Rate My Professor Mak Sarwar

Dr. Makhdoom Sarwar (Mak) is a Research Fellow in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Otago, Christchurch, part of the Faculty of Medicine in the Health Sciences Division. He earned his PhD in Molecular Oncology from the University of Otago in 2020, with a doctoral thesis entitled 'The influence of aspects of the biophysical environment on ovarian cancer cell behaviour.' His research centers on cellular and molecular oncology, with a primary focus on gynaecological cancers, especially ovarian cancer. Dr. Sarwar investigates molecular mechanisms driving cancer progression and develops targeted therapies, including kinase inhibitor combinations targeting Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK), Src, PI3K, MEK, and RAS/RAF pathways for chemotherapy-resistant tumours. He advances molecular diagnostics, such as Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) assays to predict responses to PARP inhibitors and methylation-based triage for cervical cancer using self-collected swabs. Additional efforts include tumour-specific drug delivery systems, next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with optimized linkers and payloads, and genomic profiling of rare ovarian cancers like low-grade serous carcinoma to inform prognosis and treatment.

Dr. Sarwar's career highlights include founding Inceptogen Therapeutics, a startup commercializing ADC innovations for cancer treatment. He provides strategic leadership as co-chair of the Gynaecological Cancer League (GCL), board member of the New Zealand Association of Breast Cancer Research (NZABCR) and the Early and Mid-Career Researcher Group in Otago Health Sciences, and organizer of national oncology conferences including ANZGOG and the New Zealand Breast Cancer Symposium. He mentors PhD candidates and promotes equity through community frameworks engaging Māori and ethnic groups, earning Community Engagement and Impact Awards in 2021 and 2023. Key publications encompass 'GCN2 in Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Potential' (Prescott et al., 2025), 'Bioimprinting: Bringing Together 2D and 3D in Dissecting Cancer Biology' (2021), 'Deciphering Biophysical Modulation in Ovarian Cancer Cells' (2021), 'Collagen I dysregulation is pivotal for ovarian cancer progression' (2021), 'A Doctrine of Ovarian Cancer Translational Research Needs Revisiting' (2020), and 'Extracellular biophysical environment: Guilty of being a modulator of drug sensitivity in ovarian cancer cells' (2020). His contributions advance translational research, precision medicine, and equitable access to cancer care.