Dr. Tanya Stoyanova | Cancer Biology | Best Researcher Award

University of California, Los Angeles, United States

Dr. Tanya Stoyanova is an accomplished Associate Professor with tenure in the Departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and Urology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she also serves as Department Vice Chair for Inclusive Excellence. She earned a B.S. in Ecology and Environmental Protection from the Technical University of Varna, Bulgaria (2001), a B.S. in Biology from the University of Kansas, USA (2003), and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics from the University of Illinois, Chicago (2009), followed by a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology at UCLA under Prof. Owen Witte (2009–2015). Her professional experience spans roles at Stanford University as Assistant and later Associate Professor of Radiology (2015–2022), before returning to UCLA to assume leadership in cancer research and faculty governance. Dr. Stoyanova’s research interests focus on cancer biology, molecular pharmacology, stem cell biology, biomarker discovery, and targeted therapeutics, with emphasis on prostate, lung, and epithelial cancers. She has led multiple NIH and Department of Defense–funded projects exploring novel molecular targets such as Trop2, UCHL1, ATAD2, and GSTP1, advancing minimally invasive diagnostics and innovative treatment strategies. Skilled in molecular genetics, biochemistry, cancer model systems, and translational pharmacology, she has contributed extensively to high-impact journals including Nature Cancer, Science Advances, and Clinical and Translational Medicine, while serving on editorial boards for Frontiers in Oncology and The Prostate. Her distinguished honors include the NIH/NCI R37 MERIT Award, multiple Department of Defense Idea Development Awards, the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Ablon Scholars Award, the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation Pilot Award, and the Society of Basic Urologic Research Young Investigator Award. In conclusion, Dr. Stoyanova’s blend of academic excellence, research innovation, international collaboration, and commitment to mentorship and inclusivity positions her as a global leader in translational cancer research, with strong potential to further advance diagnostics and therapies that significantly impact healthcare outcomes.

Profiles: Scopus | ORCID | Google Scholar | Staff Page

Featured Publications

1. Lee, J. K., Phillips, J. W., Smith, B. A., Park, J. W., Stoyanova, T., McCaffrey, E. F., … (2016). N-Myc drives neuroendocrine prostate cancer initiated from human prostate epithelial cells. Cancer Cell, 29(4), 536–547.

2. Liu, F., Vermesh, O., Mani, V., Ge, T. J., Madsen, S. J., Sabour, A., Hsu, E. C., … (2017). The exosome total isolation chip. ACS Nano, 11(11), 10712–10723.

3. Rice, M. A., Malhotra, S. V., & Stoyanova, T. (2019). Second-generation antiandrogens: From discovery to standard of care in castration resistant prostate cancer. Frontiers in Oncology, 9, 801.

4. Ghoochani, A., Hsu, E. C., Aslan, M., Rice, M. A., Nguyen, H. M., Brooks, J. D., … (2021). Ferroptosis inducers are a novel therapeutic approach for advanced prostate cancer. Cancer Research, 81(6), 1583–1594.

5. Drake, J. M., Paull, E. O., Graham, N. A., Lee, J. K., Smith, B. A., Titz, B., Stoyanova, T., … (2016). Phosphoproteome integration reveals patient-specific networks in prostate cancer. Cell, 166(4), 1041–1054.