Doctor of Determination
DR. VEENA RAO, who developed a passion for science in high school, was encouraged by her mother to read about the Nobel Laureate Marie Curie. Now a professor and co-director of the Cancer Biology Program, and Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar in the Department of OB/ GYN at Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, she was recently awarded a $100,000 grant for her breast cancer research on early detection of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC).
You were inspired by physicist and chemist Marie
Curie, who is known for pioneering research in the
field of radiology. Were there other motivating agencies
that galvanized your interest in science?
When I was young, I wanted to be an Olympic athlete.
I wanted to be a circus girl. Then I wanted to be
an astronaut and travel to the moon! But reading about
Madame Curie and being motivated by my father, who
was a stellar electrical engineer, led me to become a
scientist. My biology and chemistry teachers in high
school also helped along the way by reinforcing my passion.
As a teacher, I now encourage my students in the
same way. I remind them that becoming a good scientist
takes passion, honesty, and hard work.
Where did you further your education after Most
Holy Rosary Convent in Hyderabad?
I completed my Ph.D. from Osmania University. I
did my postdoctoral work at the University of California,
Berkeley, and Yale University School of Medicine,
where I was first exposed to the cancer field. I was also
lucky enough to be sent by the Government of India to
several prestigious universities like Max Planck Institute
in Germany, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and
MIT, Boston.
What was most significant about your experience
at Berkeley and Yale? Did your time at those venerated
universities in any way inspire you to become
a teacher?
The freedom of thought and long working hours
I had at Yale and Berkeley were the two most important
strengths I believe the schools possessed. The only
weakness was that my mentor wanted everyone to
be in the lab all the time. Being in the lab all the time
doesn't mean you are productive. All these experiences
made me passionate about pursuing a career as an academic
cancer scientist.
What brought you to Georgia?
In 2002, I was recruited by the Morehouse School
of Medicine to start a cancer research program at a
minority medical school and train students in cancer
research. The biggest attraction was that the then Governor
of Georgia, Roy Barnes, gave a $1.5 million award
as Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer
Scholar for cancer research.
Tell us about Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
(TNBC), and its relationship to the BRCA1 gene that you
have been studying from the time it was positionally
cloned in 1994.
TNBC is a type of breast cancer in which all receptor
tests—hormone epidermal growth factor receptor 2
(HER-2), estrogen receptors (ER), and progesterone receptors
(PR)—come back negative. TNBCs are very aggressive,
and they have a high rate of recurrence and
distant metastasis, which accounts for the high mortality
rates. BRCA1 belongs to a class of genes known
as tumor suppressor gene that produces proteins to
repair cell damage and keep cells growing normally.
The mutation of the BRCA1 gene raises a woman's risk
for developing TNBC, ovarian cancers, and lower risk—
among both sexes—for pancreatic, colon, prostate, and
peritoneal cancer.
What comes next?
My group has been working on the BRCA1 gene
since 1994. We are planning in the future to screen biomarkers
for early detection and targeted therapies for
these aggressive cancers, thus reducing the mortality of
these cancers. We are also working on the mechanism
of chemoresistance and recurrence in TNBC.
Does race play a role in the incidence of TNBC?
It does. In the U.S., between one in 400 and one
in 800 people has a BRCA1 mutation. However, prevalence
varies by ethnic group. Among Ashkenazi Jewish,
about one in 40 have a BRCA1 mutation. European/
Caucasian, about one in 250. According to a recent
American Cancer Society (ACS) publication, breast
cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for black
women in six states, including Georgia. Another recent
paper suggests Indian women also have a high
incidence of TNBC based on data surveys from Google
and PubMed (Thakur et al. 2017).
Breast cancer can also afflict men.
How common is it? What kind of preventive
screening is available to men?
Breast cancer in men is rare, occurring
less often than breast cancer
in women. Mammograms are not commonly
offered to men due to the small
amount of breast tissue. However,
doctors may recommend mammography
for men with a genetic mutation
that increases the risk of developing
breast cancer.
As in all cancers, early detection
is crucial in improving the odds of survival.
Screening saves lives. Who do
you recommend should get genetic
testing for BRAC1 mutations to assess
cancer risks?
Women who have a family history
of breast, ovarian, and other cancers
or who have breast cancer should consider
it.
What impact, if any, has Artificial Intelligence and
Intelligence Augmentation had in your field? What
discoveries, new tools, and techniques have surprised
you the most?
I have not used AI in my research. I am aware that
AI has impacted clinical research in the breast cancer
field where AI software is being used in analyzing
mammograms of breast cancer patients. The discovery
and cloning of the BRCA1 gene was a significant milestone
in the history of breast cancer research. I am excited
about Precision/Personalized Medicine. It is a new
concept and technology for disease treatment and prevention
tailored to individual patients’ genetic/molecular
profiles, environment, and lifestyle. In short, delivery
of the right treatment to the right person at the right
time, not a one-size-fits-all treatment.
So, one can expect personalized medicine as opposed
to generalized, cookie-cutter therapeutics?
Yes, personalized medicine will take over in the
future. TNBC, for example, is not a single disease—
currently, it is divided into six categories, and each
has its unique treatment. In the future, treatments
will be based on the gene that is disrupted, not the
organ of origin.
Scientific data aside, if you were to venture a
guess, how long do you believe it takes for the salubrious
impact of a groundbreaking discovery in the field
of oncology to reach cancer patients?
A groundbreaking bench discovery in the field of
cancer to reach the cancer patient’s bedside, I guess,
can take anywhere from 10 to 20 years or more. It is
all a team effort between basic and clinical scientists
and clinicians.
How does the sugar and meat-heavy
average American diet impact our
well-being? In your opinion, what are
the three most vital things one can do
to stay healthy?
The ACS recommends eating mostly
vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and less
red meat and sugar. A healthy diet can
reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes,
stroke, and some cancers.
The three most vital things one needs to do to stay healthy are eating a healthy diet, exercise to maintain a healthy weight, and to stop stressing out.
You have been living with hearing
impairment for over twenty years. How
has that affected your daily life?
The impairment has never stopped
me from pursuing my passion and
achieving my goals to find a cure for
breast and ovarian cancers. Thanks to
technology, hearing aids now connect directly
to your iPhone. I tell my students my impairment
is an advantage—if you don't want to hear someone upsetting
you, you can turn the volume down!
How does being a researcher impact your teaching
style?
Being a researcher, one has hands-on experience
in bench research, which has an advantage in teaching
and exciting the student's interest in research.
One can also educate the students about where the future
is leading with respect to technology.
What keeps you at the Morehouse School of
Medicine?
My current role model is Helen Keller, who was the
first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts
degree. My favorite quote is: "When one door closes, another
opens, but often we look so long at the closed door
that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
Because I saw the open door at Morehouse School of
Medicine, I was able to make my best discoveries here.
Even though I have been to several Ivy League schools,
I tell my students my best research discoveries were at
the MSM satellite site at Grady Memorial Hospital. After
16 years at Grady, my labs recently moved to the main
campus of MSM.
Author of Kismetwali & Other Stories, Reetika Khanna is an Atlanta-based freelance writer who likes to spotlight people with purpose. She has worked with ELLE as a senior features writer, and as an associate features editor with ELLE DÉCOR, Mumbai. For more, go to ReetikaKhanna.com
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