Prof. Samir Attoub is the Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, since 2019. He received his degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1993 from Constantine University in Algeria and later his master’s degree from Paris Diderot University. In 1998, Dr. Attoub obtained his PhD from Paris Diderot University and his Habilitation to Direct Research (equivalent to Docent) from Paris René Descartes University in France in 2002. Later, he served as a Senior Research Scientist at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in France. He joined the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at United Arab Emirates University in 2004 as an Assistant Professor, and he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2009 and full Professor in 2015.
Dr. Attoub research is mainly in the field of cancer research aiming at the understanding of the molecular mechanism of cancer progression with more focused on the role of Akt, NFĸB, NOTCH, STAT3, and PD-L1 pathways as a driving force behind cancer progression (cancer survival, proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis). He is also investigating the development of novel cancer therapeutics that will provide better control of tumor growth and metastasis.
Dr. Attoub has a total of 77 publications in high-ranking peer-reviewed journals (2 Nature, 1 Gastroenterology, 4 FASEB J, 4 Cancer research, 3 Oncogene, 1 Gut, 1 Molecular Cancer Therapeutic, 1 Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets, 2 Frontiers in Oncology, 4 Scientific Reports...). As per Google Scholars, his total citation is 5766, H-index of 36, i10-index of 59. He is a co-inventor in one registered patent in 2019 entitled “Thymoquinone Derivatives for Treatment of Cancer”. He has also published 90 referred abstracts and oral presentations in national and international conferences. He has been consistent in securing research funds from various funding agencies, including the French Association for Cancer Research, Terry Fox Funds for Cancer Research, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences and UAE University grants. Dr. Attoub is actively involved in supervising Medical, Bachelor, and graduate students. In addition, he served as an examiner of nine PhD and six master’s students.
Dr. Attoub received awards from the French National Academy of Medicine, Appert Institute of Nutrition in France, the UAE University, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Research. He has received three times the UAE University award for researchers with publication in top journals of their disciplines. In 2020, he received the College of Medicine and Health Sciences Award for Excellence in Research and the United Arabs Emirates University Award for Excellence in Scholarship.
Dr. Attoub served as a reviewer for many research grant agencies, including the European Research Council, King Hussein Award for Cancer Research, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Al Jalila Foundation in Dubai, Department of Health and Medical Services/Government of Dubai, the Scottish Hospital Endowments Research Trust in Scotland, the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro in Italy, the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and National Science Center in Poland. He is also a reviewer for top international peer-reviewed journals, including Gastroenterology, FASEB J, Gut, Molecular Biology of the Cell, Cancer Letters, and International Journal of Cancer. Dr. Attoub currently serves as the Academic Editor for Scientific Reports/Nature publisher and Frontiers in Oncology. Dr. Attoub is an active member of the Sheikh Hamdan Award for International Research and Sheikh Hamdan Award for Humanitarian Work in Medical Fields.

Most research interests for a scientist

• Pharmacology and Toxicology of Anti-Cancer Drugs (chemotherapy, targeted-therapy, and Immuno-therapy).
• Pre-clinical Investigation of Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy.
• Molecular Biology of Cancer (cancer proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis).
• Cell Signaling Pathways in Cancer Progression (PI3K/Akt, NFĸB, NOTCH, STAT3, and PD-L1).