Steven J. Kridel

Steven J. Kridel, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cancer Biology and Urology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He holds leadership positions as Chair and Vice Chair of Cancer Biology and maintains affiliations with the Center for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (CDOM), Center for Redox Biology and Medicine (CRBM), and Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC). His educational background includes a BSc and BS from California State University, Los Angeles (1992), and a PhD from the University of California, Irvine (1997).

Dr. Kridel's research focuses on tumor metabolism, with emphasis on fatty acid synthesis pathways in cancer progression. Key areas include:

• Fatty acid synthase (FAS) mechanisms in prostate cancer and therapeutic targeting using inhibitors like Orlistat
• Endoplasmic reticulum stress responses in tumor cells
• Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) involvement in podosome formation
• Structural biology of FAS for drug development
• NAD biosynthesis pathways in prostate cancer metabolism

His recent publications (2016-2018) demonstrate consistent focus on metabolic reprogramming in cancers, nanoparticle-based therapeutics for drug-resistant prostate cancer, NAD+ metabolism, and microRNA regulation of fatty acid synthesis. Articles frequently explore mechanisms of therapeutic resistance and novel combinatorial approaches.

Dr. Kridel directs an active research laboratory investigating metabolic plasticity in tumors. The lab utilizes biochemical, genetic, and structural biology approaches to develop FAS-targeted therapies and characterize NAD metabolism in prostate cancer models.