Min Hee Kang

Min Hee Kang, PharmD, serves as a Full Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine and holds the position of Associate Vice President in the Office of Research. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications and an H-index of 45, Dr. Kang has established herself as a leading researcher in pediatric oncology and cancer drug development. Her academic career began with a PharmD from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1998, followed by post-doctoral training at the National Cancer Institute, NIH.

Dr. Kang's research focuses on pediatric cancers (particularly leukemia and neuroblastoma), small cell lung cancer, drug resistance mechanisms, and molecular mechanisms of c-MYC activation. She has developed innovative approaches to cancer drug development and pharmacology, with particular expertise in sphingolipid pathways and targeted therapies. Her work has been continuously funded by prestigious organizations including the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Analysis of Dr. Kang's recent publications reveals a strong focus on molecular mechanisms in cancer, particularly the OCT4/DNA-PKcs/MYC signaling axis in neuroblastoma and small cell lung cancer. Her research integrates molecular biology, pharmacology, and clinical translation, with an emphasis on developing targeted therapies and understanding drug resistance mechanisms. She has pioneered work with fenretinide and other novel compounds in preclinical models of pediatric cancers.

• President's Young Investigator award (2010)
• President's Excellence in Research Award (2013)
• University Distinguished Faculty (2015)
• Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award (2019)
• Dean's Douglas M. Stocco Scholarship/Research Award (2023, 2024)

Dr. Kang has served as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on multiple major grants totaling over $20 million, including several CPRIT and NIH-funded projects focused on neuroblastoma and other pediatric cancers. She has mentored numerous students through dissertation committees and directed student learning activities. Dr. Kang leads the West Texas Pharmacology Core and co-directs the Texas Regional Excellence in Cancer Developmental Therapeutics Center at TTUHSC, driving translational research initiatives in the region.