Aurelio Lorico

Background

About Aurelio Lorico

I am an innovative and collaborative cancer researcher dedicated to one central mission: improving cancer survival by disrupting metastasis and therapeutic resistance. That mission began early in my life and has guided more than three decades of scientific leadership across Europe and the United States.My career spans academic medicine, international cancer centers, and translational research programs, with a consistent focus on moving discoveries from mechanism to therapy. I currently serve as Scientific Director of the Engelstad Program for Cancer Research at Touro University Nevada, where I lead strategic research development, build multidisciplinary collaborations, and mentor the next generation of physician-scientists.Scientifically, my work centers on cancer biology, extracellular vesicles, nuclear transport, virology, and anti-cancer drug development. I am the discoverer and co-discoverer of novel molecular pathways with implications in oncology, viral infection, and neurodegeneration, including mechanisms regulating extracellular vesicle trafficking and nuclear entry. My research has resulted in more than 100 peer reviewed publications, patented technologies, and sustained extramural funding. As senior author of a 2023 Nature Communication reporting the nuclear transport of the HIV-1 virus and 2025 P.N.A.S. paper reporting for the first time a function of blood extracellular vesicles as transporters of hormones, I have received public visibility in hundreds of magazines and websites.I am particularly passionate about:• Building durable, international scientific collaborations• Recruiting, mentoring, and retaining scientific talent• Developing sustainable, programmatic research initiatives• Translating fundamental discoveries into therapeutic strategiesI believe meaningful breakthroughs emerge at the intersection of disciplines and through the courage to pivot when science demands it. My career reflects that philosophy.