Arvin Dar | Mount Sinai

About Me

Arvin Dar is a Professor in the Departments of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYC. He is also the Associate Director of the Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutic Discovery and a member of the Tisch Cancer Institute (TCI). Dr. Dar’s research is focused on the integration of genetics and small molecule chemistry to uncover basic principles of signal transduction, with applications in tool development and therapeutics. His laboratory has been researching and developing kinase inhibitors and other small molecule approaches for the treatment of cancer and neurological disorders. Dr. Dar has received numerous awards and honors, including the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, Damon-Runyon Rachleff Innovation Award, the Pew Charitable Trusts Pew-Stewart Scholarship for Cancer Research, Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance Award, Junior Faculty Award at Mount Sinai, Friedman Brain Institute Scholar Award, and the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research Aspire Award.

Language

English

Position

PROFESSOR | Oncological Sciences, PROFESSOR | Pharmacological Sciences

Research Topics

Cancer, Drug Design and Discovery, Enzymology, Genetics, Protein Complexes, Structural Biology

Multi-Disciplinary Training Areas

Cancer Biology [CAB], Pharmacology and Therapeutics Discovery [PTD]

About Me

Arvin Dar is a Professor in the Departments of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYC. He is also the Associate Director of the Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutic Discovery and a member of the Tisch Cancer Institute (TCI). Dr. Dar’s research is focused on the integration of genetics and small molecule chemistry to uncover basic principles of signal transduction, with applications in tool development and therapeutics. His laboratory has been researching and developing kinase inhibitors and other small molecule approaches for the treatment of cancer and neurological disorders. Dr. Dar has received numerous awards and honors, including the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, Damon-Runyon Rachleff Innovation Award, the Pew Charitable Trusts Pew-Stewart Scholarship for Cancer Research, Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance Award, Junior Faculty Award at Mount Sinai, Friedman Brain Institute Scholar Award, and the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research Aspire Award.

Language

English

Position

PROFESSOR | Oncological Sciences, PROFESSOR | Pharmacological Sciences

Research Topics

Cancer, Drug Design and Discovery, Enzymology, Genetics, Protein Complexes, Structural Biology

Multi-Disciplinary Training Areas

Cancer Biology [CAB], Pharmacology and Therapeutics Discovery [PTD]

Education

BSc, University of Western Ontario

PhD, University of Toronto

Postdoctoral Training, University of California, San Francisco

Awards

2020

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research ASPIRE Award

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

2018

Friedman Brain Institute Research Scholar

Friedman Brain Institute

2015

Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Young Investigators (PSSCRA)

Pershing Square

2014

Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation

2014

Pew-Stewart Scholar for Cancer Research

The Pew and Alexander and Margaret Stewart Charitable Trusts

2013

NIH Director’s New Innovator Award

National Institute of Health

2012

UCSF Dean's Postdoctoral Prize

UCSF

2012

Tisch Cancer Institute Developmental Fund Award

2006

BCRP Multidisciplinary Postdoctoral Award

US Department of Defense

2003

Canadian Graduate Scholarship

Canadian Institutes for Health Research

Research

Through the development and understanding of small molecules, our lab explores links between the regulation of drug targets and the system level properties of biological networks within cells and animals. Our goals are to create new tools to modulate and explore biomolecular function, with a long-term objective of developing innovative medicines for disease. Our work is highly interdisciplinary, employing methods from synthetic organic chemistry, X-ray crystallography, mass spectrometry, informatics, biochemistry and model organism genetics.

In one research area we are investigating one of the most frequently activated pathways in cancer biology: the Ras-Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathway. Oncogenic forms of Ras occur in over 20% of all cancers. These mutants have stifled direct pharmacological approaches and inhibitors for the direct effectors of Ras have shown limited or no efficacy in patients. We are exploring new targets or strategies to modulate the Ras pathway through the development of chemical tools. In particular, we are using target-based and systems pharmacology approaches to generate new classes of small molecule modulators for the Ras pathway.

Postdoctoral Fellows: Alex Scopton, Zaigham Khan, Jayasudhan Yerabolu

Current Students: Jia (Annie) Yu, Ryan Smith, Alexander Real, Arthur Chow

Research Assistant: Lisa Silber

The Dar Laboratory