Dr. Merchan is a tenured Professor of Medicine in the division of Medical Oncology. He is the Co-leader of the Translational and Clinical Oncology Research Program, the Director of the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Program, and the Associate Director of the NIH funded Calabresi Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Award. As a physician scientist, his contributions to science include redefining the role of the plasminogen activator system in cancer progression, the development of novel preclinical and clinical strategies to overcome resistance in RCC and angiogenesis dependent cancers, and the preclinical and clinical development of tumor and stromal targeted oncolytic viruses and virus-drug combinations. He leads the only academic phase I program in South Florida, bringing novel treatment strategies to many patients with advanced cancer. Dr. Merchan has an established track record in translational cancer research, bringing lab discoveries to the clinic, and has been involved in the development of novel, effective treatment strategies in genitourinary cancers, which resulted in practice changing publications and introduced new treatment options for cancer patients.
29-May-2024 12:05:05 PM EDT