Associate Director for Basic Science

Roger Abounader, MD, PhD

As the Cancer Center’s Associate Director for Basic Science, Roger Abounader, MD, PhD, is responsible for ensuring high quality, productive, and cancer-relevant fundamental research by UVACCC members. Together with the Associate Director for Clinical Research, he helps investigators move their basic research discoveries along the translational pipeline towards rapid translational and clinical application. He also works with the Associate Director for Shared Resources to ensure that the Cancer Center’s shared resources adequately support UVACCC research activities.

Dr. Abounader is also a Professor in the Departments of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology and Neurology, and the Arthur and Margaret Ebbert Endowed Chair of Medical Science. He 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. He has been continuously funded by NIH and other organizations since 2001 and was the Principal Investigator on the American Cancer Society Institutional Grant for many years.

Dr. Abounader has served on various national panels, including more than 100 NIH study sections as a regular member, chair or acting chair. He previously chaired the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation Medical Board and is associate editor or on the editorial board of several international cancer journals. Dr. Abounader also organizes the UVACCC Seminars and the Michael J. Weber Symposium, co-founded and co-leads the Cancer Center Journal Club, and has co-chaired the Cancer Graduate Program Admissions Committee for several years. He is also co-founder and Inaugural Co-Director of the UVA Center for RNA Science and Medicine.