Cancer Therapeutics Training (CT2) Talk | Bodour Salhia, PhD

Cell-Free DNA Methylation Biomarkers in Cancer Care

Dr. Bodour Salhia is the Inaugural Interim Chair of the Department of Cancer Biology and the Royce & Mary Trotter Chair in Cancer Research at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She also co-leads the Epigenetic Regulation in Cancer (ERC) Program and serves as the Inaugural Director of the Preclinical Models Shared Resource at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. A recognized leader in academic medicine, she is a fellow of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program.

A translational genomicist and epigenomicist, Dr. Salhia’s research integrates multi-omic technologies with functional and preclinical studies to address clinically urgent problems in cancer biology. Her work focuses on cfDNA methylation–based liquid biopsies for ovarian, breast, and colorectal cancer—efforts that have led to the development of OvaPrint™ for adnexal mass risk stratification and MammaTrace™ for minimal residual disease monitoring in breast cancer. She also leads the Eileen McGeever Breast Cancer Survivorship Program, advancing molecular approaches to recurrence risk prediction, and conducts research on the genomics and epigenomics of brain metastasis and degenerative eye disease. Her portfolio is supported by NIH, NSF, foundation, industry, and philanthropic funding. Motivated by the impact of liquid biopsy technologies on women’s health, she founded CpG Diagnostics, a USC spin-out dedicated to advancing cfDNA methylation diagnostics.

Dr. Salhia is deeply committed to community engagement and patient-centered research. She founded The Bench with Bedside Initiative, a direct-to-patient research platform designed to bring scientists to patients and patients into the scientific process. Her outreach spans work with the Arizona Myeloma Network, The Wellness Community, Susan G. Komen, and underserved communities including the Navajo Nation. She has also traveled across Africa to support cancer education for scientists and clinicians. Her leadership and advocacy have earned numerous honors, including recognition as one of the “20 Faces of Komen,” Phoenix Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40, community service awards from the Arizona Myeloma Network, and the 2024 USC Academic Senate Distinguished Faculty Service Award.