Sassan Hafizi

Dr. Sassan Hafizi is an Associate Professor in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Portsmouth's School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, within the Faculty of Science & Health. He holds additional roles as Executive Editor for Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports , Reviews Editor for Frontiers in Drug Discovery , and Associate/Special Issues Editor for Cells (Basel) . He is also a member of the Biochemical Society's Grants Committee and actively engages in science outreach.

Dr. Hafizi earned his BSc in Biochemistry from Royal Holloway, University of London, and his PhD in cellular pharmacology from Imperial College London under Prof. Sir Magdi Yacoub. He completed postdoctoral training as an EU Marie Curie Fellow at Lund University, Sweden, focusing on Gas6/TAM signaling. He joined the University of Portsmouth in 2009 as Senior Lecturer and was promoted to Reader in 2017.

His research focuses on Gas6-TAM signaling in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases (funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Society) and Tensin family proteins in cancer biology. He supervises PhD, MRes, and undergraduate research projects, and teaches modules in pharmacology, biomedical science, and medical biotechnology. He coordinates courses on molecular medicine, research-based work experience, and pharmacology placements.

Recent articles highlight his work on vitamin K metabolism, Gas6's role in myelination, TAM receptor drug resistance mechanisms, and cancer immunology. His lab is part of the Institute of Life Sciences and Healthcare and collaborates internationally. He has supervised 11 theses and actively seeks students interested in his research areas.

Dr. Hafizi has received the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship and contributed to high-impact journals. His research bridges basic science and clinical applications, with a focus on translating discoveries into therapeutic strategies for neurological and oncological conditions.