,” which emphasizes the importance of diet, nutrition and phytonutrients in chronic disease prevention.
The CTRC’s Institute for Drug Development (IDD) is led by interim director Susan L. Mooberry, Ph.D., a professor with cross-appointments in pharmacology, medicine and biochemistry who is trained in molecular oncology. She is a co-leader of the CTRC’s Experimental Therapeutics Program and a productive researcher in cancer drug discovery.
Dr. Mooberry holds seven patents on new classes of antimitotic agents, including one that was clinically developed and tested at the IDD. She is a principal investigator of grants from the National Cancer Institute and Department of Defense to study breast and prostate cancer, and has published more than 60 peer-reviewed publications, reviews and book chapters. Nationally known and respected, Dr. Mooberry has served on scientific review panels for multiple national and international organizations.
Dr. Mooberry succeeds Francis J. Giles, M.B., M.D., professor of hematology and medical oncology, who stepped down from his dual role as director of the IDD and deputy director of the CTRC.
Dr. Giles remains on the faculty, building on his considerable experience in moving novel anti-cancer agents from the laboratory to the bedside. He will continue to focus his clinical and research efforts on providing therapy for patients suffering from treatment-resistant or pervasive disease and those with lymphomas, multiple myeloma and leukemias.
