New Department of Cancer Biology, Keck School of Medicine

I am delighted to announce the launch of the Department of Cancer Biology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, effective March 1, 2025. This department is catalyzed by the merger of the Department of Translational Genomics and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine.

The Department of Cancer Biology at the Keck School of Medicine is dedicated to advancing fundamental and translational cancer research, with a strong focus on the molecular mechanisms driving tumor initiation and progression. The department brings together interdisciplinary faculty with expertise in cancer epigenetics, genomics, transcriptional regulation, and tumor signaling. By integrating multi-omic approaches, computational biology, and innovative model systems, the department aims to uncover key biological processes underlying cancer and to identify novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers. It also serves as an academic hub for faculty recruitment, appointment, retention, and professional development. In addition to its research mission, the department is deeply committed to education and training. It will house the master’s programs designed to equip students with expertise in molecular biology, bioinformatics, and translational oncology as well as interact closely with the PhD-granting program in cancer biology and genomics.

Bodour Salhia, PhD will serve as the inaugural interim chair of the Department of Cancer Biology. Dr. Salhia, who holds the Royce and Mary Trotter Chair in Cancer Research, is a cancer biologist with extensive knowledge and expertise in mechanisms that underlie tumorigenesis and tumor biology. She co-leads the Epigenetic Regulation in Cancer Program and is director of the Preclinical Models Shared Resource at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Salhia has ably served as the interim chair of the Department of Translational Genomics since July 1, 2023.

Dr. Salhia’s research focuses on developing cell-free DNA methylation liquid biopsies for early detection and minimal residual disease in cancer, including breast and colon cancer. Her lab has developed OvaPrint for ovarian cancer early detection and MammaTrace for detecting minimal residual disease in breast cancer. She has also served on the Keck School of Medicine Faculty Council, the USC Academic Senate, and has co-chaired the University Research Committee for three years. She is a current fellow of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program.

Please join me in congratulating Peggy Farnham, PhD, professor and William M. Keck Chair in Biochemistry, on her outstanding leadership of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine over the past decade. Her impactful work as a national leader in the genome-wide study of mammalian transcription factors in normal and cancer cells has been recognized by numerous awards including Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Herbert A. Sober Lectureship from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dr. Farnham will continue to serve the Keck School as vice dean for health and biomedical science education.

Drs. Salhia and Farnham are working together to ensure a smooth launch of the Department of Cancer Biology.

Carolyn C. Meltzer, MD
Dean, Keck School of Medicine of USC