PSCI announces new director of COBRE center for pancreatic cancer research

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences within NDSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences welcomes Mark Hamann, PhD, as the new director of the COBRE Center for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Strategies in Pancreatic Cancer.

According to pharmaceutical sciences department chair Jagdish Singh, PhD, “Dr. Hamann brings a robust, externally funded research program focused on cancer, infectious diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders. With an impressive track record of high-impact publications and active NIH grant, Dr. Hamann’s arrival marks a pivotal milestone in strengthening the department’s overall research mission.”

Professor Hamann, served as the Charles & Carol Cooper Endowed Chair in Pharmacy within the Department of Drug Discovery & Biomedical Sciences of the College of Pharmacy at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). He also held an adjunct appointment with the Department of Public Health in the College of Medicine at MUSC as well as appointments with the Hollings Cancer Center and the College of Graduate Studies. He also currently holds an adjunct appointment with the University of Maryland Institute of Marine & Environmental Technology and has been ranked in the Stanford Report as being among the top 1% of Scientist Globally based on publications and citations.

Dr. Hamann’s lab has been very active in both discovery as well as translational research and clinical studies of novel prototypes for the control of cancer. During his research career, Dr. Hamann has published over 300 scientific papers, patents, reviews, book chapters and guided over 100 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars. Dr. Hamann also served as an associate editor for Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, General Subjects.

His laboratory has generated a portfolio of drug leads for treatment-resistant cancer including pancreatic. In particular the drug lead called aleutianamine has unexpected and profound activity for pancreatic cancer in laboratory models and will shed unique insight into explored vulnerabilities of pancreatic cancer. Other members of this larger class known as the pyrroloiminoquinones have generated interest among research groups globally. In addition, to pancreatic cancer members of this class show considerable promise for mTNBC that carry the BRCA1 mutation, resistant renal cancer, ovarian and others. The goals of the Center are to provide leadership globally on the discovery and development of new classes of therapeutics for the control of pancreatic and other forms of treatment resistant cancer. He anticipates teaching involves the chemistry, pharmacology and effectiveness of therapeutics for the control of cancer, infectious diseases and pain.