Alexandra Drakaki, MD

Alexandra Drakaki, MD

Medical Oncology
Accepting new patients
Primary Location
Santa Monica Cancer Care
2020 Santa Monica Boulevard
Suite 580
Santa Monica, California 90404
Phone
Fax
310-829-6192

About

Alexandra Drakaki is an MD, PhD and board certified Oncologist / Hematologist. She received her training in Internal Medicine at a Tuft's University affiliate program while she completed her hematology / oncology training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School and her research fellowship at Dana Farber Cancer Center Harvard Medical School in Boston. She specializes in genitourinary cancers and specifically cancers of the bladder, testis, urethra, prostate and kidney.

She is the Primary Investigator in several ongoing clinical trials that are testing novel drugs in the field. Her research interest is studying the role of a novel class of genes, named non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs and linkRNAs in genitourinary malignancies.

Furthermore, she is part of the Translational Oncology Research Laboratory at UCLA in which researchers are working on drug development by using novel technologies for breakthrough discoveries.

Languages

English

Education

Medical Board Certifications

Medical Oncology, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2013
Hematology, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2013
Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2010

Fellowship

Beth Israel Deaconess Med Ctr-East Campus, 2013

Residency

St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, 2010

Internship

St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, 2008

Degree

University of Crete, MD, 2006

Recognitions

Hospital Affiliations

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center

Research

Interests

Dr. Drakaki's research interest is understanding the role of small non coding RNAs in oncogenesis which was also the focus of her PhD. She is currently working on identifying the mechanism by which specific microRNAs are involved in genitourinary malignancies. She is also the primary investigator of several clinical trials that lead to breakthrough approval of novel drugs in the field.

Publications

  1. Iliopoulos D, Satra M, Drakaki A, Poultsides GA, Tsezou A. Epigenetic regulation of hTERT promoter in hepatocellular carcinomas. Int J Oncol, 34(2):391-9, 2009.
  2. Drakaki A, Iliopoulos D. MicroRNA gene networks in oncogenesis. Curr Genomics, 10(1):35-41, 2009.
  3. Drakaki A, Hatziapostolou M, Iliopoulos D. Therapeutically targeting microRNAs in liver cancer. Curr Pharm Des, 19(7):1180-91, 2013.
  4. Drakaki A, McDermott DF. Novel immunotherapies in GU malignancies. Curr Oncol Rep, 15 (3):224-31, 2013.
  5. Drakaki A, Iliopoulos D. Gene and microRNA signaling pathways in pancreatic cancer. Chang Gung Med J, 2013.
  6. Hatziapostolou M, Polytarchou C, Aggelidou E, Drakaki A, Poultsides GA, Jaeger SA, Ogata H, Karin M, Struhl K, Hadzopoulou-Cladaras M, Iliopoulos D. An HNF4α-miRNA inflammatory feedback circuit regulates hepatocellular oncogenesis. Cell, 147(6):1233-47, 2011.
  7. Lee JJ, Drakaki A, Iliopoulos D, Struhl K. MiR-27b targets PPARγ to inhibit growth, tumor progression and the inflammatory response in neuroblastoma cells. Oncogene, 31(33):3818-25, 2012.
  8. Drakaki A, Hatziapostolou M, Polytarchou C, Vorvis C, Poultsides GA, Souglakos J, Georgoulias V, Iliopoulos D. Functional microRNA high throughput screening reveals miR-9 as a central regulator of liver oncogenesis by affecting the PPARA-CDH1 pathway. BMC Cancer,15:542,2015
  9. Palumbo T, Hatziapostolou M, Drakaki A, Poultsides G, Iliopoulos D. A functional microRNA library screen reveals miR-410 as a novel antiapoptotic regulator in cholangiocarcinoma by targeting XIAP. BMC Cancer, 2016
  10. Donin N, Lenis AT, Holden S, Drakaki A, Pantuck A, Belldegrun A, Chamie K. Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Urothelial Malignancies. The Journal of Urology, 2016

Recognitions

  • Top Doctors, Los Angeles Magazine, 2021
  • 2013: Merit Award in the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, GI ASCO
  • 2013: Merit Award at the GI ASCO
  • 2010: Best Teaching Award for Residents, Tufts University School of Medicine, MA
  • 2009: Best Basic Research Award for Residents and Fellows in National Annual American College of Physicians Meeting
  • 2009: National American College of Physician Award
  • 2008: Best Research Award for Residents and Fellows, Annual American College of Physicians Meeting, Massachusetts
  • 2008: Local American College of Physician Award at the state of Massachusetts
  • 2003: Award for Best Medical Student