COM-T Faculty Spotlight

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Meet Tarjani Thaker, PhD!
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

Awards and Funding

  • Undergrad:
    • HHMI Undergraduate Research Scholar, University of Delaware (2005-2007)
  • Graduate:
    • Molecular Biophysics Training Grant (T32), Vanderbilt University (2010-2012)
  • Postdoc:
    • Molecular and Cellular Basis of Cardiovascular Disease Training Grant (T32), UCSF (2014-2015)
    • Program for Breakthrough Biomedical Research (PBBR) Research Award, UCSF (2015-2016)
    • Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Award (NIH-NCI) (F32), UCSF (2016-2018)
  • Faculty:
    • University of Arizona College of Medicine SPARK Award (2025)

 

 

Meet Nagy Elsayyad, MD!
Clinical Professor
Department of Radiation Oncology

  • Areas of Sub-specialization: Head & Neck, Skull Base, Cutaneous Tumors.
  • Board Certification: American Board of Radiation Oncology and American Board of Internal Medicine
  • Past Clinical Experience:
    • Extensive experience in Radiation Oncology in areas of Sub-specialization spanning several decades.
    • Former faculty at University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida.
    • Former Director of Gamma-knife and Stereotactic Service at the University of Miami.
  • Current and Past Scientific Activities and Affiliations:
    • Scientific Committee of American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO)
    • Research Committee of North American Skull Base Society
    • RTOG/NRG Head and Neck Surgical Committee
    • ECOG (Alliance)
  • Teaching Experience/Awards/Mentorship:
    • Teacher of the Year (twice) Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO)
    • Head and Neck Oncology: Radiation Oncology Residents, Medical Oncology Fellows, Medical Students at the University of Miami.
    • Radiation Biology: Radiology Residents, Fellows in Surgical Oncology and Radiation Biology Graduate Students at the University of Iowa and the University of Miami.
    • University of Iowa Recognition for Contributions to Community Based Medical Education and Teaching. 

 

  • Research Interests:
    • Head and Neck Cancers: both IIT and National Trials
    • Locally advanced Cutaneous Malignancies
    • Vestibular Schwannomas: Basic Science Research on the effect of radiotherapy on cochlear function. 

Interested in collaboration in interdisciplinary research and teaching. 
Interdisciplinary areas of potential interdisciplinary interests: 

  • Collaborating and starting IIT
  • Opening new clinical trials and participating in existing ones
  • Basic research in radiobiology and cancer biology particularly in head and neck cancers.
  • Teaching students and fellows from disciplines other than radiation oncology.