Mina S. Sedrak, MD, MS

Dr. Mina S. Sedrak, Associate Professor with tenure, is the Director of Cancer and Aging Research in the Department of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He also co-leads the Cancer Control and Survivorship Research Program at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Sedrak is a medical oncologist specializing in the care of older adults with breast cancer. His research program is devoted to understanding the dynamic interplay between cancer and aging. His work seeks to develop interventions that target fundamental processes of aging to prevent or reverse the long-term adverse health consequences of cancer treatment, such as accelerated aging in skeletal muscle, loss of independence, and frailty. By integrating laboratory discovery with clinical investigation, his translational research aims to inform novel biology-driven strategies to mitigate treatment-related accelerated aging and improve long-term outcomes.

He has designed and led therapeutic trials for older adults with breast cancer, systematically evaluated barriers to clinical trial participation, and collaborated with regulatory bodies, policymakers, and industry sponsors to expand inclusion of older and frail adults in research. These efforts have addressed critical gaps in evidence for a rapidly growing and high-risk population, and his work has informed evidence-based guidelines that are shaping standards of care for older adults with cancer. He received the Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award from the National Institute on Aging and the Susan G. Komen Rising Star Researcher Award.

Beyond his scientific accomplishments, Dr. Sedrak is committed to mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders in cancer and aging research. As Vice Chair of the Alliance Cancer in the Older Adult Committee, Co-Chair of the Analytics Core in the Cancer and Aging Research Group, and Chair of the ASCO Clinical Research Committee, he has fostered cross-disciplinary collaboration and championed support for trainees as well as early- and mid-career faculty dedicated to improving the care of cancer patients and survivors.