Nima Sharifi

About Nima Sharifi

Dr. Sharifi earned a BS in Biology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and an MD from the University of Pittsburgh. Following Internal Medicine training at Yale University, Dr. Sharifi completed a Fellowship in Medical Oncology at the NCI. 

Metastatic prostate cancer is treated with androgen deprivation therapy that reduces testosterone, the “gasoline” that fuels the growth and progression of prostate cancer. Despite frequent responses, tumors almost always recur with subsequent activation of the androgen receptor (AR), the target for testosterone. Therefore, therapies that down-regulate AR using novel mechanisms, have a tremendous potential to introduce new treatments and improve the outlook for prostate cancer patients. The first objective of this proposal is to determine if the down regulation of certain anti-oxidants will over-activate AR function. The second objective of this proposal is to use a novel method to find better tumor markers that herald prostate cancer progression in state of poor anti-oxidation.

Dr. Sharifi will be mentored by Thomas Kodadek, PhD, chief of the division of translational medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is an eminent biochemist who has made significant contributions to fundamental cancer research.

UPDATE: As of Fall 2023, Dr. Sharifi is Scientific Director, Desai Sethi Urology Institute, Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami.