WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Assistant Professor in the Department
• Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology

Amit Bhatt, MD, PhD is an assistant professor in the department of radiation oncology. Dr. Bhatt has experience treating a wide array of cancers throughout his career which started at St Luke's Hospital and continued at the Karmanos Cancer institute in Michigan. He has acted as a principal investigator on national trials and has been active in enrolling patients to trials. Dr. Bhatt obtained his undergraduate degrees in cellular and molecular biology, a doctoral degree in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, and a MD from Rush University in Chicago, IL. He completed his residency in radiation oncology at The University of Wisconsin Madison. Dr. Bhatt has an interest in furthering our understanding of the treatment of cancer through clinical trials. Dr. Bhatt joined the faculty at Washington University in 2023. His clinical practice focusses on the treatment of Thoracic and Genitourinary cancers. His goal is to provide access to advanced medical care and procedures in a compassionate environment. He is actively participating in a number of national clinical trials. His clinical practice includes the use of brachytherapy, Proton therapy, MRI guided therapy, adaptive therapy, as well as radiopharmaceuticals.

Dennis Hallahan, MD has 20+ years of uninterrupted NCI/NIH funding. The Hallahan laboratory has discovered several molecular targets for drug development in cancer. Discovery strategies have included Proteomics and lipidomics. These discoveries have gone on to preclinical and clinical drug development of a number of novel cancer drugs. Most notable are inhibitors of PLA2 and the LPA receptor. More recently, the Hallahan laboratory has identified TIP1 and GRP78 as molecular targets to enhance the efficacy of radiation therapy. Dr. Hallahan's lab has developed monoclonal antibodies and scFv antibodies to radiation inducible neoantigens that are specific to cancer. These antibodies activate immune effector cells. They have also been conjugated to therapeutic agents such as radiopharmaceuticals. More importantly, antibodies to radiation inducible TIP1 and GRP78 show efficacy in mouse models of human cancer. The Hallahan laboratory has developed several drug delivery systems using nanoparticles and liposomes. These particles have been conjugated to peptide ligands that bind to radiation inducible receptors in cancer. This approach has increased the bioavailability of doxorubicin and paclitaxel specifically to cancer. Pre-clinical efficacy and proof of concept studies have been completed. Current research combines our lead cancer specific ligand conjugated to PEG in liposomal formulation.

Job Titles:

• Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology

Dennis Hallahan, MD, is the Elizabeth and James McDonnell Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Hallahan earned a medical degree from Rush University in 1984 and completed residencies in internal medicine and radiation oncology at the University of Chicago, as well as post-doctoral research in radiation and cellular oncology at the University of Chicago. He joined Washington University as Head of Radiation Oncology in 2009. He is a member of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Parent Committee. His primary focus is in drug development. Dr. Hallahan has prioritized several antigens and antibodies that will now enter clinical trials. Dr. Hallahan has a laboratory with 10 members including students, fellows, residents, junior faculty and research assistants that are all focused upon the antibodies proposed in this application. Dr. Hallahan is also a member of the Leadership Committee of Siteman Cancer Center and oversees all research conducted in the Department of Radiation Oncology. He has served as the Principal Investigator for many clinical investigations with uninterrupted NCI funding for 24 years and over a dozen R01 grants from the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Hallahan has developed several drugs that have entered Phase I through Phase III clinical trials. These drugs have been developed through biotechnology start-ups and through collaborations with pharmaceutical industry. He has discovered over a dozen radiation inducible antigens and prioritized monoclonal antibodies that bind specifically to irradiated cancers. Dr. Hallahan has over 50 national and international patents issued or pending for technology proposed within the present application. This will facilitate the later drug development as these drugs progress into Phase II and Phase III clinical trials.

Job Titles:

• Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology / Chief, Leukemia and Lymphoma Service Director, Clinical Residency Program

Job Titles:

• Research Fellowship Program