Keren Witkin, Ph.D.
Dr. Keren Witkin manages a grant portfolio focused on DNA repair, genomic instability, telomeres and telomerase biology, and gene fusions in pediatric cancers.
Along with her DCB responsibilities, Dr. Witkin is also a member of the NCI Workplace Civility Committee, as well as a co-chair of a Cancer Moonshot Implementation Team.
Dr. Witkin is very excited about research that is taking advantage of new medicinal chemistry approaches for the development of drugs to treat fusion oncoprotein-driven pediatric cancers She says, “There currently aren’t many targeted therapeutic strategies for pediatric cancers, and I hope DCB’s efforts and support can help us address that."
Research Programs
Dr. Witkin also manages an NCI cooperative agreement program, as well as is involved in NIH Common Fund:
Background
Prior to her work in DCB as a program director, Dr. Witkin was a AAAS Science and Policy Fellow in the Office of Research of Women’s Health (ORWH) at NIH. After her fellowship, she worked as a program director for the NIH Common Fund’s Metabolomics Program.
She came to DCB because of the division’s support for research focusing on DNA and RNA biochemistry in cancer and the opportunity to support science in needed areas.
Education
- Ph.D., Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
- B.S., Biological Sciences, Wellesley College