Dr. Wasif M. Saif

Dr. Wasif M. Saif, MD, MBBS, is a nationally recognized medical oncologist and physician-scientist specializing in gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine cancers. He serves as co-leader of the Gastrointestinal and Neuroendocrine Multidisciplinary Team and Director of the Phase I Clinical Trials Program at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. He also holds a faculty appointment as Professor of Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Saif earned his medical degree from King Edward Medical University and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Connecticut. He went on to complete hematology and oncology fellowship training through the National Cancer Institute and the NIH. He is board-certified in Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine, and is widely respected for his leadership in early-phase drug development and gastrointestinal cancer therapeutics.

A leader in translational oncology and experimental therapeutics, Dr. Saif has designed and led numerous clinical trials focused on novel agents for gastrointestinal malignancies, particularly pancreatic and colorectal cancers. His research interests include pharmacogenetics, biomarkers of response and resistance, and precision strategies in fluoropyrimidine-based therapies. He has authored more than 600 peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and book chapters, and is frequently invited to present at national and international oncology meetings. Dr. Saif has also contributed to the development of practice-changing insights into treatment-related toxicity and genetic variation in drug metabolism.

In addition to his scientific and clinical leadership, Dr. Saif is a dedicated educator and mentor. He has held academic leadership roles at institutions including Yale University, Tufts Medical Center, Columbia University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he contributed to medical education, curriculum development, and mentorship of oncology fellows and junior faculty. He is an active member of numerous professional societies, including ASCO, AACR, and the European Society for Medical Oncology. Through his commitment to innovation in cancer therapeutics, academic mentorship, and compassionate care, Dr. Wasif Saif continues to shape the landscape of gastrointestinal oncology and early-phase clinical research.