As Chief Business Officer, Dr. Karen Lam is responsible for the formulation and implementation of PROOF Centre goals and objectives. Dr. Lam oversees various aspects of the research commercialization continuum at the Centre, including business development, partnerships, operations, scientific and business due diligence, contract management, and funding applications. Working with internal teams and strategic partners, she also evaluates, develops, and manages PROOF Centre biomarker programs and collaborative projects. These include the Centre’s lead program, Biomarkers in Transplantation, as well as other projects related to heart, kidney and lung failure.
Dr. Lam received her B.Sc.(Hon.) in Genetics and Ph.D. in Medical Genetics from the University of British Columbia, bringing to PROOF Centre her expertise in cell and molecular biology, high-throughput screening, functional genomics, drug discovery and target validation. Prior to joining the Centre in 2012, she led a collaborative project as a post-doctoral researcher, where she investigated new treatment options for tuberculosis and breast cancer by repurposing FDA-approved drugs. Dr. Lam has published in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Cell Biology, Molecular Biology of the Cell, and PLoS Pathogens, and has received awards from UBC’s University Graduate Fellowship, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR). She is currently Adjunct Professor in the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.