I am a physician-scientist known for my work on the molecular characterization of colon cancers. My work has pioneered pharmacogenomics in colon and gastric cancer leading to the design of prospective trials in GI Cancer using biomarkers identified in my laboratory including biomarker in DNA repair, angiogenesis, immune pathways, EGFR signaling, apoptosis and hippo pathway. I am the Principal Investigator of the NCI UM1 (CA186717, PI: Dr. Lenz and Dr. Villalona-Calero, City of Hope), the Lead PI on the NIH-NCTN UG1-CA180830, and the PI on the Moonshot NCI U2C CA252971 which focuses on molecular characterization of Hispanics with Colon Cancer. I am a Member of NCI Investigational Drug Steering Committee and a NCI CTEP/IDSC working group on DNA repair and apoptosis. My laboratory has significant expertise in early drug development taking advantage of our extensive and diverse preclinical models with cancer organoids and PDX models. We have been successful in bringing a drug developed at USC to first-in-human, first-in-class clinical trials. We incorporate our expertise in biomarkers such as single cell classification, Circulating Tumor Cells, ctDNA and molecular classification of colon cancer into clinical trial designs. Recently we have identified three novel targets in the tumor microenvironment of colon cancer for which we have promising compounds being tested in preclinical mouse models. In addition, at the Keck School of Medicine and its related hospitals and research laboratories, we have a strong commitment to education and mentoring. In my own research laboratory, over the past 20 years, I have mentored 40 Postdoctoral Research Scholars, 15 Oncology Fellows and 15 Pre-Med and Graduate Students.