Steven Narod, MD, FRCPC, PhD (hon), FRSC
The Basser Center for BRCA at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center has announced the recipient of the 2016 Basser Global Prize is cancer geneticist Steven Narod, MD, FRCPC, PhD (hon), FRSC, Director of the Familial Breast Cancer Research Unit and a senior scientist at the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. Dr. Narod is a world leader in the field of breast and ovarian cancer genetics and has made significant contributions to the knowledge of how to assess cancer risk and reduce its mortality in BRCA1- and BRCA2-mutation carriers.
“The Basser Center prides itself on funding the most innovative clinical and translation research projects that are advancing care of individuals living with or at risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations,” said Susan Domchek, MD, Executive Director of the Basser Center for BRCA and the Basser Professor of Medicine in Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center. “Dr. Narod’s seminal work in cancer genetics has made a significant impact on the understanding, future research, and treatment of breast and ovarian cancers. We are thrilled to support his ongoing efforts to improve care for these patients.”
As a recipient of the Basser Global Prize, Dr. Narod will receive $100,000 in unrestricted support of his ongoing BRCA1/2-related research efforts, a commemorative sculpture, and a personal $10,000 cash prize, to be awarded at the annual symposium.
“I am proud to be the first Canadian to receive this award,” Dr. Narod said. “It’s an honor to have my work recognized by one of the world’s leading medical schools and cancer research centers.”
The new funding will support Dr. Narod’s research efforts to improve care for women at risk of breast and ovarian cancers or living with the disease. “We will follow our study participants from our database of 6,000 women with BRCA mutations while investigating new strategies in cancer prevention and treatment.”
Reseach Discoveries
Dr. Narod’s research has led to numerous discoveries. He was part of the team that discovered the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and has contributed to the identification of genetic mutations in several ethnic populations, including people of French-Canadian, Bahamian, and Ashkenazi Jewish descent. His database of over 15,000 women with mutations from 30 countries supports numerous international collaborations. Currently, Dr. Narod’s studies focus on chemoprevention, the early stages of breast cancer, and breast cancer in young women. ■
