June 2, 2016

VICC’s Levy named Komen Scholar for breast cancer research

Mia Levy, M.D., Ph.D., Ingram Assistant Professor of Cancer Research and director of Cancer Health Informatics and Strategy at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), has been named a Komen Scholar by the Susan G. Komen organization.

Mia Levy, M.D., Ph.D., Ingram Assistant Professor of Cancer Research and director of Cancer Health Informatics and Strategy at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), has been named a Komen Scholar by the Susan G. Komen organization.

Mia Levy, M.D., Ph.D.
Mia Levy, M.D., Ph.D.

Susan G. Komen is one of the world’s largest nonprofit organizations dedicated to breast cancer research, patient support and advocacy.

Levy, assistant professor of Medicine and Biomedical Informatics, is among 15 leaders in breast cancer research and advocacy who will join the international advisory group to help guide Komen’s research and scientific programs, education and public health efforts in the United States and abroad.

Levy, who treats breast cancer patients at VICC, was also selected for her expertise in big data and precision medicine.

“I am deeply appreciative of this honor and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to the important work performed by the Komen organization,” she said.

As a result of her selection as a Komen Scholar, Levy was eligible for and received a three-year research grant.

Komen Scholars are chosen for their knowledge and leadership within the scientific and research communities, and for their own contributions to breast cancer research. Scholars bring a wide range of proficiencies across the spectrum of breast cancer science and care, including metastatic breast cancer, immunology, prevention, public health, disparities and patient advocacy.

The Komen Scholars provide expertise, including participation in the peer-review process used to fund the organization’s research program. The new members join 44 current Komen Scholars, including Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D., executive vice president for Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and director of VICC. Carlos L. Arteaga, M.D., director of the Center for Cancer Targeted Therapies and the VICC Breast Cancer Program, is an alumnus of the group.

Levy earned an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, a medical degree from Rush University School of Medicine in Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Informatics from Stanford University in California. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Oncology at Stanford, a fellowship in Medical Informatics at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University, and was a National Library of Medicine Fellow in Biomedical Informatics at Stanford.

She joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2009 and has authored or co-authored more than 30 articles in scientific journals.