Simak Ali

Professor Simak Ali is a Professor of Molecular Endocrine Oncology at Imperial College London's Department of Surgery & Cancer (Faculty of Medicine). His research focuses on mechanisms of steroid hormone receptor action in breast and prostate cancer, particularly overcoming resistance to hormonal therapies. He leads the hormone-dependent cancer transcriptional research program and has pioneered the development of samuraciclib, a CDK7 inhibitor now in clinical trials for ER+ breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer.

Ali holds a BSc in Biochemistry from Imperial College London and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. His work integrates proteomics, transcriptomics, and cell biology to identify novel therapeutic targets. Key contributions include defining ESR1 mutation roles in therapy resistance, uncovering APOBEC3-driven genomic instability in bladder cancer, and advancing liquid biopsy technologies for ctDNA-based diagnostics.

His research interests span oncology drug discovery, cancer cell biology, and translational medicine. Recent work emphasizes CDK7 inhibition's impact on cancer proliferation pathways and the role of VGLL1 in breast cancer resistance. Ali collaborates with the CRUK Convergence Science Centre and Cancer Technology Network to accelerate clinical translation of discoveries.