I am an internationally recognized expert and key opinion leader in Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, phase I/Experimental Therapeutics, and pharmacogenetics, with an extensive experience in the design, conduct and monitoring of clinical trials as a practicing physician, investigator, and mentor. I have been involved in the development and management of clinical trials with focus on translational research, standardization of treatment algorithms, collaboration among different modalities, teaching of fellows, residents, medical students and mentorship of junior staff. I received my oncology training at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where I cultivated the qualities of a translational researcher with the heart of a clinician. I advanced these qualities throughout my career working at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Yale University, Columbia University, Tufts University and Feinstein Institute of research in collaboration with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories. Currently, I am a Professor at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, Leader of the Phase I MDT, Director of Eisenberg Center for Translational Therapeutics, and Co- Leader & Co-Director of GI Oncology MDT. I have served as the principal investigators for over 100 prospective cancer clinical trials and I have contributed to more than 650 peer-reviewed publications, nearly 140 abstracts, and more than 2 dozen book chapters.