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Dr. X. F. Steven Zheng, PhD

Zheng has served as CP Program Co-Leader since 2016. He is a University Professor and Chief, Division of Cancer Pharmacology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and a resident CINJ full Member. Zheng received his PhD and postdoctoral training at Harvard University. He has made fundamental contributions to understanding mTOR signaling and therapeutic targeting of mTOR. He has described the mechanism of rapamycin action and the importance of the kinase domain for different mTOR functions. The latter formed a rationale for developing mTOR kinase inhibitors. His laboratory has shed light on mTOR signaling in growth and metabolic regulation, as well as therapeutic resistance mechanisms to mTOR-targeting agents. Zheng has been continuously supported by NIH/NCI for the past 22 years.