Draft:Rama Khokha

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Rama Khokha is a researcher and scientist in the field of medical biophysics and oncology. She has made significant contributions to cancer research over several decades. Currently, she serves as a senior scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM) within the University Health Network (UHN) and is a professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics, with a cross-appointment in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto.

Education

Dr. Khokha got her MSc from the University of Delhi, India and later received her PhD in biochemistry in 1985 from the University of Western Ontario. Her postdoctoral work was done at the Cancer Research Labs in London, Ontario, until 1989. She received a Von Humboldt fellowship and spent two years at the European Molecular Biology Labs from 1990 to 1992. Dr. Khokha initiated her independent research program in 1990 at the London Regional Cancer Centre before joining the Ontario Cancer Institute at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in 1996.

Research

Dr. Khokha's research interests are particularly focused on understanding the molecular basis of breast cancer. Her lab, the Khokha Lab, studies the tumor microenvironment and adult stem cell niches. She successfully mapped the biology of pancreatic cancer tumors and identifying three distinct tumor microenvironments. Her research uncovered critical insights into the role of progesterone in breast cancer stem cells and highlighted the importance of the TIMP gene family in regulating the tumor microenvironment. A research team led by Rama Khokha found that aging can be prevented if the two factors that control tissue development are removed. When TIMP1 and TIMP3 were removed from mice, their breast tissue remained youthful.

Achievements

Throughout her career, Dr. Khokha has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Canadian Institutes of Cancer Research Studentship and was a Canadian Institutes of Cancer Research scholar. In 2014, she was co-recipient of the Robert L. Noble Prize awarded by the Canadian Cancer Society, recognizing her joint work with Dr. James Rutka in cancer research. The award recognizes Dr. Khokha's research contributions to the understanding of cancer biology in different areas, especially for cancers of the breast, liver, lung and bone. On October 1, 2016, Dr. Khokha became the new interim Research Director of the PM Cancer Centre. She has been invited to speak at high-profile conferences such as the Gordon Research Conferences and Keystone Symposia. She became the first Canadian member of the Northwestern Cancer Prevention Consortium (NCPC) in the United States, which conducts clinical trials in prevention. Dr. Khokha's team also collaborated with Shelly Westergard, a nurse navigator and clinical coordinator of the high-risk breast screening program at PM. Her work has led to the publication of over 160 peer reviewed articles in prestigious journals such as Nature Genetics and Nature Cell Biology.

Funding

Dr. Khokha's work and dedication has also allowed her to receive funding for her research. She also received funding from the Terry Fox Research Institute to support interdisciplinary program on early interception of breast cancer. Breast Cancer Canada (BBC) announced $3 million in funding for molecular breast cancer prevention research that would be led by Khokha. The research would focus on identifying new risk factors and developing screening methods to detect cancer at an earlier stage or even before it starts.

Leadership Roles

Due to her leadership and impact, Dr. Khokha has been actively involved in scientific advisory roles. She served on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Cancer Research Society. She has held several leadership positions, such as the Acting Chair of UT’s Department of Medical Biophysics, Chair of the Appointments and Recruitment Committee (PM Cancer Centre) and Chair of several grant review panels at national funding agencies. She has also organized various meetings on different topics such as cancer and new genome-based experimental approaches.