WASHINGTON (TIP): An Indian-origin researcher has been appointed by a prestigious US university to lead its cancer-related research programs.

Bhramar Mukherjee has been appointed by University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Centre as associate director for population science research and will oversee the Center’s research on cancer causes, prevention, care delivery and outcomes.

Ms Mukherjee, whose research has focused on how the interaction between genes and the environment impacts cancer risk, is a John D Kalbfleisch Collegiate professor of biostatistics and professor of epidemiology at the university’s School of Public Health. She also serves as the associate chair for biostatistics.

“I am so impressed with Mukherjee. She is a stellar researcher in biostatistics, epidemiology and disparities.

These are key issues for our CancerCenter to address. And I am thrilled to bring in Mukherjee to lead it,” said Ted Lawrence, Professor of Oncology and director of the varsity’s ComprehensiveCancerCenter.

“As a biostatistician and epidemiologist, I can bring a lot to this role,” a university release quoted Ms Mukherjee as saying.

Ms Mukherjee, who grew up in Kolkata, joined the University of Michigan faculty in 2006 also has worked on models to predict cancer risk among people with known genetic risk coming from high risk families.

“We live in a very data-driven world. There are tremendous opportunities, both within the University of Michigan and nationally around big data – using medical records and mining large datasets to manage patient outcomes and care,” she said.

Ms Mukherjee plans to foster and facilitate cross-collaboration within the population sciences program in the cancer centre and across various other units at the University of Michigan, something she has done frequently as a biostatistician.