Assistant Professor of Department of Chemistry
| Office: | YEUNG-P5304 |
|---|---|
| Phone: | +852 3442-9710 |
| Fax: | +852 3442-0522 |
| Email: | mbabak@cityu.edu.hk |
| Web: | Laboratory |
| ORCID ID: | 0000-0002-2009-7837 |
- Drug discovery
- Medicinal chemistry
- In vitro and in vivo target identification
- Proteomics
- Preclinical development
Dr Maria (Masha) Babak obtained her M.Sc. in chemistry from Higher Chemical College of the Russian Academy of Sciences (2010) in Moscow, where she worked on transition metal organometallic chemistry, mentored by Prof. Dmitry S. Perekalin. She completed her Ph.D in bioinorganic chemistry at the University of Vienna (2014), mentored by Prof. Bernhard K. Keppler and Prof. Christian G. Hartinger. In 2015-2020 Dr Babak worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at National University of Singapore, mentored by Prof. Wee Han Ang, where she developed a true passion for drug discovery and drug target identification. In 2019 Dr Babak joined the High Impact Cancer Research Program at Harvard Medical School in Boston. In November 2020, she was appointed as an assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong. In 2022, Dr Babak was awarded the Graeme Hanson-AsBIC Early Career Award, which recognizes early career researchers in the Asia Pacific region who are creating scientific impact in the field of biological inorganic chemistry. Dr Babak is a board member of the Institute of Cancer and Crisis, which aims to mitigate the impact of crisis on cancer patients.
Dr Babak’s research interests lie at the interface of chemistry, biology and medicine and focus on the discovery and preclinical development of anticancer drugs for resistant and aggressive cancers with limited treatment options, e.g. malignant pleural mesothelioma or brain metastases. The anticancer activity of small molecules, nanoparticles or bioactive materials is tested in cancer cell lines and their in vivo efficacy is verified in various animal models of primary tumours and metastases. Dr. Babak’s research group uses proteomic and transcriptomic profiling to unravel the mechanism of action of the drug candidates and performs target validation by functional tests and histology. The lead drug candidates are subsequently tested in patient-derived organoids or xenografts.
Scientific research:
- M.R. Chang, D.A. Rusanov, J. Arakelyan, M. Alshehri, A.V. Asaturova, G.S. Kireeva, M.V. Babak,* W.H. Ang.* Targeting emerging cancer hallmarks by transition metal complexes: Cancer stem cells and tumor microbiome. Part I, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 477, 214899, 2023 (IF=24.833)
- J. Arakelyan, D.A. Rusanov, M.R. Chang, A.V. Asaturova, G.S. Kireeva, M. Alshehri, W.H. Ang,* M.V. Babak.* Targeting emerging cancer hallmarks by transition metal complexes: Epigenetic reprogramming and epitherapies. Part II, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 475, 214899, 2023 (IF=24.833)
- K. D Raue, J.T. Duffy, M.V. Babak,* I.V Balyasnikova.* Modeling glioblastoma complexity with organoids for personalized treatments, Trends in Molecular Medicine, 29 (4), 282-296, 2023 (IF=15.272)
- M.V. Babak,* K.R. Chong, P. Rapta, M. Zannikou, H.M. Tang, L. Reichert, M.R. Chang, V. Kushnarev, P. Heffeter, S.M. Meier-Menches, Z.C. Lim, J.Y. Yap, A. Casini, I.V. Balyasnikova, W.H. Ang.* Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., 60 (24), 13405 - 13413, 2021 (IF=16.6)
- M.J.R. Tham, M.V. Babak,* W.H. Ang.* PlatinER: A Highly Potent Anticancer Platinum(II) complex that Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Driven Immunogenic Cell Death, Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., 59 (43), 19070-19078, 2020 [featured as a frontispiece] (IF=16.6)
- M. V. Babak, Y. Zhi, B. Czarny, T.B. Toh, L. Hooi, E. K.-H. Chow, W.H. Ang,* D. Gibson,* G. Pastorin.* Dual-targeting Dual-action Platinum (IV) Platform for Enhanced Anticancer Activity and Reduced Nephrotoxicity, Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., 58, 1-7, 2019 [Very Important Paper, featured in Straits Times and Channel News Asia] (IF=16.6)
Clinical research:
- R.P. Gale,* A. Muradyan, S. Danelyan, N. Manukyan, M.V. Babak, S. Arakelyan, G. Tamamyan, J. Arakelyan, The humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, The Lancet, in press, 2023 (IF=168.9)
- G. Kim, H.L. Tan, R. Sundar, B. Lieske, C.E. Chee, J. Ho, A. Shabbir, M.V. Babak, W.H. Ang, B.C. Goh, W.P. Yong, L. Wang, J.B. So*, PIPAC-OX: A Phase I study of Oxaliplatin-based Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC) in Patients with Peritoneal Metastases, Clinical Cancer Research, 27 (7), 1875-1881, 2020 (IF=13.801)