Professor Ashok Venkitaraman

National University of Singapore, Singapore

Ashok Venkitaraman is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the National University of Singapore, the Director of the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, and a Research Director at the Institute of Molecular & Cell Biology, A*STAR. He was previously the Ursula Zoellner Professor of Cancer Research at the University of Cambridge from 1998-2020, and was the Director of the MRC Cancer Unit in Cambridge from 2006-2019.

Ashok’s research has advanced our understanding of how human cancer is suppressed by genes that maintain the integrity of the genome. He is recognized for discovering the functions of the breast cancer gene, BRCA2, laying the scientific foundations for approaches to targeted therapy and cancer prevention in mutation carriers. Ashok has also pioneered new technologies that enable the precise identification and validation of therapeutic targets, leading to the serial spin-out by Cambridge University of biotechnology firms like PhoreMost based on his research. Ashok’s work has been recognized by international awards, and appointments to the advisory boards of leading academic and commercial organizations.