Arun P. Wiita, MD, PhD
UCSF Lab Med, Box 0134
Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Building
1450 3rd Street, Room 265
San Francisco, CA 94158
United States
UCSF Cancer Center
UCSF Dept. of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences
UCSF Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
UCSF Bakar ImmunoX Program
Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco
As a laboratory-based physician-scientist, Dr. Wiita's research group focuses on the integration of proteomics, protein engineering, cellular engineering, and advanced preclinical modeling to develop novel therapeutics for blood cancers. The overall goal of his group is to move new therapeutic designs from target discovery to clinical translation in patients. Dr. Wiita is also Director of the UCSF Stephen and Nancy Grand Multiple Myeloma Translational Research Laboratory. Clinically, Dr. Wiita is responsible for interpretation of DNA microarray testing within the Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory, interfacing with prenatal and pediatric genetics services at UCSF. Dr. Wiita also serves as Director of the Physician-Scientist Pathway residency training program within the Depts. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
- Mandal K, Wicaksono G, Yu C, Adams JJ, Hoopmann MR, Temple WC, Izgutdina A, Escobar BP, Gorelik M, Ihling CH, Nix MA, Naik A, Xie WH, Hübner J, Rollins LA, Reid SM, Ramos E, Kasap C, Steri V, Serrano JAC, Salangsang F, Phojanakong P, McMillan M, Gavallos V, Leavitt AD, Logan AC, Rooney CM, Eyquem J, Sinz A, Huang BJ, Stieglitz E, Smith CC, Moritz RL, Sidhu SS, Huang L, Wiita AP. Structural surfaceomics reveals an AML-specific conformation of Integrin-β2 as a CAR-T therapy target. Nature Cancer (2023), 4:1592.
- Ferguson ID, Lin YT, Lam C, Shao H, Tharp KM, Hale M, Kasap C, Mariano MC, Kishishita A, Patiño Escobar B, Mandal K, Steri V, Wang D, Phojanakong P, Tuomivaara ST, Hann B, Driessen C, Van Ness B, Gestwicki JE, Wiita AP. Allosteric HSP70 inhibitors perturb mitochondrial proteostasis and overcome proteasome inhibitor resistance in multiple myeloma. Cell Chemical Biology (2022) 29:1288.
- Nix MA, Mandal K, Geng H, Paranjape N, Lin YT, Rivera JM, Marcoulis M, White KL, Whitman JD, Bapat SP, Parker KR, Ramirez J, Deucher A, Phojanokong P, Steri V, Fattahi F, Hann BC, Satpathy AT, Manglik A, Stieglitz E, Wiita AP. Surface Proteomics Reveals CD72 as a Target for In Vitro-Evolved Nanobody-Based CAR-T Cells in KMT2A/MLL1-Rearranged B-ALL. Cancer Discovery (2021)11:2032.
- Huang HH, Ferguson ID, Thorton AT, Lam C, Lin Y-H, Bastola P, Choudhry P, Mariano MC, Marcoulis MD, Malato J, Phojanakong P, Martin TG, Wolf JL, Wong SW, Shah N, Hann BC, Brooks AN, Wiita AP. Proteasome inhibitor-induced modulation reveals the spliceosome as a specific therapeutic vulnerability in multiple myeloma. Nature Communications (2020), 11:1931.
2008 Dean's Award for Excellence in Research (top PhD thesis prize), Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
2010 Paul E. Stranjord Young Investigator Award, Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists
2012 Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Post-doctoral Fellowship
2014 NIH-NCI K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award
2015 Dale Frey Breakthrough Award - Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
2016 Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Clinical Scientist Development Award
2016 NIH Director's New Innovator Award
2022 Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator Award
2024 Elected Member, American Society for Clinical Investigation