Two Internationally Renowned Researchers Join Huntsman Cancer Institute

SALT LAKE CITY, April 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two internationally known scholars, one in the field of cancer prevention and the other in the field of molecular biology, will join Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah as early as September 1.

Cornelia Ulrich, Ph.D., currently serving as a director of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) and department head at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, will assume a leadership role, serving as HCI's new senior director of population sciences, and her husband, Bruce A. Edgar, Ph.D., a professor and researcher at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)-Center for Molecular Biology Heidelberg (ZMBH) Alliance, will head an HCI laboratory. Both have previously held faculty positions at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.

"Dr. Ulrich and Dr. Edgar are a 'dynamic duo,' bringing with them an incredible breadth of knowledge and experience from the cancer research world. They are highly regarded researchers, both in the United States and in Europe, and we are indeed fortunate to have them join our ranks," said Mary Beckerle, Ph.D., HCI's CEO and director.

"The recruitment of Dr. Ulrich and Dr. Edgar reflects the University's serious commitment to enhancing our international leadership in cancer research, cancer care, and population science. Both of them are respected scientists—she for driving collaboration between physicians and scientists, with a singular vision of improving outcomes for patients, and he for research excellence in the field of cancer genetics. I am confident they will play pivotal roles in our efforts to transform health care," said Vivian S. Lee, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., senior vice president for health sciences. 

Ulrich is an epidemiologist whose work is focused on how factors, such as diet, exercise, and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents influence colorectal cancer risk, prevention, and prognosis. She has authored more than 240 peer-reviewed articles, is an elected member of the European Academy of Sciences (EACS) and is currently a senior editor of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Edgar will join the faculty of the University of Utah as a professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences and an investigator in HCI's Nuclear Control of Cell Growth and Differentiation program. An expert in the molecular genetics of cell growth and cell cycle control using the Drosophila model system, Edgar is internationally recognized in his field, and has authored more than 100 scientific publications.

SOURCE Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah