# BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application

> **NIH VA IK6** · MIAMI VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2022 · —

## Abstract

Dr. El-Rifai is a Research Career Scientist funded by a VA merit award since 2012. He is a member of the
Research and Development committee at the Miami VA who participates in active mentoring of junior scientists.
He is also the vice chair and Professor of Surgery, Leader of the Tumor Biology Research Program, and
Associate Director for Program Development at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Sylvester
Comprehensive Cancer Center. As the Associate Director for Program Development at Sylvester, he works with
the senior leadership to create new research programs, including faculty alignment, recruitment and resource
allocation. Dr. El-Rifai oversees the research development, mentors junior faculty, and participates in research
training of residents and fellows. Dr. El-Rifai’s research is funded by VA merit awards since 2012 and continuous
NCI funding for 20 years with 197 peer-reviewed publications, and over 220 scientific abstracts. His research
aims for a better understanding of the biology of gastro-esophageal cancers and developing novel therapeutic
approaches. His laboratory provides unique training experiences in genetics, epigenetics, and cancer biology,
focusing on molecular mechanisms of gastrointestinal tumorigenesis and the development of novel strategies
for cancer therapeutics. Dr. El-Rifai has trained more than 75 personnel that included undergraduate and
graduate students, postdocs, and residents. He has mentored more than 15 junior faculty members, many of
whom have progressed to independent faculty positions. Dr. El-Rifai’s laboratory works closely with basic
science and clinical research colleagues for one common goal; a better clinical outcome. The El-Rifai laboratory
utilizes innovative mouse models, 3D organoid cultures, and human tissue samples. Dr. El-Rifai has made
significant contributions in the area of gastric cancer and esophageal adenocarcinoma. He has been successful
in identifying the signaling links between inflammation and cancer in gastric and esophageal adenocarcinomas,
discovering novel genes that mediate drug resistance, and developing targeted therapy approaches for upper
GI cancers. Dr. El-Rifai work using the trefoil factor 1 knockout mouse model in conjunction with in vitro assays
and human tissues samples has shown that TFF1 has potent anti-inflammatory and tumor suppressor functions,
which protect against the development of gastric cancer in mouse and human. Dr. El-Rifai lab has made
significant contributions to the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development
of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Barrett’s esophagus, the main risk factor for EAC, develops as a
consequence of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease. He demonstrated an epigenetic switch that turns off
several anti-tumorigenic antioxidant response genes, concordant with activation of other genes that promote a
pro-tumorigenic antioxidant response. The pioneering work from his lab has shown t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10480519
- **Project number:** 2IK6BX003787-06
- **Recipient organization:** MIAMI VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** WAEL EL-RIFAI
- **Activity code:** IK6 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2017-04-01 → 2029-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10480519

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10480519, BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application (2IK6BX003787-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10480519. Licensed CC0.

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