Journal of Research and Development
Open Access

Taofeek Kunle Owonikoko

Biography

Dr. Taofeek Owonikoko obtained his primary Medical Degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Nigeria in 1991. He received specialty training in Anatomic Pathology at the Lagos University Hospital, Lagos Nigeria and at the Heinrich Heine University, Dusseldorf, Germany. He also completed doctoral research work and obtained his PhD in Anatomic Pathology from the Heinrich Heine University, Germany from where he was recruited to the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore in 2000 as a postdoctoral fellow in nuclear imaging.He subsequently completed a residency training in Internal Medicine at the Graduate Hospital of Drexel University in Philadelphia from 2002 to 2005. His clinical fellowship training in Hematology and Oncology took place at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2005-2008. Dr. Owonikoko has been designated a Distinguished Cancer Scholar by the Georgia Cancer Coalition since 2008 when he joined the staff of Emory University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hematology & Medical Oncology.

Research Interest

translational research,small cell lung cancer, thyroid cancer,role of immune function in thyroid cancer biology and patient outcome
efficacy of biologic agents,mTOR inhibitors and epigenetic targeted therapy, novel biologic agents, everolimus and pasireotide,enhance the efficacy of standard chemotherapy agents for small cell lung cancer informed the design of a multicenter phase II clinical trial

Dr. Owonikoko’s other major focus in small cell lung cancer has also resulted in innovative translational (bench to bedside) work. He was the recipient of an NIH minority supplement grant to the parent P01 lung cancer grant to support his lab work devoted to elucidating the biology of mTOR signaling in small cell lung cancer.

His lab research into the ability of PARP enzyme inhibitors to enhance the efficacy of standard chemotherapy agents for small cell lung cancer informed the design of a multicenter phase II clinical trial to be led by Dr. Owonikoko. This study will be conducted through the mechanisms of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) in collaboration with other leading academic and community cancer centers across the entire United States.