Dr Saif Islam
School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science
College of Health
Dr. Islam is a distinguished scientist with over 16 years of experience specialising in medicine development, evaluation and regulatory compliance, working across both industry and academia. His career has been marked by a deep commitment to advancing medicine discovery and translational research, particularly in cancer therapies.
Dr. Islam holds a PhD in Medical Science and a Bachelor of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (Honours) from the University of South Australia, along with a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Microbiology from the University of Dhaka. His strong academic foundation, combined with his expertise in medicine regulation has positioned him as an emerging leader in his field.
Before transitioning to academia, Dr. Islam spent seven years in the quality department of Beximco Pharmaceuticals, a TGA Australia and US-FDA accredited company. As an Assistant Manager and section head in Microbiology, he played a pivotal role in securing TGA accreditation for the company. His industry experience provided him with valuable insights into the challenges of ensuring quality in large-scale pharmaceutical operations. In his academic career, Dr. Islam has made significant contributions to cancer research. As a key member of a multidisciplinary medicine discovery and development team, he worked on several new drug candidates, two of which (Auceliciclib and Sunaciclib) have reached clinical trials, while others are in late-stage preclinical development.
Dr. Islam’s research interests focus on developing innovative targeted cancer therapies through a multidisciplinary approach. His collaborations span national and international institutions, working closely with both industry and academic researchers. His research has been guided by Professor Shudong Wang and Professor Richard Head, whose extensive translational research and commercialization success have been instrumental in shaping Dr. Islam’s work. Together, their efforts have led to partnerships with world-class research teams in Austria, Australia, China, Germany, the UK, and the USA.
With over 20 peer-reviewed publications, a patent, and numerous prestigious awards, Dr. Islam continues to drive innovation in medicine discovery and development. His goal remains to translate cutting-edge research into clinical solutions that improve patient outcomes, making a lasting impact on cancer therapeutics.