Dr. Mina Sedrak

Young Investigator International Track 

Dr. Mina Sedrak is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cancer and Aging Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA). He also co-leads the Cancer Control and Survivorship Program at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Sedrak cares for older adults with breast cancer and leads a translational research program that unites the biology of cancer and aging. The global elderly population is projected to nearly double by 2050, and nearly 60% of cancers and 70% of cancer-related deaths occur in this age group. As the number of older adults with cancer continues to surge, his research is both timely and essential – positioning him at the forefront of efforts to improve care for this vulnerable population.

His work develops gerotherapeutics that target fundamental aging processes to prevent or reverse treatment-related frailty and loss of physical and cognitive function, which aims to help patients maintain their health, independence, and quality of life. He has led therapeutic trials, identified barriers to research participation, and collaborated with regulators and policymakers to expand inclusion of older adults in clinical trials. His contributions have been recognized with the Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award, the Susan G. Komen Rising Star Researcher Award, and recognition as one of the “40 Under 40 in Cancer.”

Born and raised in Egypt, Dr. Sedrak immigrated to the United States at age ten and earned degrees from the University of Chicago, Rush University, and the University of Pennsylvania, where he also completed a Master’s degree in Public Policy. His path reflects a lifelong commitment to improving cancer care and safeguarding patients’ quality of life, and to mentoring the next generation of cancer researchers.