Postdoctoral fellowship
National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Dr. Omar Al-Odat is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he leads translational research focused on dissecting complex pathogenic signaling pathways, drug discovery, and drug resistance in multiple myeloma (MM). MM is an incurable plasma cell malignancy characterized by extreme genetic heterogeneity, including mutations in RAS and NF-κB pathways, which contribute to oncogenic signaling and treatment resistance. With over six years of experience in molecular pharmacology, Dr. Al-Odat integrates advanced CRISPR functional genomics, proteogenomic profiling, and in vivo modeling to validate therapeutic targets, elucidate molecular mechanisms of drug action and resistance, and optimize combination treatment strategies. His work contributes significantly to the preclinical development of small molecule inhibitors, including RAS-targeted therapies, aiming to translate findings into improved clinical outcomes. Dr. Al-Odat has published first-author papers on novel therapeutic targets and resistance mechanisms, was recently awarded the NIH Visiting Fellow Award, and actively mentors junior trainees while collaborating across NCI translational pipelines to advance drug candidates toward clinical application.