Julie Saba

Dr. Julie Saba is a Research Professor at the University of California San Francisco, focusing on the intersection of sphingolipid metabolism and cancer biology. As a pediatric oncologist and basic research scientist, she leads the Saba Laboratory, designated as a Swim Across America Laboratory for Pediatric Cancer Research, and has secured multiple NIH and CIRM grants for her work on childhood cancers and sphingolipid-related disorders.

Her research spans three decades, beginning with the discovery of sphingolipid metabolic genes using yeast genetics. Her team established that pro-inflammatory sphingolipids mediate cell transformation and link inflammation to carcinogenesis, with applications in neuroblastoma, colon cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease. Current projects explore the oncogene AF1q in pediatric and adult cancers and gene therapy for sphingosine phosphate lyase insufficiency syndrome (SPLIS).

Dr. Saba’s work has been recognized by the John and Edna Beck Chair in Pediatric Cancer Research and multiple STEM leadership awards. She has published extensively on sphingolipid signaling pathways and their therapeutic targeting, including pivotal studies in Cancer Research and the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

• Honors & Awards
  • 1997 IUBMB Young Investigator Award
  • 2014 Alameda County Trailblazer in STEM
  • 2016 Swim Across America National Pediatric Research Laboratory