Paul Kirschmeier, Ph.D.
Paul Kirschmeier received his PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Rutgers University studying the DNA-damage response. He did post-doctoral research at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in I.B. Weinstein's laboratory studying tumor initiation and promotion. Paul has over 30 years' experience in oncology drug discovery and development at Schering-Plough, Merck and most recently at Dana-Faber Cancer Institute.
At Schering-Plough, Paul initiated multiple drug discovery programs focused on signal transduction dysregulated by oncoprotein and cell cycle drug targets. He held positions of increasing responsibility up to Senior Director and participated in the development and clinical program initiation of farnesyl transferase, ERK and CDK inhibitors. Paul co-chaired the Early Development teams for the ERK and CDK programs that resulted in IND filings and clinical trials.
Paul joined the Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute first as Head of Cancer Therapeutics then Head of Research where he led in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo research teams focused on cancer drug discovery and drug evaluation. Paul managed projects on target evaluation and identification and drug candidate characterization in collaboration with pharmaceutical and biotech partners and academic researchers. He guided translational research programs that implemented cfDNA analysis from "liquid biopsies" for patient selection and treatment response biomarkers and immune-profiling of the tumor microenvironment from patients to assess indicators of response to immunomodulatory therapies. Paul has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications in oncology research, spanning areas of cancer cell signaling and cell cycle research, drug targeting of oncogenic proteins, biomarker development, immune-profiling of human tumors and development of ex vivo organotypic and in vivo models for drug discovery.
At Schering-Plough, Paul initiated multiple drug discovery programs focused on signal transduction dysregulated by oncoprotein and cell cycle drug targets. He held positions of increasing responsibility up to Senior Director and participated in the development and clinical program initiation of farnesyl transferase, ERK and CDK inhibitors. Paul co-chaired the Early Development teams for the ERK and CDK programs that resulted in IND filings and clinical trials.
Paul joined the Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute first as Head of Cancer Therapeutics then Head of Research where he led in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo research teams focused on cancer drug discovery and drug evaluation. Paul managed projects on target evaluation and identification and drug candidate characterization in collaboration with pharmaceutical and biotech partners and academic researchers. He guided translational research programs that implemented cfDNA analysis from "liquid biopsies" for patient selection and treatment response biomarkers and immune-profiling of the tumor microenvironment from patients to assess indicators of response to immunomodulatory therapies. Paul has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications in oncology research, spanning areas of cancer cell signaling and cell cycle research, drug targeting of oncogenic proteins, biomarker development, immune-profiling of human tumors and development of ex vivo organotypic and in vivo models for drug discovery.