Associate Director for Basic Science

Roger Abounader, MD PhD

Associate Director for Basic Science Roger Abounader, MD PhD

Email: ra6u@virginia.edu
Phone434-982-6634

Abounader is a professor in the departments of microbiology, immunology, and cancer biology, and neurology, and the Arthur and Margaret Ebbert Endowed Chair of Medical Science.

As associate director for basic science, he is primarily responsible for ensuring high-quality, productive, and cancer-relevant fundamental research by UVACC members. Together with the associate director for clinical research, Abounader helps UVACC investigators move their basic research discoveries along the Translational Pipeline toward rapid translational and clinical application. He works with the associate director for shared resources to ensure that the shared resources adequately support UVACC research activities.

Abounader leads a basic and translational research program that investigates the molecular basis of brain tumors. He uses the acquired knowledge to develop new experimental therapies against these deadly cancers. Abounader has been continuously funded by NIH and other organizations since 2001 and is the principal investigator on the American Cancer Society Institutional Grant.

He has served on various national panels, including more than 80 NIH study sections as a regular member, chair, or acting chair. He previously chaired the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation medical board and is an associate editor or on the editorial board of several international cancer journals. Abounader organizes the UVACC Seminar Series and the Michael J. Weber Symposium, co-founded and co-leads the UVACC Journal Club, co-chairs the Cancer Graduate Program Admissions Committee, and is the inaugural director of the recently founded Center for RNA Science and Medicine.