Bahaa Mustafa

Bahaa Mustafa, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Pharmacy. He joined UAMS in May 2022 and became an Associate Member of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s Cancer Therapeutics Program in April 2023. His research focuses on developing biotherapeutics, including peptides and nanobodies, using phage display techniques, targeted liposomal drug delivery for lung cancer, and combining peptide-based immune checkpoint inhibitors with oncolytic virotherapy for colorectal and pancreatic cancers.

Dr. Mustafa holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (2022), a Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences from Petra University (2015), and a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Applied Science University (2010). He teaches Pharmaceutics courses at UAMS, including PSCI 71303 (Pharmaceutics I), PSCI 71404 (Pharmaceutics II), and a non-sterile compounding lab.

His research interests span cancer immunotherapy, targeted drug delivery systems, and virotherapy. Recent work includes engineering oncolytic viruses to treat pancreatic cancer and discovering peptides that inhibit immune checkpoints like PD-L1 and CD47. He has contributed to studies on enhancing virotherapy efficacy through stroma targeting and combining therapies to improve tumor resectability.

Dr. Mustafa has received several awards, including the 2024 Seeds of Science Award and Travel Grant from the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the 2023 Outstanding Dissertation Award, and the 2017 Fulbright Foreign Student Scholarship. His publications highlight innovations in peptide design, oncolytic virus engineering, and drug delivery mechanisms.

Dr. Mustafa is affiliated with professional organizations such as the Controlled Release Society, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), and American Peptide Society. His lab focuses on translational research bridging peptide therapeutics, virotherapy, and cancer immunology.